50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL - TV documentary (2) - Stephen Downing's story - 27 years wrongfully jailed for murder.

By Don Hale donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

Stephen Downing's story - 27 years wrongfully jailed for murder. Exclusive BBC documentary.

MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD - Wendy Sewell - September 1973. 

A high Profile miscarriage case that is now being potentially linked to Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, together with two other similar unsolved murders fromaround the same time.

*VIEW THIS REVEALING DOCUMENTARY NOW FOR FREE: Length 28 mins.

Stephen’s story BBC1 documentary:  https://youtu.be/zE1QEtfhXiE



 Stephen Downing (left) with author, journalist and campaigner Don Hale

This is your chance to examine the facts behind Britain's worst ever high profile miscarriage of justice where a man spent nearly 28-years in jail for a murder he did not commit.

 

This horrific murder mystery still remains unsolved but has since been linked to the similar brutal murders of Jackie-Ansell-Lamb and Barbara Mayo about the same period. The murders are now considered to be the work of the infamous Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, by a former detective, and cold-case Ripper expert Chris Clark.


This is the exclusive BBC Midlands Report by Rachel Bowering and Nick Booth covering Stephen's release on bail before finally having his conviction quashed and trying to cope with 'normal' life again. He re-visits the murder scene, finds a job and lives back home with his family. It is a moving and dramatic journey as he tries to adjust back in society. 


This unique documentary also reports on the intensive campaign by journalist Don Hale whose exhaustive work helped to quash Stephen Downing's conviction. He was jailed in Sept 1973 for a murder he did not commit, the Bakewell cemetery murder of Wendy Sewell. Stephen spent over 27 years in prison before an intense 8-year campaign by Don Hale, the editor of his local newspaper, the Matlock Mercury, fought hard to clear his name. 


The story was later used as the basis of a BBC TV drama, In Denial of Murder, starring Stephen Tompkinson and Caroline Catz. It included much informative data from Don Hale's 2019 best-selling book – MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD by Harper Collins.



Don Hale’s campaign and incredible story were also featured by ITV’s Judge Robert Rinder on his recent true crime series.*Read Don Hale's revised and thrilling true-crime book – MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD, published in 2019 by Harper Collins. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07K81YYWQ/?ref=exp_perryscope21_dp_vv_d


* If you enjoyed this video, you might like the original award-winning video about the case.

MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD. The BBC’s award-winning documentary: The Wendy Sewell murder September 1973 in Bakewell cemetery. 

*VIEW THIS REVEALING BBC DOCUMENTARY NOW FOR FREE: Length 28 mins 37 secs. https://youtu.be/Y3Fe-KGQRUw



Don Hale is a best-selling British author and former investigative journalist. He has been Journalist of the Year on three separate occasions in the past. and his extensive campaign to help free Stephen Downing for a murder he did not commit, won him both the Campaign and National Journalist of the Year Awards, A former regional newspaper editor, he was awarded an OBE in 2002 for campaign journalism. He has also been a lead investigator in several other successful, high-profile, miscarriage of justice and human rights cases. He has written several best selling books including - Murder in the Graveyard a true crime mystery story. There is also Buster Crabb - Ian Fleming's Favourite Spy, and Mallard about the battle to create the fastest steam loco in the world against the challenge from Nazi Germany, and more lately, there is The Jersey Boys and Liberation, about the secret stories of occupied Jersey during WW2, told by several resistance heroes and historians.

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