A man's harrowing confession to police in a 999 call after killing his ex-partner aired on TV tonight. The episode of BBC's Murder 24/7 explored a disturbing case where a West Mercia Police call handler received one of the most chilling calls of her career. Chris Hemmings called 999 to say he had stabbed his ex-partner Cheryl McKenna to death while her 18-year-old daughter was also at home, unharmed.
Chilling Call Details
The episode starts with Hemming telling the call handler: "This is probably the worst phone call you'll have today and I'm sorry for that. I'd like to report a murder." He went on to say: "I killed my ex partner, I stabbed her to death in the bed." When asked when he killed her, he admitted: "Five minutes ago." When told he had to stay on the line, he said he needed to call work to tell them he "would not be in today."
Later in the episode, Hemming is heard admitting: "I simply killed her," revealing his motive for the crime.
Viewer Reactions
Viewers were stunned by the call. One person wrote on X: "Jesus. He's so eerily calm. And that poor girl asleep in the house as that's all happening too." Another penned: "Murder 24/7 is so much better than 24 hours in police custody. Doesn't drag out the information for an entire two episodes." A third stated: "He's just killed his ex-partner and he wants to ring work to tell them he won't be in today..."
BBC Synopsis and Warning
Before the instalment, a warning was issued for "upsetting scenes" and strong language. The BBC synopsis read: "Cheryl's daughter describes a household where tensions had been rising for two years, with arguments over money, the breakdown of the relationship and Hemming's jealousy over Cheryl's new partner. She recalls Hemming saying he felt like killing Cheryl. Body-worn camera footage from a domestic incident four months earlier shows Hemming already aware the relationship had ended and fixated on Cheryl's friendship with another man."
"When forensic specialist software gains access to his phone, detectives uncover a note written just six hours before the murder. In it, Hemming describes his rage and writes that losing Cheryl would have been easier if she had simply died. The discovery of what might be a tracking device raises further questions about whether he has been monitoring Cheryl's movements in the weeks before he killed her."
Murder 24/7 is a BBC documentary series that follows real-life criminal investigations. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9pm on BBC One and can be streamed on BBC iPlayer.
