A chilling true crime series has landed on Netflix, quickly becoming the platform's most-watched show. 'Manhunt: Chasing The Fox', originally aired on Channel 5 in 2023, was released on Netflix on Sunday, November 23, and has captivated audiences.
The two-part documentary focuses on the pursuit and capture of Malcolm Fairley, a sex offender and burglar who terrorised communities in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire in the 1980s. Over 200 police officers were involved in the six-month manhunt before Fairley's arrest in September 1984, by which time he had committed 81 offences.
Fairley earned the nickname 'The Fox' for his method of constructing 'dens' inside victims' homes using furniture and blankets, where he would lie in wait, often armed with a shotgun. He would cook food, watch television and rummage through belongings while waiting. The fear he instigated led to vigilante groups patrolling streets and residents bolting windows shut.
Police eventually apprehended Fairley using forensic evidence linking his car to an attack. He died at age 71 from a heart attack while serving six life sentences in HMP Hull. Viewers have taken to social media to express their shock, with one calling it 'absolutely insane' and another recalling living in the area and being 'petrified'.
'Manhunt: Chasing The Fox' is now available on Netflix, topping the charts ahead of Claire Danes' 'The Beast In Me' and 'One Shot: With Ed Sheeran'.
