ITV has released a new true crime documentary, Hunting the Silver Killer, which investigates two murder-suicides in the Cheshire town of Wilmslow during the 1990s. The programme, airing tonight (Monday, March 30), examines whether the deaths were actually double murders committed by a potential serial killer.
The first incident occurred in 1996, when an elderly couple were found dead in their home. Three years later, in 1999, another elderly couple were discovered dead under eerily similar circumstances. Police concluded that in both cases, the husbands killed their wives before taking their own lives.
However, the documentary raises questions about these conclusions. Former senior coroner's officers who worked on the cases reveal they had concerns about a possible miscarriage of justice. World-leading forensic scientist Dr. Angela Gallop and forensic pathologist Dr. Dick Shepherd re-examine the evidence to explore whether a serial killer—dubbed the 'Silver Killer'—could be responsible.
The programme also features investigative journalist David Collins, author of The Hunt for the Silver Killer, who suggests that a string of similar deaths in north-west England may be linked. The documentary asks whether the killer, if real, could have struck elsewhere across the UK.
The identity of the Silver Killer remains unconfirmed, and it is not known if the individual has been apprehended. Hunting the Silver Killer aims to scrutinise the original police conclusions and highlight the striking similarities between the cases.
