"He had a history of domestic violence and had been to prison on a number of occasions.". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The four-part drama and accompanying documentary starts on Monday on BBC One and will be available as a box set on BBC iPlayer. The real story behind Steeltown Murders and the Saturday Night Using archive and first-hand accounts from the officers, scientists and relatives of the victims, Steeltown Murders: Hunting a Serial Killer tells the extraordinary inside story. Tissue extracted from his femur and teeth were a complete match, thus determining his guilt and finally getting justice for his victims. Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in Port Talbot and how the mystery was solved 30 years later using pioneering DNA . The remoteness of the area in which Sandra's body was discovered also suggested her assailant had a strong local knowledge. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 14 May 2023 Updated 15 May 2023 Joe Kappen was found to have brutally murdered three teenage girls in south Wales following a 30-year hunt for their killer Three 16-year-old girls strangled, a. Steeltown Murders airs on BBC One at 9pm, Monday, May 15 and all episodes will stream on iPlayer after the first episode has aired. Steeltown Murders: First images released of new BBC drama set in Port Show more 10 months left. Crime in Slaton, Texas (TX): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults BBC One's new Philip Glenister crime drama Steeltown Murders is based on the true story of Port Talbot serial killer Joseph Kappen, who killed three teenagers. [5], Two months later, testing on the clothes of Sandra Newton revealed that she had been a victim of the same killer as Hughes and Floyd, meaning that the three murders were officially linked for the first time and revealing that all three had been murdered by the same unidentified individual. Joe Kappen was found to have brutally murdered three teenage girls in south Wales following a 30-year hunt for their killer. [18] As soon as Kappen had been identified in the 1973 cases, detectives announced their intention to speak to Mulcahy's family. As a BBC reporter, I helped to cover these killings back in 1973. According to the article posted . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. What followed was the biggest murder hunt Wales had . One of these was local car thief Paul Kappen, whose DNA was already on police files but who was only seven years old at the time of the murders. There is no need for adoption when a child comes from a loving family', The hidden beach only accessible by steep steps with brilliant views of Tenby, Monkstone beach is a true hidden gem only accessible by a steep set of 150 steps. Updated: 5:56 PM PDT July 3, 2021. All three were aged 16 and were lured into his vehicle on Saturday nights. Of the closely related genetic profiles which remained, one would jump out of the screen at them - that of habitual car thief Paul Kappen. I will explore every route possible to make sure my daughter does not get adopted. [5] He never stayed in employment for long and was described as a loner. The case went cold in the 70s and in the early 2000s after advancements in DNA testing technology, The Sun reports. His identity was not known until . Read about our approach to external linking. Streaming in: . [16] In 2004 another similar attempt to identify a serial killer through familial DNA was made by Strathclyde Police in the Bible John case when they announced their intention to test a number of men after the discovery of a DNA sample at a minor crime scene in 2002. First images released from new factual BBC drama Steeltown Murders Maureen Mulcahy", "Killer faces questions on more sex murders: Police to interview Robert Black about the deaths of at least 12 girls in England, Northern Ireland and France. Steeltown Murders true story: Serial killer Joseph Kappen and what happened to him, Man fighting for his life after being shot inside car in Doncaster as three men arrested, New Wowcher mystery deal could see you get a Lay-Z spa or garden furniture set for 19.99, Celebrities rush to support Holly Willoughby after tragic family death. Sandra's body was found two days later in a culvert. [5] Ultimately, therefore, Kappen was not pursued further as a suspect at the time. Celebrities have rushed to offer their support to This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby following the sad death of her mother-in-law, Sandra. [5] Kappen also claimed to have been at Neath fair on the night of the murders and his wife gave him a false alibi, which she later said was common for her to do when police investigated her husband. Steeltown Murders (2023) Watch Now . It took nearly three decades of painstaking police work for the man who raped and murdered three teenage girls in the Port Talbot area to be revealed. DNA taken from the bodys femur and teeth proved a full match. The car thief turned out to be Kappen's son, Paul. His parents' marriage broke up when he was young and he was raised by his stepfather in Port Talbot, a heavily industrial town in Wales dominated by its large steelworks. Celebrities have rushed to offer their support to This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby following the sad death of her mother-in-law, Sandra. On Christmas Eve 2001, two years after that cold case was reopened, DI Bethell applied to Home Secretary David Blunkett to exhume Paul Kappens dad and, six months later, on a sodden hillside cemetery in South Wales, justice was finally served. Read more: BBC Steeltown Murders: First look at crime drama based on real life Port Talbot case. New BBC series Steeltown Murders is the latest true crime drama to hit UK TV, telling the story of when the community of Port Talbot was shaken to its core by the murder of three teenage. Steeltown Murders left me bored and furious In 2002, Kappens body was exhumed and forensic testing proved him to be the murderer. Set in both the 1970s and early 2000s, the BBC series is an account of how three murders in south Wales were solved almost 30 years after they had been committed. We are all deeply shocked by the revelations. The real story behind Steeltown Murders and the Saturday Night His identity was not known until 30 years after the last murder, thanks to advancements in DNA testing technology. Updated 13:53, 15 MAY 2023 Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd were murdered on their way home from a night out in Swansea It was 1973 when the bodies of 16-year-old Pauline Floyd and Geraldine. Steeltown Murders also filmed in some well-known South Walian landmarks such as the Kardomah Caf in Swansea, the Naval Club in Sandfields and The Royal British Legion Club in Port Talbot. That same year, police visited nightclub bouncer and part-time bus driver Joseph (Joe) Kappen's house on Port Talbot's Sandfields council estate. It wasnt until 2001 that DNA testing was able to identify Newtons killer as the same as Hughes and Floyds. The Kappen case has featured in a number of television programmes: This page is not available in other languages. BBC Steeltown Murders: Airdate, cast, locations, real life plot and how Steeltown Murders true story: Serial killer Joseph Kappen and what [11] However, the developments in DNA led to a full reinvestigation of the murders, titled Operation Magnum. According to Wales Online, Burry Port, Llandarcy and Neath Valley were also used alongside Port Talbot. Is 'Steeltown Murders' Based On A True Story? - Bustle Free . POTTSTOWN U.S. "But after all of those years, she can finally rest in peace now.". Police poster on display in shop window, warning against hitch hiking, in September 1973, The bodies of Geraldine and Pauline were found in September 1973, Gareth J Bale plays his uncle DC Geraint Bale, while Philip Glenister is DCI Paul Bethell and Phil 'Bach' Rees is played by Steffan Rhodri, (Image: PA Photo/BBC/Severn Film/Tom Jackson), Parents of murder victim Geraldine Hughes, ahead of fifth anniversary of murders. Officers from all over south Wales were drafted in to help with the manhunt for the killer in 1973, People were warned about getting into cars that matched the description of the killer's light-coloured Morris 1100, The parents of the murder victim Geraldine Hughes wanted to know who killed their 16-year-old daughter, Officers in 1973 were working without computers, relying on sifting through all of the data in detail, Geraldine and Pauline had been to the Top Rank dance hall on the Kingsway in Swansea on the night they went missing, The killer's DNA was similar to that of convicted car thief Paul Kappen from Port Talbot, DNA evidence helped prove Joseph Kappen became Wales' first known serial killer, Joseph Kappen was buried at Goytre cemetery on the hillside above Port Talbot, The then Home Secretary Lord Blunkett said he gave approval for Kappen's body to be exhumed to find the truth, The exhumation took place inside a police tent about 30 yards from where the press were stood, Geraldine and her cousin Julie Begley were the only two girls among the family and they didn't have much time to be "girly girls", Sandra Newton's friend Theresa May said: "I believe I will see her again - and we've got a lot of catching up to do! Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Written by Ed Whitmore ( Manhunt, Safe House) and made by Severn Screen ( The Pembrokeshire Murders, Hidden/Craith ), the four part series is set both in 1973 and the early 2000s and centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young . We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. TV Steeltown Murders: BBC confirm start date for true crime about Port Talbot serial killer Joseph Kappen The murder of three young women remained unsolved for 30 years. That same year, Kappen was identified after police did a DNA search for matches with possible living descendants of the killer. The team were not yet done with the late doorman - who was known to some on the force as a habitual petty criminal with a violent temper. "He was known in the community as a bit of a thug," recalled Det Ch Insp Bethell. Thirty years on, can DCI Bethall find the serial killer who terrorised 1970s Port Talbot? Is Steeltown Murders a true story? How serial killer Joseph Kappen was Steeltown Murders is based on a real-life Port Talbot case in which detectives strive to catch the killer of three young women in 1973 and will air on BBC One later this spring. So history was made in May 2002, when exhumation of the three-person grave began on the stroke of midnight. Despite hundreds of officers being involved in the investigation that saw thousands of men interviewed and hundreds of cars examined for evidence, the case went cold. [11][6] It appeared that one girl had attempted to escape from her attacker and had made it yards from the road near to where her father had worked, but had been caught by her attacker and killed. But there was a problem getting a DNA swab from him when they knocked on his door. Man stabbed to death in Southeast Portland | kgw.com Malcolm Pithers reports", "HTV relates Llandarcy inquiry; TELEVISION: Documentary focuses on 1973 murders", "Former detective reveals how police caught one of Wales' worst serial killers", "Evidence of Evil: The Saturday Night Strangler", "The Real Prime Suspect Episode 4: The Saturday Night Strangler", "Forensics: Catching the Killer. In the early 1970s no-one had heard or really used the phrase serial killer, but that was exactly what they were looking for. In real life, inheriting the massive archive of case material, they knew that their only shot at the success was to go out and swab the most likely suspects. More than 150 police officers had chased hundreds of leads on the so-called Saturday Night Strangler and all had gone nowhere. TV drama BBC Steeltown Murders: First look at crime drama based on real life Port Talbot case Stars of Gavin & Stacey, Life on Mars, The Pembrokeshire Murders and more star in a Welsh. Instead, their bodies were found the next morning dumped, raped and strangled, in Llandarcy woodland, sparking a massive police manhunt and leaving a community cowering in fear as to when or where the killer might strike again. It all started in the summer of 1973, when the city and surrounding areas of Swansea were shocked by two incidents of girls going out partying but not returning home. [18] He also observed that police still had tapings from Mulcahy's body and clothing at the time taken to search for fibres, and these could now be examined for DNA if the police chose to. Police reopened the investigation into Hughes and Floyd in the late 1990s after advancements in DNA testing meant the killers DNA was isolated from their clothing. For decades, the murders of Geraldine Hughes, Pauline Floyd and Sandra Newton remained unsolved. But I will fight until my last breath. The locations where Kappen's known victims were found near Port Talbot, and the proximity to Maureen Mulcahy's unsolved murder It is not known if Kappen ever killed again after September 1973, but he remains a suspect in the unsolved murder of Maureen Mulcahy, aged 23, in February 1976. "Finally, in 2000, we could start searching the national DNA database of about 1.7 million different people profiles," added Dr Dark. SD . It wouldn't hand them an exact match, but they would certainly have 50% of the DNA - and, now able to harness the power of computer technology, they could dismiss thousands of potential suspects with just a key stroke. What happened to Paul Bethell, as seen in Steeltown Murders? [5], Due to the period of time that had elapsed since the murders, South Wales Police decided to employ a previously unknown tactic of searching for the DNA of possible living descendants of the murderer as their genetic profiles would be similar to the killer's. Steeltown Murders cast and creatives discuss the responsibility of He raped them all and then strangled them to death. But it was not until 2002 with the developments in DNA that their killer was revealed. The arrival of an ultra-sensitive testing system meant that the killer's genetic fingerprint, previously jumbled up with his victims', could be isolated from the ageing samples available. He grew up in the industrial town Port Talbot which was dominated by the large steelworks. It was 1973 when the bodies of 16-year-old Pauline Floyd and Geraldine Hughes were discovered in woodland sparking a major police investigation that saw hundreds of people being questioned. This would have disproved this claim, but without a computerised system for cross-referencing, this fact was not noticed by detectives at the time. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [5] Investigators therefore examined local individuals' profiles that matched part of the killer's profile and created a list of 100 potential suspects. Steeltown Murders: Hunting A Serial Killer. Watch Now . Steeltown Murders: Hunting A Serial Killer - Media Centre - BBC The first incident took place in . There were so many areas where the killer could have come from. And, by persuading Kappen Snr's ex-wife and her daughter to volunteer swabs of their DNA, decades of clutching at straws were finally brought to an end. Detectives were determined to be absolutely certain that Kappen was the killer so the families of the three girls could have some sort of closure. Although only seven years old at the time of the Llandarcy murders, that unusual surname could mean only one thing - he was Joseph Kappen's son. That decision turned out to be vital as, in 1998, a scientific breakthrough would once again throw light on the case. Steeltown Murders: Filming locations for BBC series revealed "No words can describe the way we all felt, it was a huge relief," said Geraldine's cousin, Julie Begley. BBC One's new Philip Glenister crime drama Steeltown Murders is based on the true story of Port Talbot serial killer Joseph Kappen, who killed three teenagers. Joseph Kappen died in 1990. But they'd never reach their destination. The first episode of Steeltown Murders premiered on BBC One at 9pm on Monday 15th May 2023. Over the phone from Chepstow Dr Dark would give DCI Bethell the news he never thought he'd hear - The Saturday Night Strangler had been caught, albeit from beyond the grave. Read more about that case here. "[5], After the findings, Kappen's former wife Christine Powell, who had previously insisted that Kappen was innocent, stated that "our first thoughts are with the families of the victims. With the help of a psychological profiler, the team slowly whittled down the 35,000 names and, eight months later, arrived at a figure of 500. The first images have been released from the new BBC drama series set in Port Talbot - Steeltown Murders. Many feared detectives would never find the killer known as the "Saturday Night Strangler" - but 30 years on, he was found in the most unlikely place. "This was the first time in almost 30 years we knew that the same man had killed all three girls," said the man that led the new investigation, Det Insp Paul Bethell. Police believed she had tried to hitchhike her way home. Brand new Welsh-made, true crime drama Steeltown Murders hits our TV screens tonight. "This was a ground breaking technique, the first time it's ever been done in the UK and possibly the world - and from there, the new investigative tool now known as familial DNA was developed.". Joseph William Kappen (30 October 1941 17 June 1990), also known as the Saturday Night Strangler, was a Welsh serial killer who committed the rape and murder of three teenage girls in Llandarcy and Tonmawr, near his home town of Port Talbot, in 1973. Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first. But after getting nowhere, the investigation was quietly run down and boxes upon boxes of evidence and admin shelved. "We started to think was it possible that we could use the idea that crime can run in families," said Dr Dark, whose team was continually checking the sample with new profiles on the ever-growing DNA database. It was not just closure for Geraldine and Pauline's loved ones, but for Sandra's family and close friends too. The drama makes its debut on Monday, May 15 at 9pm on BBC One. Helen Fear 3. So could we look on the DNA database for a child of the offender? ", "Dark Land: Hunting the Killers. Three 16-year-old girls strangled, a country's biggest murder hunt and the ground-breaking way police found the serial killer - this is the real life story behind the BBC's latest drama. The drama centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence. [5] Kappen was listed as suspect number 200, and detectives visited what they believed to be his address in Port Talbot in August 2001 but they discovered that he had died of lung cancer in June 1990, although his former wife, who had divorced him in 1980, still lived there. Both investigations were linked in the early 2000s by an emerging crime-solving tool, when South Wales Police started reopening cold cases hoping DNA could finally bring killers to justice. Our concerns are protection from hurt for our children. [18][8][11] Mulcahy was similarly strangled after a Saturday night out, being found dead the following morning on wasteland very close to the Sandfields estate, where "Saturday Night Strangler" Kappen was living at the time. Their deaths sparked Wales' biggest murder hunt and a team of 150 officers questioned 35,000 people who loosely fitted the description of the last person seen with Geraldine and Pauline. It reveals how the police missed catching the killer the first time around, and how, three decades later, advancements in forensic science helped to identify a serial killer who thought he had taken his secrets to the grave. Steeltown Murders - Wikipedia Steeltown Murders follows two detectives on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area. Steeltown Murders Interviews: Scott Arthur. BBC One - Steeltown Murders: Hunting a Serial Killer Firstly, semen stains on Geraldine and Pauline's clothing were isolated to show they matched that of the same man - but the person was not on the recently opened DNA database. That meant exhuming Kappen's body, which would be the first time that a suspect would be exhumed in the UK to prove guilt. Dr Dark said that meant "getting a spreadsheet printout of several thousand DNA profiles from men in the south Wales area, sitting down with a pencil and a ruler and crossing out everyone that doesn't match". The two girls had been seen getting a lift home in a white Austin 1100, so more than 10,000 drivers of that type of popular car at the time had to be visited and questioned. The Welsh locations where BBC Steeltown Murders was filmed Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK, Exhumation of body and positive DNA match, Murders of Jacqueline Ansell-Lamb and Barbara Mayo, Murders of Eve Stratford and Lynne Weedon, List of serial killers in the United Kingdom, "Llandarcy Murders Solved: Now the Search for More Kappen Victims Widens", "Dead Man Named as Triple Murderer after DNA Tests", "The hunt for the Saturday Night Strangler", "DNA evidence ends 30-year hunt for killer and rapist", "How The Saturday Night Strangler was finally unmasked 30 years after the brutal murders of two young women", "Llandarcy murders solved - now the search for more Kappen victims widens; EXHUMATION: DNA from body of man buried 12 years ago matches evidence at scenes of crime", "Steeltown Murders: Hunting a Serial Killer", "Bible John murders 50 years on: Are we any closer to finding Scotland's serial killer? [5], On Saturday 14 July 1973 Sandra Newton, aged 16, went missing after a night out in Briton Ferry. Police findings led to the decision to exhume Joseph Kappen's body in 2002. Now, with his son's DNA proving he was a 50% match of the killer's DNA, Joseph Kappen became the prime suspect - decades after the murders. True story of Steeltown Murders' Port Talbot serial killer Joseph Kappen (Image: Wales Online) In 1973, Joseph Kappen killed three young women in Port Talbot, South Wales, known as the Steeltown Murders, but it wasn't until 2001 that detectives were able to catch the killer in a shock DNA twist. [11] Police followed up numerous lines of enquiry but, as was the case in police investigations at the time, all intelligence and information was collected on large amounts of paperwork, which complicated the inquiry. Sandra Newton, who was also 16, had been found murdered and her body dumped near a disused Tonmawr colliery. Among the 147 not checked was suspect number 200, a night club bouncer from Port Talbot called Joseph Kappen, who'd initially been quizzed at the time of the deaths but somehow slid under the radar - despite driving the same model of car spotted on the night in question. Steeltown Murders, Monday, May 15, 9pm, BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. [5] Police suspected a local man was responsible due to the detailed knowledge of the area the killer would appear to have needed to be aware of the remote dump site. "That gave us two-thirds of a full profile for Joe Kappen," said Dr Dark, whose team were based at the old forensic laboratory in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. "After several hours of going through the process, we were left with about 100 names. [17], It is not known if Kappen ever killed again after September 1973, but he remains a suspect in the unsolved murder of Maureen Mulcahy, aged 23, in February 1976. This was a definite possibility.". We now had a golden opportunity to search for the killer of these girls.. Home Watch now The inside story of the police investigation into the 1973 murders of three teenage girls. Among the 147 not checked was suspect number 200, a night club bouncer from Port Talbot called Joseph Kappen, who'd initially been quizzed at the time of the deaths but somehow slid under the . Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first. BBC Steeltown Murders: First look at crime drama based on real life Port Talbot case, Wales' most prolific actor Steffan Rhodri on the 'steeltown murders' next to his school, 'I've really fought for people to know that I am a Welsh actor': The Luke Evans interview, The Welsh actor who's been in everything while working behind a shop counter in Tenby, Steve Coogan on love of Max Boyce and making more The Trip with Rob Brydon, The Welsh actor you don't realise you keep seeing everywhere, The One Show's Alex Jones gives health update on husband Charlie Thomson, Alex Jones spoke all things career, family and health as she appeared on Gabby Logan's podcast, ITV This Morning star Holly Willoughby announces tragic death in family, 24 things you should never say to a Welsh person, Not if you want to keep your head on your shoulders anyway, good boy, Former Strictly star Brendan Cole living in a tent in Spain, The One Show's Alex Jones shares hospital update as she urges people to get checked, Alex Jones got candid in order to share a very important message after a referral to the hospital, Dick and Angel Strawbridge returning to UK in new career path after Channel 4 axe, They were dropped by Channel 4 in May following an investigation into the couples conduct while filming, Plane rides and beach motorcycle races in extraordinary photos showing how Wales holidayed 100 years ago, It's hard to imagine a holiday without checking the weather app on your phone or scrolling through social media but in the 1920s and 1930s people filled their beach days with many other activities, Modern home hiding off village street was built in someone's old garden, Gorgeous house in Gower offers views as well as luxury living, How Dino Fetscher went from Doctor Who extra to role in huge Apple TV+ series, Dino Fetscher, who said he sees Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies as a 'mentor', will appear in the second season of sci-fi series Foundation, Man killed in crash involving two motorbikes and car, A 58-year-old man from Caerphilly was pronounced dead at the scene, Tonight's rugby news as Wales star joins Switzerland camp, Here are your rugby evening headlines for Saturday, 8th July, The Voice Kids coaches feel like theyre on Dragons Den after sassy identical twins ask for a moment onstage, Shanice and Andrea Nyandoro made three coaches turn for them in their audition, The best photos from Saturday's Race For Life Pretty Muddy event in Cardiff, People got themselves well and truly covered in mud for the charity event, The Wales players who might yet spring a Rugby World Cup shock, Gatland is currently running the rule over his players out in Switzerland, Wales international emerges as shock transfer target for top New Zealand Super Rugby outfit, Rhys Patchell is a man in demand after ninge released by the Scarlets at end of last season, Michael Duff explains Josh Ginnelly's friendly absence as Swansea City boss says 'it didn't look a great one', The winger could already be facing a period on the sidelines, The sweet shop with 45-minute queues and products Willy Wonka would be proud of, Mazza Treatz stocks hundreds of products from all over the world ranging from pancake-flavoured cereal to sweet-stuffed gherkins and KFC-flavoured crisps, Welsh village named UK's best holiday destination, 'This delightful village presents the perfect Welsh welcome it's therefore no surprise that this holiday destination grabs the top spot', BBC presenter off air over claims of payments to teen for explicit photos, It has been claimed that the presenter paid more than 35,000 in exchange for sexual images, Boy left in critical condition after being hit by car, Police are investigating the incident in Barry which left the youngster needing emergency treatment in hospital, Brits issued warning as deadly bacteria and faeces found around Ibiza beaches, Brits travelling there have been warned after the alarming discovery, The committed Wales fans who drove hours through the Alps to watch their heroes train in Switzerland, Warren Gatland's World Cup squad are currently being put through their paces at an intense training camp, Father woke up to find his baby son had died beside him in bed, 'No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get any air into him', Two killed in 'serious' crash on busy road, The incident happened in the early hours of Friday, Couple make last-ditch attempt to stop daughter being adopted, 'I was heartbroken when I lost custody.

What To Text A Long Distance Crush, Mosl Teacher Evaluation, Homes For Sale College Place, Wa Foreclosures, Distance Between Ajanta And Ellora Caves, Articles S