Ep 4. The Shepherd's Bush Murders

In Murder Maps season 4 episode 4, titled "The Shepherd's Bush Murders," viewers are taken back to 1950s London, where a series of brutal murders shocked the city. The episode explores the investigation into the case of John Christie, a seemingly normal middle-aged man with a wife and a respectable job. However, it soon became apparent that Christie was far from normal, and was in fact a serial killer who had been operating unnoticed for years.

The episode begins with the discovery of two bodies buried in the back garden of Christie's home in Rillington Place, Notting Hill. The bodies belong to Christie's wife Ethel and a young woman named Beryl Evans, who had rented a room from the couple. Soon after, the body of Beryl's husband, Timothy Evans, is discovered under floorboards in the same house. Christie claims that Evans had confessed to killing his wife and child, and that he had helped him dispose of the bodies. Evans is arrested and charged with murder, but as the investigation continues, doubts begin to emerge about Christie's version of events.

The episode details the efforts of Detective Inspector Tom Rose, who was tasked with investigating the case and uncovering the truth behind the murders. Through interviews with family members, neighbors, and other witnesses, Rose begins to piece together the events leading up to the murders. He discovers that Christie, far from being an innocent bystander, was actually a prolific serial killer who had lured vulnerable young women to his home and strangled them before burying them in the garden or hiding their bodies in the house.

Rose is faced with the enormous challenge of proving Christie's guilt, as the killer had gone to great lengths to cover his tracks and frame other people for his crimes. The investigation takes many twists and turns and involves numerous false leads and dead ends. However, Rose is relentless in his pursuit of justice and eventually manages to gather enough evidence to charge Christie with multiple counts of murder.

Overall, "The Shepherd's Bush Murders" is a gripping and chilling account of one of the most notorious serial killers in British history. The episode is skillfully crafted, using a mix of interviews, archive footage, and dramatic reenactments to bring the story to life. Viewers are left with a profound sense of the evil that can lurk behind seemingly ordinary facades and the bravery of those who work tirelessly to bring killers to justice.