The Murder of Rachel Nickell left me heartbroken and outraged – and it is available to stream now
I have watched many true crime documentaries over the years, but there is one brand new release that continues to keep me up at night.
Yesterday (June 4) Netflix dropped a must watch true crime documentary titled The Murder of Rachel Nickell, as well as an accompanying drama series The Witness, that both explore a tragic killing that sent shockwaves through Britain.
Very rarely a true crime show will stick with me for this long, maybe I’ve watched that many, but as shocking and heartbreaking as they are, this brand new release by Netflix has topped the lot and I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it.
The Murder of Rachel Nickell delves into the chilling moment the 23-year-old mother was killed in broad daylight on London’s Wimbledon Common, after taking her dog for a walk with her two year old son, Alex Hanscombe.
The must-watch true crime documentary includes chilling footage, heartbreaking first hand accounts and insights from experts as it plunges viewers into a case that shocked Britain, and the investigation that pursued.
As well as hearing from Rachel’s son himself, it unpacks how a flawed investigation led to the wrong man’s prosecution as well as the family’s painful progress, with the real killer not being caught until years later.
A Netflix synopsis reads: “In 1992, a young mother is killed in broad daylight on London’s Wimbledon Common, leaving her two-year-old toddler as the sole witness.
“Exploring the shocking real events behind the drama series The Witness, this gripping documentary from BAFTA-nominated director Lucy Bowden examines the notorious, years-long police investigation that followed.
“Featuring exclusive archive footage, first-hand accounts from family members, and insights from leading forensic experts, the film unpacks how a flawed, highly-publicised inquiry led to the wrong man’s prosecution, before a stunning breakthrough reignited a family’s fight for justice over a decade later.”
Not that it’s gory in nature (though the explanation of what happened to Rachel is horrifying) or has a particularly jaw dropping and crazy twist, it simply is a heartbreaking story that is very well portrayed – but one that will give you nightmares.
Hearing from the family themselves and the pain they endured for more years than they needed to, you are guaranteed to shed a tear, so get the tissues ready. One major stand out is the use of archive footage, from trying to get young Alex to speak about what he witnessed – it broke me.
But it also angered me. This family went through hell and back, but not only them, the man who was wrongly accused as well as another young mum and her daughter who were victim to Robert Napper’s horrifying crimes.
I could not watch it in one go, I was in tears and felt physically sick at the pain this family went through. The Murder of Rachel Nickell is a must watch for everyone, bringing to light a huge miscarriage of justice as well as unimaginable pain, but be warned, it is a hard watch and one that will likely stick with you for some time.
The Murder of Rachel Nickell can be streamed on Netflix now
