BBC Local has launched a powerful five-part true crime podcast, The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer.
The series explores one of Britain’s most shocking cases, revisiting the kidnap and murder of teenager Lesley Whittle by the criminal known as the Black Panther, fifty years after the events that transformed British policing.
The investigation stretched across the East and West Midlands and led to major developments in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Oxfordshire. The podcast traces how the case reshaped cooperation between police forces and changed the way officers engaged with the media during a period of intense public scrutiny.
Presented by BBC journalist and broadcaster Susan Hanks, who grew up in the Midlands, the series forms part of BBC Sounds’ Crime Next Door brand.
Through a series of emotional and revealing interviews, Susan speaks to those who lived through the events, enabling the story to be retold in the voices of people directly connected to the case.
Susan said: “The twists and turns of this case make it compelling for a new audience, and for those that remember the story at the time – we hope that we have reflected the tragic events of 1975 in a respectful way.”
Her approach focuses on experience and memory, allowing listeners to reconnect with a moment that held the nation’s attention.
The narrative centres on the detective whose relentless commitment to solving the crime ultimately cost him his career, offering a personal angle that deepens the emotional impact of the series.
Crime Next Door: The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer also features rare archive audio, including material unheard since it was first broadcast in 1975, adding historical weight to the retelling.
Chris Burns, Head of Local Audio Commissioning, said: “This is an extraordinary story! The impact of which still echoes through the corridors of British criminal history.
“It’s a deeply personal and powerful retelling from BBC Local of a case that literally changed policing in this country forever.” His comments underline the enduring significance of the case and the importance of revisiting it for modern listeners.
Crime Next Door: The Cop, The Kidnap and The Killer is available as a boxset on BBC Sounds from today, 2 December.
