New true crime podcast Crime Next Door: Death on the Farm launches

The new true crime strand on BBC Sounds, has seen its first release with Crime Next Door: Death on the Farm.

Narrated by actress Bettrys Jones, the podcast from BBC Cymru Wales examines the aftermath in a community, still baffled nearly 50 years since the discovery of two bodies in a remote farmhouse.

Since the bodies were found in December 1976, a cloud has been hanging over the people of Llangolman in Pembrokeshire.

Someone had come into their village and used extreme violence to kill an elderly couple, and many feared they were under attack.

It was the postman who discovered the victims while on his morning rounds. They were a well-liked brother and sister, Griff and Patti Thomas. No one could understand why anyone would want to cause them harm.

Within just a few days, the fear of an outsider turned into something very different, and a theory which pointed the finger at someone closer to home.

The series seeks to find out why, nearly half a century later, the case still matters to so many people. It asks whether the police at the time had got it right, or if an injustice had been served. And it also asks what can be done without the closure that many people are demanding.

With contributions from first-hand witnesses, members of the community and modern-day experts, as well as access to original materials, the series re-assesses the evidence and pieces together the facts.

Producer Darrell Brown says: “It’s unusual to find a case which remains such a topic of conversation for a community – but this is one which the people of Llangolman refuse to forget.

“It was a real privilege to tell their story, and to shine a light on a case which still casts a shadow on the village. We look forward to seeing how audiences respond, and to seeing how the case develops in the coming weeks and months.”

BBC Radio Wales Commissioner Bridget Curnow says: “Hearing the story directly from the voices of the community of Llangolman and their dedication to getting the closure they so want, and need is so powerful. The fact that the community are still so dedicated 50 years on shows just how baffling this story is.”

Episode 1 of Crime Next Door: Death on the Farm is now available on BBC Sounds, followed by weekly releases on new episodes.