How police allegedly botched one of the UK's most notorious murder cases episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 9, 2026 · 42 MIN

How police allegedly botched one of the UK's most notorious murder cases

from Crime Story

The 1985 massacre at Whitehouse Farm is one of England's most notorious cases. But did police get it right? Five members of the Bamber family were found dead in their home, alongside the murder weapon and an open Bible. Suspicion quickly turned to the police's star witness and apparent heir to the family fortune, Jeremy Bamber. Today, Bamber has been in prison for over 40 years.Journalist Heidi Blake grew up with this story. She thought she knew it well, until she began her own investigation. This week on Crime Story, Heidi Blake shares the story at the core of her new podcast In the Dark: Blood Relatives from The New Yorker. She tells us how the evidence she uncovered casts doubt on the conviction of one of the U.K.'s longest serving prisoners. You can listen to In the Dark: Blood Relatives here. 

The 1985 massacre at Whitehouse Farm is one of England's most notorious cases. But did police get it right? Five members of the Bamber family were found dead in their home, alongside the murder weapon and an open Bible. Suspicion quickly turned to the police's star witness and apparent heir to the family fortune, Jeremy Bamber. Today, Bamber has been in prison for over 40 years.Journalist Heidi Blake grew up with this story. She thought she knew it well, until she began her own investigation. This week on Crime Story, Heidi Blake shares the story at the core of her new podcast In the Dark: Blood Relatives from The New Yorker. She tells us how the evidence she uncovered casts doubt on the conviction of one of the U.K.'s longest serving prisoners. You can listen to In the Dark: Blood Relatives here.

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How police allegedly botched one of the UK's most notorious murder cases

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The 1985 massacre at Whitehouse Farm is one of England's most notorious cases. But did police get it right? Five members of the Bamber family were found dead in their home, alongside the murder weapon and an open Bible. Suspicion quickly turned to...

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