Rachel Nickell: The Case Behind the Netflix Documentary

Rachel Nickell: The Case Behind the Netflix Documentary

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast June 4, 2026 Duration: 49:52
Netflix is dropping a documentary today called "The Murder of Rachel Nickell," and if you want the full story before you watch, you are in the right place. On a warm morning in July of 1992, a young mother named Rachel Nickell was walking with her two-year-old son, Alex Hanscombe, on Wimbledon Common in southwest London. In broad daylight, an attacker emerged and brutally murdered Rachel. Little Alex was left alone in the woods, clinging to his mother and trying to wake her. The crime shocked the United Kingdom and put immense pressure on the Metropolitan Police to find the killer.What followed became one of the most controversial investigations in British history. Desperate for a lead, detectives focused entirely on an innocent local man named Colin Stagg and launched a manipulative undercover sting known as Operation Edzell to trap him into confessing. Meanwhile, the real killer, Robert Napper, remained free to commit more violent crimes, including the tragic murders of Samantha Bisset and her daughter, Jazmine Bisset. In this episode, we cover the devastating details of the attack, the police failures that led to a massive miscarriage of justice, and the long road to healing for Rachel's family. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Text MOMS to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. To grab your PAKA hoodie, go to www.PakaApparel.com. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Murder of Lori Ann Slesinski: A Conviction Without a Body [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:31
In June 2006, 24 year old Lori Ann Slesinski left an Auburn Walmart to pick up drink mixes before a night at her best friend’s house. She never arrived. Days later, her Yorkshire Terrier, Peanut, was found safe in her mo…
Emma Compton: The Trial Is Underway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:43
Today, we’re replaying our 2024 episode about Emma Compton Layne, a woman remembered by the people who loved her for her generous heart, her contagious joy, and the way she always showed up for her family. Emma disappear…
The Murder of Alex Pennig: Behind the Locked Bathroom Door [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:50
When 32-year-old nurse Alex Pennig was found dead inside the bathroom of her St. Paul apartment, the man who called 911, Matthew Ecker, insisted she had taken her own life behind a locked door. Alex had struggled with de…
The Disappearance of Andrew Gosden: The One-Way Ticket to London [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:50
On September 14, 2007, 14-year-old Andrew Gosden left his home in Doncaster dressed for school. After his family left for the day, he returned home, changed out of his uniform, withdrew £200 from his bank account, and bo…
The Murder of Harold Allen: The Root Beer Float Poisoning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:50
For months, Harold Allen suffered from worsening illnesses that doctors could not fully explain. When he died in Freetown, Indiana, just days before Christmas 2022, his death was attributed to serious cardiac problems. H…
D.B. Cooper and the 7 Men Who Tried to Copy Him [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper boarded a flight in Portland, handed a flight attendant a note saying he had a bomb, and walked away with $200,000 in ransom after jumping out of the plane somewhere…