A two-year-old was the crime's only witness and a new documentary is releasing about the case on Netflix
Two new Netflix releases focus on the same mysterious and brutal real-life case. The streamer has unveiled the first look at releases based on the true story of Rachel Nickell , her son and partner which will begin streaming on the same day later this year.
They include three-part series The Witness and documentary film The Murder of Rachel Nickell. According to the synopsis, The Witness follows the experiences of Alex and André Hanscombe as they deal with the devastating impact of a brutal act of violence. When Rachel Nickell was killed on Wimbledon Common in 1992, André became a single parent overnight.
Putting his own grief to one side, he made his son Alex, who happened to be the only eyewitness to the attack, the centre of his world. Navigating the unscrupulous media furore and the urgency of an increasingly desperate police investigation, his sole concern became the welfare of his traumatised son. The series aims to tell the story of how a father and son moved through the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy, from darkness into light.
The real-life case shocked the nation at the time, not least as it was reported Rachel's toddler son was found by a passer by who described how he was clinging to his mother's body repeating the words: "Wake up, Mummy". It was also said that the case lead to one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the country. The show's cast includes comic actor Kevin Eldon, who has most recently appeared in Trigger Point and Death In Paradise.
Also starring are Sweetpea and Big Boys star Jon Pointing alongside Jordan Bolger, whose past credits include The Book of Boba Fett and The 100. The Witness is created for TV and written by Rob Williams who previously penned episodes of The Man in the High Castle, Killing Eve and The Victim. All episodes are expected to drop on Netflix June 4.
That's not all as on the same day, a standalone documentary about the same case will also be released. It means viewers will be able to get a close examination of the shocking real-life events, as it is expected to include never before seen footage. Coming from BAFTA nominated director Lucy Bowden the examines the notorious, years-long police investigation that followed after young mother Rachel Nickell was killed in broad daylight with only her two-year-old son as witness.
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. Rachel Nickell’s son Alex, who will now be in his thirties, alongside his father and Rachel's partner, André Hanscombe not only agreed to the new documentary but also served as consultants on the series.
Netflix shared a statement on their behalf along with the announcement. They said: " Our life has been a battle. We can never express how indebted we are to everyone that’s been a part of this, for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us, for the chance they took with us in bringing our story to the screen, and for the care they have taken.
"Our journey has all been by the grace of God and a promise to go on together, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to share our story in this way. We hope that audiences will be left with a testament to the tough battle of life we all face and to the power of faith, hope, love – and never giving up. ” The Witness and The Murder of Rachel Nickell are streaming on Netflix from June 4.
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