Synopsis

Murder Detective with Graham Hill introduces former Surrey Police senior detective and criminologist Graham Hill to Crime + Investigation's true crime-loving audience as the Murder Detective. In each episode, Graham Hill pairs his detective methodology with forensic science and insider knowledge to provide audiences with his expert understanding of how the cases were finally cracked. The episodes will also include key witness testimonies, new interviews, forensic and psychological experts, and archive footage, taking viewers into the investigation to see the modern crime-solving techniques. 52-year-old Sharon Birchwood was killed at her home in the sleepy village of Ashtead, Surrey. In December 2007, Sharon was found by her ex-husband, strangled to death and trussed up in parcel tape. Despite divorcing in 1989, Sharon remained devoted to her ex-husband George Birchwood, with him being the sole beneficiary of her will. Suspicions, therefore, initially fell on Birchwood, who had debts of more than £150,000. However, he seemed to have an alibi and was pictured on CCTV during the time of Sharon's murder. After months of painstaking detective work and a crucial DNA breakthrough, Paul Cryne became their prime suspect. Cryne was a former business associate of Birchwoods and had flown from Thailand shortly before her death, staying with Sharon's mother in Banstead. Further into the investigation, it was discovered that Birchwood paid Cryne £30,000 to kill Sharon so he could inherit his ex-wife's £575,000 assets. Through interviews with the senior investigating officer and those who worked on the case, we learn how a case spanning two continents was solved and the killers brought to justice.