Blood Ties Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S15 Ep5: Lizzie Borden Part 1 Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, hosts Molly and Geoffrey Wansell discuss the infamous 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Comparing the historical case with a recent television drama on Netflix called, 'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story'. They explore the strict religious upbringing of Lizzie and Emma Borden, their tensions with their stepmother, family financial disputes, and the mysterious illness that preceded the brutal hatchet killings.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S15 Ep4: The Jon Venables Case Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, hosts Molly and Geoffrey Wansell focus on Jon Venables, one of the two 10-year-old boys who abducted and murdered toddler James Bulger in 1993. The episode details Venables' initial eight-year juvenile detention and his complete inability to adapt following his 2001 release under a new identity. Struggling with substance abuse and trauma, Venables was re-imprisoned in 2010 and 2018 for possessing child abuse material. The hosts analyse his severe psychological decline and upcoming private parole hearing, questioning whether society failed to rehabilitate him or if his childhood actions permanently destroyed any chance of recovery.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S15 Ep3: Limbs in the Loch Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, hosts Molly and Geoffrey Wansell unpack the horrifying 'Limbs in the Loch' case. The investigation began in December 1999 when divers found dismembered human remains in Loch Lomond, later identified as 18-year-old Barry Wallace. Police traced the murder to William Beggs, a killer previously freed on a legal technicality after a strikingly similar 1987 crime. Geoffrey examines Beggs’s history, motive, and the harrowing legal fight to extradite and convict him.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S15 Ep2: The Most Depraved of Killers: Christopher Halliwell Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, hosts Molly and Geoffrey Wansell discuss the horrifying crimes of serial killer Christopher Halliwell. The conversation explores Halliwell's troubled childhood, his life as a Swindon minicab driver, and the 2011 abduction and murder of Sian O'Callaghan. They analyse how police errors by Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher initially compromised the investigation into the murder of a second victim, Becky Godden-Edwards, highlighting the complex and dark nature of the case.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S15 Ep1: The Death Of PC Andrew Harper Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, hosts Molly and Geoffrey Wansell examine the tragic 2019 death of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a robbery. The father-daughter duo trace the harrowing event, the controversial trial that resulted in manslaughter convictions rather than murder, and the widow’s relentless fight for 'Harper’s Law'. Together, they analyse the complex, ongoing tension between public demands for justice and the realities of UK sentencing.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bonus Ep: Listener Request - The Murder of Julie Hogg Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode of Blood Ties, Molly and Geoffrey Wantsall close out Season 14 with a listener-recommended case that changed British legal history. They explore the tragic murder of 22-year-old Julie Hogg, whose body went undiscovered beneath her own bath for months after a flawed police investigation. When suspect Billy Dunlop escaped conviction under the double jeopardy rule, Julie's mother, Anne Ming, refused to accept injustice. Her relentless campaign led to a landmark change in UK law, allowing retrials when new and compelling evidence emerges. Dunlop ultimately became the first person convicted under the reformed legislation. Molly and Geoffrey reflect on Anne's extraordinary courage, the enduring impact of violent crime on families, and why true crime continues to fascinate us. A heartbreaking story of loss, resilience, justice, and one mother's determination to create lasting change.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep25: The Mother's Day Massacre Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Blood Ties, Molly and Geoffrey Wansell examine the shocking case known as the Mother's Day Massacre. In 2008, Edward Covington murdered his girlfriend, Lisa Freiberg, and her two young children in a crime that stunned the community and left a family devastated.

After later admitting responsibility in court, Covington faced sentencing as Lisa's relatives spoke of their grief and their search for justice.

What drove this horrific crime, and how did the case unfold?

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep24: The Chevaline Massacre Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

In September 2012, a quiet forest road in the French Alps became the scene of one of Europe's most baffling unsolved murders. Three members of the British French al Hilli family and a local cyclist were shot dead near the village of Chevaline, close to Lake Annecy. Miraculously, the couple's two young daughters survived, one hidden beneath her mother's body for eight hours before being discovered.

More than a decade later, the so called Chevaline massacre remains a mystery. Investigators explored possible links to Saad al Hilli's Iraqi background, his professional work, family disputes and the possibility of a random attack. Yet despite years of inquiries, arrests and international attention, no one has been charged and no clear motive has emerged.

Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine the evidence, the theories and the unanswered questions behind this chilling case.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep23: The Case of Anthony Russell Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

In October 2020, a series of brutal murders shocked the Midlands and sparked one of the region's largest manhunts. When Julie Williams reported her son David missing, she could not have known she would become one of Anthony Russell's victims. Within days, Julie and David were dead, and Russell was on the run.

As police closed in, he continued a violent trail of robbery, assault and murder across Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. His final victim was Nicole McGregor, a 31 year old woman who was eighteen weeks pregnant when she was raped and killed. In this episode of Blood Ties,

Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine the life and crimes of Anthony Russell, the devastating impact on the families left behind, and the police investigation that brought one of Britain's most dangerous killers to justice.

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S14 Ep22: Spy in the Bag Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

In August 2010, Gareth Williams, a brilliant Welsh mathematician working for GCHQ and on secondment to MI6, was found dead inside a padlocked sports bag in a London flat linked to the security services. His death quickly became one of Britain's most perplexing unsolved mysteries.

An inquest concluded that Gareth's death was unnatural and likely involved a criminal act. Yet a later Metropolitan Police review suggested it was probably a tragic accident. The conflicting conclusions only deepened the mystery.

As investigators examined Gareth's final days, reports emerged that his highly sensitive work involved tracking international money laundering networks and monitoring Russian organised crime interests.

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explore the life, secret work and unexplained death of a gifted codebreaker. Was Gareth Williams murdered, or is there another explanation behind this enduring mystery?

CREDITS:

Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell

Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/

Artwork: George Leigh

Music: Dan Wansell

CONTACT:

Twitter: @BloodTies_Pod

Instagram:@bloodtiespodcast

Email: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcast

Support: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcast

Please complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey