Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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This gripping documentary tells the story of Colin Pitchfork, the first murderer ever convicted using DNA evidence.

After the murders of two schoolgirls in Leicestershire, police launched one of the largest investigations in British criminal history. Despite a false confession and years of dead ends, a revolutionary new forensic technique would eventually identify the real killer and change crime detection forever.

Discover how a breakthrough in DNA fingerprinting helped solve one of Britain's most infamous murder cases and transformed criminal investigations around the world.

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This film was first broadcast: 29 July 2002

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