The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin & Megan? is a three-parter that promises a “definitive” and “granular” account of the horrific events that occurred on a quiet country lane in Kent in the summer of 1996, and the subsequent police investigation into it. In 2017, the BBC broadcast its own documentary, The Chillenden Murders, in which a team of experts re-examined the evidence that led to the conviction of Michael Stone, but given the true crime boom of recent times, it’s surprising that there have not been even more documentaries about such a shocking and unforgettable case.
Little wonder, then, that this documentary series has arrived now. Stone was convicted of murdering Lin Russell, 45, and her daughter Megan, who was six, and attempting to murder her other daughter, Josephine, who was nine. He has served 25 years of a life sentence, but he is launching a fresh attempt to clear his name; earlier this year, the serial killer Levi Bellfield signed a statement “to take responsibility” for the killings, though Bellfield has previously confessed and retracted his statement. In July, the Criminal Case Review Commission said that they saw no real possibility that Stone’s conviction would be overturned.
