01x01 - Episode 1

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Discovered in 1869 by Friedrich Miescher, deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the very essence of who we are. 99.5 per cent of all human genetic make-up is the same. But hidden within that 0.5 per cent lies our unique genetic code. Now, what would happen if we could see that code? Understand it.

Yes.

I didn't disturb you by any chance?

I'm sorry, I'm on my way.

Your dinner's in the dog.

W... We don't have a dog.

I'll see you later.

O...OK. All right. Bye. Bye.

What were you doing every time?

Listen, I'm telling you.

Mum... Mum.

Linda's not home yet.

What d'you mean?

Where is she?

I don't know.

I didn't know what to do, I couldn't leave Becky for long.

OK, er, I'll go look. You stay with your mum.

OK.

Come on, love. Let's go back inside. Come on.

It's all right.

Linda!

Linda!

Linda!

Good morning, it's seven o'clock on Tuesday, 22nd November.

The headlines this morning...

What time did you get back last night?

Oh, er, not so late.

I fed Lizzie at three, I think.

I extracted some DNA from the seal myoglobin gene.

Really!

Put it on some gel, ran electricity through it...

You'd have loved it, Sarah.

Bright pink bands like bracelets.

Have you seen my notebook?

And how was your night, Sue?

Oh, not so bad.

I'm sorry, darling. This work I'm doing...

I get a bit carried away.

I'll be home early tonight.

Cub's honour?

Cub's honour.

It's under the cushion.

What would I do without you.

Sleep even less, probably!

Bye, girls.

Is it her?

We think so.

Just over here.

Geoff? Forensic?

Yeah, they just got here, sir. Pathologist is on the way.

Right.

She's called Lynda Mann.

Yes.

Teenager, reported missing just after midnight.

When was she found?

Half seven this morning.

Ambulance driver on his way to work.

14, 15?

Have her parents been told?

I was about to, but, er...

No, no. I'll do it.

Where do they live?

Couple of hundred yards.

Right, the whole area.

Every blade of grass, as many men as you need.

Let's get going with the house to house.

Yes, boss!

Where does Black Pad come out?

King Edward Avenue, sir.

Right, King Edward Avenue, Forest Road, Desford Road.

That's how she will have got...here, and how the k*ller would have made his escape. Start there.

Yes, sir.

Someone must have seen something.

I'm Detective Chief Superintendent David Baker.

Detective Constable Kholi, WPC Freeman.

Can we, er, come in for a minute?

Thank you.

Er, can I sit down?

I'm sorry to have to tell you that we found Lynda.

It's the worst possible news, I'm afraid, very sorry.

No, don't say that.

I'm very sorry.

No, don't say that, please!

Please don't say that!

I'm very sorry.

Where was she?

We'll get into the details later. I'll tell you.

No, go away! Go away.

Go away.

So, what has DNA got to do with seal meat?

Well, I'll tell you what.

Lovely myoglobin.

Now, we've located the gene that makes myoglobin, developed and adapted over millions of years.

Seals have the myoglobin gene.

Mice have the myoglobin gene...

..Humans have the myoglobin gene.

Within the DNA sequence of the myoglobin gene, we've discovered a kind of stutter.

Er, a repetition of certain letters.

So, let's say the DNA sequence was, er, Mary Had A Little Lamb, for example.

Er, your Mary Had A Little Lamb would read, Mary Had A A A Little Lamb.

And that's the stutter that makes you, you.

Er, your stutter might read Mary Had A A A A A... Little Lamb.

But, it's that stutter that makes you unique.

We've been cutting up the DNA into smaller and smaller pieces... using enzymes... in the hope of getting a closer look at this stutter.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Vicky Wilson.

Alec's long-suffering lab technician.

Senior long-suffering lab technician if you don't mind!

Vicky, would you mind showing these first-year students something of what we do.

As a matter of fact, Alec, I'm...

I just need to have a quick, er, quick look. Excuse me.

These small vials of colourless...

Well, come on! Keep up!

These small vials of colourless liquid have DNA plus enzymes in them.

And, er, over there is where we do the radioactive work, trying not to get ourselves irradiated, or at least, I try not to.

Alec likes to bend some laboratory protocol, including...tidying up and not using other people's apparatus!

Er, and through that door is, er, the orgasmatron, as the men in this department so wittily insist on calling it.

It's, er, the dark room, where all the magic is revealed.

Or not.

Take a look.

As you can see, the stutter DNA hasn't properly separated.

If we'd isolated the whole sentence, Mary Had A Little Lamb, we'd see a long smear on the gel.

Instead, in these brief smudges, we just get a jumble of overlapping sentences.

Sadly, currently completely indecipherable.

Still, every failure leads to...success.

So they say.

I'll see you all next week.

That's code for, 'Please, will you leave now'. I'll take that.

I was hoping the enzymes would have cut the DNA more than they have.

It's just...bloody useless.

What are we doing, setting up here?

It's what the boss wants.

Enderby Nick's just round the corner.

Doesn't matter.

You won't believe this!

What?

There's just one bob for the lot of us and no running water.

Kholi, you haven't got all day.

Sorry, sir!

Where d'you want this, lads?

Just over here. Thanks.

Lynda was...lovely.

She was a very happy girl.

Erm, I don't know what else...

That's good.

Please...

Please, if you've got any information... then let the police know... cos we need to get the man that did this.

Hi, Daddy.

Hello.

This is in Narborough.

What's happened?

She was only 15.

Er, 7:30, Lynda went to a nearby neighbour's, Mrs Fenchurch in Dockton Close, for a babysitting job.

But one of the family was unwell, so she wasn't needed.

She left, and we think she decided to meet a friend over in Enderby, just under a mile away.

But she didn't make it.

Her body was found here, halfway along the cut-through, the Black Pad.

Why head down the Black Pad if it's not on the way to Enderby?

What if she knew the bloke who att*cked her?

Where does that take us?

They agreed to meet up and he suggested to go down the lane?

Lynda's parents say she didn't have a boyfriend.

Well, we're not all like you, goody-bloody-two-shoes!

It has to have been a random. Young girl on her own, walking by.

Bloke sees her, grabs her...

All right. Enough.

Lynda Mann.

15 years old.

r*ped...and strangled with her own scarf.

400 yards from her own front door.

That's what we've got here.

So, what are we doing here, in an old cricket pavilion?

One toilet, leaking roof. How blood inconvenient!

We are here because I want the villagers to know we're here.

We're here because I want Lynda's family to know we're here.

And the k*ller...

He's a local, I'm certain of it.

He's going to see us and know that we are not going to go away until we've got him. Right?

Yes, boss.

Yes, sir.

Right. Get on with it.

There are now more than 100 officers working on the enquiry.

Meanwhile, Lynda's mother has urged witnesses to come forward.

Just go to the police if you, or anybody, saw anything at all.

What sort of a girl was Lynda?

She was very quiet...

You two with me, yeah. You take those houses there.

...she did a lot of homework to do with CSEs and O Levels.

She babysat for local people with children.

She loved all the children.

Sorry to disturb you.

That's OK.

DI Madden, Enderby Police.

Er, we're investigating the m*rder of Lynda Mann...

So, what time did you leave the pub, Mr Hopkirk?

Darts match finished about ten.

I got home soon after that.

Wife were here, she'll tell you.

I'm sure we can get all that checked out.

Me son, Gavin.

You all right?

These are police officers, Gav.

Enquiring about Lynda's m*rder.

Did you know Lynda?

No.

How old are you, Gavin?

He's only 14.

You look much older.

Ah, a lot of people say that. Don't they, son?

Yeah.

Thanks very much.

Thank you.

No problem.

See you later.

See you.

If that girl was Lynda, then she was almost certainly k*lled before midnight.

When she left her home at seven on Monday evening, she went to a friend's home just 100 yards away.

She then said...

Are you not going home?

Shall I stay? Don't you have a...gig...to go to?

The Smiths.

It's a new band from Manchester.

Make sure you don't miss the last bus home.

Yes, Dad!

They think he's local.

See you on Monday.

We told you all to bugger off.

Leicestershire's finest.

Sorry, sir.

Er, we gave the lads a half day, as it's Christmas Eve.

That's all right, Alan. We winning?

We're doing our best, sir.

It's all very cosy, I must say.

How many statements to date?

At the last count, 3,500.

Which has resulted in 4,000 lines of enquiry, which we're inputting into these computers.

And how much is that lot costing me?

It's invaluable, sir.

It saves buggering about with these index cards.

You've got more staff and equipment than I have at HQ.

Your very own kingdom, David.

But, not a single suspect.

Well, not yet.

Well, is there any good news?

We have had a breakthrough, sir.

The, er... The high sperm count of the k*ller shows us that it's a man under the age of 30.

Well, that narrows the field a bit, doesn't it.

And they found a strong PGM plus one factor.

It's a secretion.

Only ten per cent of the male population produces it.

All right, David. One question.

Why are you so convinced the man's local?

Surely anybody could have been passing through, sees a young girl.

Where the m*rder took place, sir. Black Pad.

If you didn't know the field behind it existed, you'd never know it was there.

The k*ller knew he wouldn't be disturbed.

The main road is just a few yards away, easy to escape.

She went down fine.

Oh, good.

Open this one. There!

What is it?

It's a chemistry set.

A chemistry set!

We bought one for your father when he was your age.

I was eight, Dad!

I told him not to buy it.

You're gonna love it! The experiments you can do.

When your dad was a boy, he brought back a dead cat and cut it open on the dining-room table!

Did you k*ll it?

No!

No, he was on his paper round and it was just lying there.

Dad!

And you picked it up?

Well... I wanted to see how it worked.

Wanted to see what the heart looked like.

Yes.

And the lungs and muscles and the blood.

Thing was, the cat had been dead for a few days and when he cut it open, the stink!

And you know why your dad's got that beard?

Splashed sulphuric acid all over his chin he did.

Big scar under all that bush.

Yes, yes. My badge of honour.

Can't imagine there are many families who discuss dissecting dead cats over the Christmas dinner.

Pudding, anyone?

Hello, David.

Hi. I just thought I'd drop by.

Do you... want to come in?

Thank you.

Come on!

Go on. Have a seat.

Let her go to her room.

Go on. Go to your room. Go on.

Would you like a drink, David?

No.

Thanks for coming to see us, David.

Not many do, these days.

Most people can't look me in the eye.

It's like they've...just given up on us.

That's not something I'm going to do. You have my word on it.

When are we going to get her back?

Kath!

We need to bury her, put her to rest.

I'll talk to the coroner.

How are you doing, Susan?

I'm all right.

We've... We've done our best for Christmas and...for Rebecca and everything, but... it's not the same.

It never will be.

I just thought you'd want to know how the investigation...

Please, just get the bastard!

I'm gonna check on her.

I want a record of every man here.

You really think he's gonna be here, sir?

We are gathered here to say farewell to our beloved daughter...

Her body to the hands of God in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection...

Thank you, David, for getting them to release Lynda's body.

I'm sorry it took so long.

I know we agreed to, er... to you lot filming this, but wouldn't you be better employed getting out there looking for him?

Mr. Eastwood, you must understand we are doing all we possibly can.

I'm sorry about Eddie.

He goes out sometimes, at night, looking down the Black Pad for him.

Me too.

sh*t!

Leave it!

What happened?

The probe hasn't worked.

DNA stutter's just like a mess of blobs.

It's completely unreadable.

Throwing X-rays in the bin isn't going to help anything, is it!

It's useless!

Every failure leads to success!

Isn't that what you tell your students.

Don't work too late.

Hey, I'm sorry it's so late.

The school play...

Yes, it's in my diary--

.. was this afternoon, Alec.

I called.

Left messages.

Do you even know that we exist!

She did well.

Knew all her lines.

You promised her, Alec!

Sue, I'm... Still searching.

Hello, sir.

Just making sure we've not missed anyone.

I hate this stage of the investigation.

It's like someone's turned the tap off.

Well, still plenty leads to follow.

That's not what I've heard.

I'm sorry?

I admire everything you and your men are doing, David.

The time and effort you've all put in.

He's in the system, sir.

He may well be. But then again, he may not.

What?

We've had five murders this year so far.

All as important as this one.

I know.

You know as well as I do that we're stretched to the breaking point.

You can keep some of your team, but you have to move back here.

If we just had a few more...

Look! Hard truth.

You're as close now to catching Lynda Mann's k*ller as you were when her body was found all right. I'm sorry.

Nearly done.

I'd like to see if we can detect the stutters in different DNA samples.

My DNA. My mum's DNA, my dad's DNA...

And I see you have some other random DNA -

Yes, I added, er, tobacco, cow, and some seal.

Random indeed.

Right.

OK.

I'm going to try a new probe... extracted from the myoglobin gene.

We'll see...if that lights up the DNA fragments.

Let's just see.

You couldn't get that, Vicky, could you.

Hello, Genetics Department.

Hello. It's Sue.

Could you put me through to Alec? - Yes. I think he's -

No he's not! Could you get him on the phone, please.

It's Sue.

Tell her I'll call her back.

No!

No!

Yes, I won't be long.

The suitcases are packed.

You're leaving!

Yes, Alec.

I'm leaving.

And so, I hope, are you.

God, is there an emergency?

Worse than that. It's a...family wedding.

All right. You go, I'll finish up.

Thank you.

If you just...put the... X-ray down and, er...leave it. And, er...we'll check the results on Monday morning.

Goggles!

Have a lovely weekend.

Oh, and, er...please, don't forget the X-rays.

Dr. Jeffreys.

Good morning.

Vicky! Unbelievable!

What?

The probe has lit up all the fragments.

Seal, cow, tobacco. All clear patterns, all distinct from one another. But, see here.

You. Your mother. Your father.

You share...these markers with your mother... and these markers with your father.

The DNA fragments have combined... to make a pattern that is unique to you.

As unique as a fingerprint.

And there it is.

In black and white for all to see!

Oh, my God! Alec, it's incredible.

Five past nine.

The tenth of September, 1984.

Five past nine.

Eureka!

Eu-bloody-reka!

I've been approached to help in an immigration case.

The Home Office say the boy is here illegally, that he...forged his passport, is lying about who his mum is.

And they can prove this?

Not according to his lawyer, they can't.

Home Office want to send the boy back to Ghana.

The lawyer read about my DNA testing in The Guardian and she thought maybe I could help.

Well, you've got to.

Isn't this exactly what your test can do?

The family have been put through hell.

It's the Home Office culture of disbelief.

Guilty until proven innocent.

They say the family's lying, but they have no proof.

The article said your test could prove biological relationships.

That's correct.

You can obviously take his mother's blood, but the father's back in Ghana.

We can't get a sample?

Afraid not. Is that a problem?

Well, the boy's DNA is a unique combination between his father and his mother.

I'd need to find a way of isolating the pattern belonging to the mother.

He has siblings in this country.

That might work.

I already had a blood test.

Yes, but this one, with Dr. Jeffreys' help, is going to scientifically show exactly who you are and who your mother is.

Inside everybody there is a secret code.

Now, your code is different to mine, different to everybody else's.

I have found a way of reading that code.

What if this doesn't work?

What if they don't believe you?

They will send my son away forever.

Looking for a job, sir?

Nothing in the paper about Lynda Mann.

It's coming up to the anniversary.

Aw, people forget. It's human nature.

Kath? It's David Baker.

Hello, David?

Thanks for doing this.

If you want to stop, just...

If it's got to be done, it's got to be done.

OK.

Hello.

Hello.

Tania Patel, Leicester Mercury.

Mrs. Eastwood, it's been over a year now since Lynda's m*rder.

How are you coping?

We miss her every day. Don't we, Ed.

That's right.

We just... we just don't accept it.

Chief Superintendent Baker, how many officers have you got working -

We've got enough men and women to take calls, go through statements.

Yes, but how I'm absolutely convinced if we don't find this man he will k*ll again.

I'd like to take this opportunity to make an appeal.

Someone knows him. Wife, friend, erm...colleague at his work.

Think back to the night of November 21st, 1983.

Coldest night of the year.

Was your boyfriend...husband...workmate acting strangely at the time?

If you have the slightest doubt, or think you saw something at the time, please, call the police.

That's it. Thanks.

Thank you. If I could just get a photo with Mr. and Mrs. Eastwood and the poster?

Do you have the poster?

Yes. All right.

I brought this poster. Are you all right with...?

Yeah.

If you could just... Hold it up. Yeah.

Today, police issued a new poster to try to jog people's memories.

They remain convinced the k*ller is a local man...

That's great.

..And someone is shielding him.

It's been a year, now.

Gavin! Your tea's ready.

This is you. And this one is you.

Here's your sister's and there...is your brother.

They look like those new supermarket bar codes.

Yes. See how the bar codes match...

..Here, here, here.

This proves that you are all related.

That you are your mother's son.

And the judge will understand...all this.

Well, I've sent them a very detailed explanation.

It is new, but it is absolutely categorical.

Thank you.

That's for you.

Thank you.

I got you that.

Thank you.

How are they doing?

Understandably, they're very nervous.

Well, if you're proved right, it's going to change everything.

For everyone.

Is that OK?

Do I have a choice?

Give me that. Good luck!

Shall I go and tell them?

They have accepted my findings!

So, I can take my boy home?

Yes! Yes you can!

Yes! Mama.

I'm off!

No later than seven.

All right.

See you, Mum.

We're all going out, remember.

OK.

Yes.

What have we got?

Dawn Ashworth, 15.

Didn't come home at seven like she said she would.

Family were all going out. Apparently, she knew that.

She done a runner?

Doesn't look like it.

She went to go see her friend, over in Carlton Avenue.

Friend wasn't in.

Mr. And Mrs. Ashworth?

Detective Chief Superintendent David Baker.

Very sorry about this. Apparently, Dawn was visiting a friend in Carlton Avenue.

Yes.

When was the last time you saw her?

I saw her at four, here.

Do you know the route she might usually take?

Mill Lane, Leicester Road or Ten Pound Lane?

We told her...never to go down Ten Pound Lane.

Yeah, but she might have, love.

Please find her.

Please don't worry, Mrs. Ashworth.

I've got every officer I can out looking for her.

We'll leave Laura with you. Would you excuse me.

Wake everyone up!

Why do paternity cases never pay the donation fee, while immigration cases are happy to oblige?

Are you going to answer that?

Would you like me to do it?

Yes, please, Vicky. If you wouldn't mind!

This one's marked, Urgent.

They're all urgent.

They'll have to wait like everybody else. Sorry.

Alec! Alec!

That was Sue. Another girl's gone missing.

She wants you home.

Right.

All right. Everybody!

Stop what you're doing and go home. All this can wait.

Sorry, can't let you through.

We know Dawn went to see her friend in Carlton Avenue...

We think so.

Have a word, yeah.

..And they should be here very soon.

Keep me updated.

Anything you need.

Yes, sir.

Hey, I'll tell you now.

They're looking in the wrong place.

All right, Alan?

Nothing.

D'you think it's the same bloke?

Oh, look. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The only thing we know at this moment till dawn is that she's missing.

Right.

After two days of intensive searching, police have still failed to find missing teenager, Dawn Ashworth, who didn't come home on Thursday evening.

Local residents already fear her disappearance might be connected to the m*rder of Lynda Mann, whose body was found only a few hundred yards away, three years ago.

Residents in the village of Narborough say they are still afraid that the k*ller may be someone they know and terrified that he may have struck again.

The police say they're still confident they will find Lynda's k*ller, but villagers are now getting increasingly worried and say they won't be able to rest until an arrest is made.

I'd like to use this opportunity to make an appeal.

If anyone has any information, and was in the Narborough area and might have seen Dawn on Thursday afternoon or saw anything suspicious or unusual at that time, please get in touch with the police.

Yeah.

They're here.

Yes, we saw the car.

Would you mind if we came in?

Of course.

Thank you.

Hello, Mrs. Ashworth.

Hello.

All right. Er, do you want to have a seat, or something?

Want to have a seat?

Yes.

Well, er, I'm sorry to tell you we've, er, we've found a body, a couple of hours ago. Young girl.

We believe it is Dawn. I'm sorry, Mrs. Ashworth.

Mr. Ashworth.

How... How could it have taken, er, two days to find her?

Well, I'm very sorry, Mr. Ashworth, but, er, the body was very well hidden.

I want to see her.

Well, we really wouldn't advise that, Mrs. Ashworth.

Until the postmortem has been Was it the same as with Lynda?

It's the same man, isn't it!

Yes, Mrs. Ashworth. We believe it is.

You've found her, then.

I knew you were looking in the wrong place.

What did you say, son?

Excuse me, sir.

We've got a problem with one of the locals.

Right. OK. One second.

Get his reg. Number, now.

Yes, sir.

Before he goes.

Sir.

Don't blame yourself, David.

But it appears you were right, about our man being local.

Well, he knows the paths.

Black Pad, Ten Pound Lane. Fields and gates...

In broad bloody daylight!

Well, he's either getting more desperate...or more confident.

Where the hell have you been?

You need to look at this.

Gather round everyone, Kholi's got something.

What is it?

A young man on a motorbike spoke to me at the m*rder scene today.

That motorbike was registered to a Gavin Hopkirk, a local lad from Enderby.

Now, a person matching his description Slow down.

A person matching his description was sighted here at 3pm.

And later, here, at 4:30.

Yeah, I've got a witness Hang on. Go on.

A woman I spoke with earlier, said she saw him here.

A young man carrying a black crash helmet.

Yeah, and another witness saw a young man on a motorcycle parked under the bridge near Ten Pound Lane, about 4:30.

What did the lad say?

You were looking in the wrong place.

Was he questioned during the Lynda Mann enquiry?

His father was. Part of the house to house.

The lad was there, I think.

Yeah.

Did you talk to him?

He was only 14 at the time.

Get this!

A "friend" of Gavin Hopkirk phoned in this morning.

'Gavin told me that the body would be found up Ten Pound Lane'.

When did he say that?

Late Friday afternoon.

A full 14 hours before Dawn's body was found.

We've got a warrant for your son's arrest.

What's going on?

What's this about?

He ain't done nothing.

Gavin Hopkirk.

I ain't done anything!

Gavin!

I'm arresting you on suspicion of the m*rder of Dawn Ashworth...

Gavin, it'll be OK.

I've done nothing!

You do not have to say anything.

But anything you do say may be used in evidence against you.

Look, he's done nothing!

Leave him. Just leave him! He's a kid.

I'll be there. Don't say nothing, son! Don't say nothing!

Police are continuing to question a local teenager who was arrested two days ago on suspicion of the r*pe and m*rder of Enderby schoolgirl, Dawn Ashworth.

How are they doing?

They've been at it all morning, sir.

Come on, Gavin.

You parked your motorbike. It was raining.

You saw Dawn.

I may have done. I don't know.

You told us so, yesterday, you saw her.

She didn't let you go the whole way, did she!

She's not that kind of girl.

How d'you know that?

Because she's not.

Is that why you r*ped her? Is that why you forced her?

How did you know where the body was hidden?

You told a friend.

I went home.

You don't have an alibi, Gavin.

You were there. We know you were there.

Boss.

Come on, now, son.

I saw her.

I talked to her.

What did you and Dawn talk about?

Not sex. Dawn's not like that.

And was this before you went up Ten Pound Lane, or...

I knew you'd blame me for it.

You're a good lad, Gavin. I know that.

And I also know that you never meant it.

I got her onto the ground.

I thought she wanted it, but she kept pushing me away, telling me to get off her.

So, what did you do?

I grabbed her.

I pulled down her trousers...and she wouldn't stop shouting, and...and so I hit her.

I hit her to shut her up.

And then what did you do?

I... I gave it to her.

I grabbed her.

I pulled down her trousers... and she wouldn't stop shouting, and...and so I hit her.

I hit her to shut her up.

And then what did you do?

I... I gave it to her.

Well done, sir.

Dawn wasn't wearing trousers.

Well, he's...he's getting mixed up with Lynda Mann.

Boss, he r*ped and k*lled them both. We know that.

Yeah.

Hopkirk's blood results, sir.

It's an exact match with the k*ller.

Sir.

Thank you, Gavin, for telling us about Dawn.

Now, we want you to tell us about Lynda.

We know you k*lled her. You k*lled them both.

No! No! If... If I'd k*lled Lynda, I'd have bloody well said.

But I didn't. And there's no way you can prove that I did.

Gavin Hopkirk, I'm charging you, that on the 31st of July, 1986, you r*ped and m*rder*d Dawn Ashworth.

Charge desk.

Alan, have you got a sec?

Wh...

Why is Hopkirk refusing to have anything to do with Lynda Mann's m*rder?

Why is he admitting to one, but not the other?

He's just playing games with us.

Or, maybe, he's telling us the truth.

He k*lled Dawn, but not Lynda.

That's just Knows what happened, it's in all the papers.

Tries to...copy it.

But he's confessed.

You heard him, I heard him.

We've got him.

There's a local scientist here who's found a way of proving paternity.

Bully for him.

'Scuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Alec Jeffreys.

You know where I can find him?

Yes. Just down there.

Thank you.

Dr. Jeffreys?

Yes.

Detective Chief Superintendent David Baker.

This is not what it looks like.

I wonder if I could have a word with you about a case I'm working on.

Of course.

Yes. You'd better come to my office.

Paper said it was as unique as a fingerprint.

That's correct.

And...you get it from a blood sample.

Well, every living thing has DNA. so, in theory, er... hair, body fluid, skin, tissue...

Everything has DNA?

Everything living.

Why do you ask?

I was hoping you could help me.

How?

A young man has confessed to k*lling Dawn Ashworth.

I want you to prove he also m*rder*d Lynda Mann.

Three years ago in Narborough, similar circumstances.

Yes.

We've got a semen sample from the victim.

Which would be almost three years old?

Does that mean that you can't do it?

Well, to be quite honest, we don't know yet how fast DNA, er, takes to degenerate.

But...in theory, it's possible.

Yes.

All right. So, I'll send you the blood from Gavin Hopkirk and the samples from Lynda Mann as soon as possible.

Right.

Er, how long will the test take?

Well, I'm not really sure. To be honest... this was never really meant as a tool for police work.

But, erm...rest assured, we will do what we can.

Well, OK.

Right. We'll be in touch, then.

OK.

Alec?

Ok.

Hair sample from Lynda Mann.

This is Gavin Hopkirk's blood.

And a semen sample taken from Lynda Mann.

What is it?

It's an item of her...clothing.

Right.

What do you think?

I think we should run the test again.

This is the genetic pattern of Lynda Mann.

And this is the genetic pattern of the semen.

Now, as you can see, Lynda's two distinctive characters.

Sorry, er... I don't understand.

Well, the semen sample contains some of Lynda's genetic code and also some of her assailant's genetic code.

So, we know this is Lynda... and this is her assailant.

Now, this is Gavin Hopkirk's genetic code.

As you can see, it's completely different from the...semen sample.

So...are you telling us that Gavin Hopkirk didn't k*ll Lynda Mann?

Yes.

Look, the bar codes Sod the bar codes!

That lad confessed to the m*rder of Dawn Ashworth, and we know he k*lled Lynda. - OK, Dr. Jeffreys -

Dr. Jeffreys is talking through his arse!

Sorry!

Right. Alec, I want you to run the same tests on the samples we've got from Dawn Ashworth.

I thought you had a confession.

We do!

It's on tape.

We need to be sure.

Absolutely.

Dawn Ashworth's profile.

This is her genetic pattern and this is the pattern of her assailant.

This, as you know, is Gavin Hopkirk's...

..Profile.

I'm sorry.

Are you sure? Are you 100% sure?

There's no doubt.

Gavin Hopkirk did not m*rder Lynda Mann, nor did he m*rder Dawn Ashworth.

But what we do know is that it was indeed the same man...

..That r*ped and m*rder*d both girls.

It just wasn't Gavin Hopkirk.

Well, this is a complete f*cking disaster.

The Forensic Science Service have confirmed the test results.

The Home Office have read them.

So, we're back to square one.

Be that as it may.

We'll inform the CPS and Mr. Hopkirk's solicitor immediately.

He's to be released without charge.

Yes, sir.

Why did the lad confess, hm?

Did you pressure him?

Everything is on tape, sir.

My team is above suspicion.

When I speak to the press tomorrow, you're gonna be sitting right next to me. All right?

Yeah.

Is it me, or have you gone to cloud-cuckoo land?

You've got the evidence!

We've witnesses I know.

He's admitted he was there and he's confessed!

Who, in their right mind would... confess to a crime...to a m*rder they didn't commit?

I don't know, Alan! But it wouldn't be the first time, would it?

Chances are we'll never know.

But the DNA proves it beyond doubt.

So what? His confession is worthless?

The confession of an innocent boy.

A boy who could have ended up behind bars for God knows how many years. Come on!

Listen! Like it or not, the science has saved us.

Well, of course the police are angry.

But it's not you, Alec. It's the evidence, the science.

What if it's wrong?

What if I'm wrong?

What if I missed something obvious.

No!

Without you that lad would have been convicted and jailed for life for something he didn't do.

And the real k*ller would still be out there.

The real k*ller IS still out there.