British Murders with Stuart Blues

In 2011, 19-year-old Nikkita Grender was just weeks away from becoming a mother when her life was cut short in the most horrifying way. A fire tore through her Newport flat in the early hours of February 5, and as the smoke cleared, a darker truth emerged - one that pointed to someone close to home.

What seemed like a tragic accident was something far more sinister, leaving a community in shock and a family searching for justice.

This story is genuinely one of the most heartbreaking and disturbing I’ve ever researched in my four-plus years as a true crime podcaster. My sincerest condolences go to Paul, Marcia, and Luke.

In this monthly collaboration series, Adam from the UK True Crime podcast and I take a step back from individual cases to explore a curated selection of gripping crime stories that made headlines in March 2025. From chilling local, national, and international headlines to quirky and more lighthearted stories, this series offers a glimpse into the diverse and often shocking world of true crime.

This month's stories include:

1. Dog walker, 74, sexually assaulted woman on dark Fife street
2. Thief jailed for life for Amazon driver's murder
3. Mike Amesbury writes to Chancellor to formally resign as MP
4. Murderer shouted ‘die die die’ as he stabbed man to death on quiet London street
5. Police Scotland axes 12,000 investigations to reduce officer workload
6. Fugitive wanted in John George murder case to be named in BBC Spotlight documentary
7. Man swallows stolen Tiffany earrings before police arrest him
8. Two criminals receive jail time after boasting on Facebook
9. CCTV shows shoplifters using pythons to distract cashier before stealing from petrol station

Join us as we dive into these extraordinary stories in the March 2025 edition of The Crime Roundup.

In February 2001, 67-year-old Alf Wilkins was killed in a fire deliberately set inside his Grimsby flat. But this wasn’t a random act of violence - it was the culmination of months of torment at the hands of his own neighbours.

Despite being acquitted of an indecent assault charge in November 2000, Alf remained a target. The locals refused to believe his innocence, fueled by the hysteria of the News of the World's infamous 'name-and-shame' campaign. Branded as something he was not, Alf was harassed, threatened, and ultimately, his life was taken in an act of brutal, misplaced vigilante justice.

In the early hours of August 5, 2000, Julie Tennant disappeared without a trace from her parents' home in Ballymena, Co Antrim. As days passed with no sign of the 21-year-old, a massive search effort was launched, but hopes of finding her alive faded with each passing moment.

Just over two weeks later, the grim reality came to light - a shallow grave concealed Julie’s remains, bringing the missing person investigation to a devastating conclusion. But who was responsible for her death, and what led to her brutal fate?

I’m joined by Brian and Cameron Santana in this interview episode. The American brothers are a duo with a unique skill set - Brian, an English professor and Cameron, a police officer - who joined forces to crack one of North Carolina’s most infamous cold cases.

On April 15, 1973, 19-year-old Virginia Olson’s body was discovered near the University of North Carolina-Asheville, sparking a decades-long investigation filled with twists, dead ends and chilling theories. For 50 years, law enforcement pursued the truth, sifting through connections to other crimes and a notorious serial killer.

Brian and Cameron’s meticulous research, blending academic analysis with investigative expertise, sheds new light on this haunting case. Join us as we discuss their journey, the obstacles they faced and the shocking revelations uncovered in 𝘈 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘴 - the book that finally brings long-awaited answers to a case that has remained unsolved for over half a century.

A Murder on Campus was published by Wild Blue Press on January 13, 2025, and you can order a copy here: