The Poppy Day Bomb | Times Investigates
The Poppy Day Bomb is the 12th season of Times Investigates, an award-winning investigative and true crime podcast series from The Times and The Sunday Times. Each season delves into a different story, from war zones to suburban homes, pursuing brutal criminals and cult leaders. In this season, war correspondent Anthony Loyd investigates the life and fate of his colleague John Cantlie, who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. Previous seasons have covered topics such as the killing of a 14-year-old boy, a Nazi bureaucrat who helped build modern Germany, and a businessman who charmed his way through British corridors of power.
Episodes
June 2026 UPDATE - Quinn is sentenced
On Friday 6th June, 2026, 52-year-old Paul Quinn received a 21-year prison sentence at Manchester Crown Court. Quinn will be eligible for parole after 14 years. Emily was in court to watch the proceedings.Host: Emily Dugan, special correspondent at The Sunday Times.Further reading: Police who got Andrew Malkinson jailed face criminal investigationContact Emily: emily.dugan@sundaytimes.co.ukIf
May 2026 UPDATE: Aiding suicide | Poison Ep. 6
Today on Friday, 29th May, 2026 Kenneth Law has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting suicide in Canada. In this special bonus episode, James chats to a former Ontario police officer about how they brought Law to justice, and catches up with Tom Parfett’s father, David. WARNING: This series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk
Still not ‘free’ |Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 11
In the final episode of the series Emily catches up with Andy to reflect on the continued injustice and asks if he can now finally move forward?Host: Emily Dugan, Special correspondent at The Sunday Times.Contact Emily: emily.dugan@sundaytimes.co.ukRead more: The rapist who partied, had children and let Andrew Malkinson rotIf you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this
The man the police missed |Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 10
Following the conviction of Paul Quinn, Emily meets two senior Greater Manchester Police officers to ask how the force put the wrong man in prison, leaving the real rapist to live freely for over 20 years. Host: Emily Dugan, Special correspondent at The Sunday Times.Contact Emily: emily.dugan@sundaytimes.co.ukRead more: The rapist who partied, had children and let Andrew Malkinson rotIf you,
The real perpetrator (April 2026 UPDATE) | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 9
Justice is done, but decades late - in this special update to the series, we go to Manchester Crown Court as a jury finds 52-year-old Paul Quinn guilty of the rape for which Andy was wrongly convicted.Hosts: Will Roe and Emily Dugan, Sunday Times' Special correspondent.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:Rape Cri
The final battle | Last Man Standing Ep 10
Manveen and Anthony travel to a maximum security prison in Iraq to meet a man who could hold the answer to what happened to John Cantlie. But will this ISIS prisoner reveal all? Or will Cantlie’s death remain a mystery?Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.Further reading: Anthony Loyd: my hunt for the forgotten Isis hostage John CantlieWatch: Hostage on BBC iPlaye
New leads | Last Man Standing Ep 9
Four years on from the launch of their podcast, Anthony and Manveen are back exploring the the kidnap and disappearance of British photojournalist John Cantlie by ISIS in Syria, after a mysterious listener gets in contact.Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.Watch: Hostage on BBC iPlayer. Clips: BBC.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The
The Answers? | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 6
With his investigation reaching its final stages, Mario is given a name…And could a change in the law mean a breakthrough for the Enniskillen families?Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.co.ukinvestigates.podcasts@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digit
The Politician | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 5
Mario speaks with a former IRA volunteer, who tells him something shocking about the bombing.Deep into his investigation, Mario is left asking how high up did the decision to authorise the killing go?Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.co.ukinvestigates.podcasts@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Tim
The Dirty War | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 4
Mario searches for the ‘man with the limp’, allegedly seen in the Reading Rooms the night before the bombing.He learns the man is also linked to another terror plot. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.co.ukinvestigates.podcasts@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To e
The Borderlands | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 3
Mario asks why the IRA targeted Enniskillen and discovers police may have known about suspected IRA figures seen nearby, on the night before the killing happened. He also goes searching for the man accused of being the ‘mastermind’ behind the bomb. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.co.ukinvestigates.podcasts@thetimes.com 
The Aftermath | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 2
Mario asks if enough was done to stop the bombing, and finds evidence of police failures to properly investigate.And the alleged mastermind is dramatically named. Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.co.ukinvestigates.podcasts@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjo
The Atrocity | The Poppy Day Bomb Ep. 1
On Remembrance Sunday in 1987, an IRA bomb went off in Mario Ledwith’s hometown of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, killing 11 people.A lifetime later, Mario returns to investigate the silence surrounding that terror attack.Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence that you may find upsetting.Host: Mario Ledwith, news reporter at The Times. Get in touch: mario.ledwith@thetimes.c
Introducing: The Poppy Day Bomb
On Remembrance Sunday in November, 1987 an IRA bomb exploded in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen, killing 11 people.No one has ever been charged.The Times’s Mario Ledwith returns to his hometown, asking who carried out these bloody murders, how the authorities failed to properly investigate, and why a silence continues to surround what happened?Begins Monday 20th October. Host: Mario Le
A conversation on suicide prevention | Poison bonus Ep.
Why does suicide occur? Why is there still a stigma around it? And how can we work to prevent people from taking their own lives? If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Guest: Professor Rory O'Connor, Professor o
2024 UPDATE: Kenneth Law in the dock | Poison Ep. 5
Kenneth Law faces 14 counts of murder and 14 of aiding suicide. James sits down with series producer Will to talk through the developments.WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 1
UPDATE: Kenneth Law is arrested | Poison Ep. 4
Days after Poison first aired, Kenneth Law is arrested in Canada. At a late-night press conference, police reveal the alleged scale of his operation: 1,200 packages, shipped to over 40 countries.For the families left behind, the arrest brings both relief and renewed grief, and a question that hangs over the entire investigation: why did it take so long?WARNING: this series contains discussion
An encounter in Toronto | Poison Ep. 3
James flies to Canada, hoping to talk to Kenneth Law. After days chasing leads, he tracks him down to a car park in Toronto.WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.Host: James
The man who sells death | Poison Ep. 2
The search for answers leads to a name: Kenneth Law. From a quiet suburb outside Toronto, Law appears to run a website selling a substance to young, vulnerable, adults around the world, some of whom are using it to take their own lives. WARNING: this series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with
The Life of Tom Parfett | Poison Ep. 1
Twenty two-year-old Tom Parfett took his own life in October, 2021. As his father David begins to ask questions, what first appeared as an isolated tragedy reveals a darker truth - one that exposes the ease with which death can be bought online. WARNING: This series contains discussions about suicide. If you or someone you know has been affected or needs to talk to someone, please get in
Introducing: Poison
Twenty two-year-old Tom Parfett took his own life in October, 2021. His grieving father’s search for answers leads investigative journalist James Beal from a quiet British town to a freezing carpark in Canada, where he tracks down a man allegedly selling death online.In this award-winning series, James Beal uncovers the global trade in a lethal substance, searches for the man alleged to be at its
The wilderness of mirrors | Murder in Cairo Ep. 2
The case breaks open. Using WikiLeaks cables, memoirs, and declassified files, journalist Emanuele Midolo joins Peter Gillman as their investigation into David Holden's death leads them all the way to a CIA post in Jerusalem. But who ordered the hit, and who looked away?Host: Manveen RanaGuests: Peter Gillman, former The Sunday Times reporter and co-author of Murder in Cairo, Emanuele Midolo,
The death of our star reporter | Murder in Cairo Ep. 1
December 1977: The Sunday Times correspondent David Holden lands in Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. Hours later he’s found dead near the airport - shot with a single bullet to the heart. Decades later, Peter Gillman retraces Holden’s final days, uncovering a planned abduction, missing telexes, and an espionage tangle between Whitehall, the CIA and the KGB.Host
The neo-Nazi YouTuber | Britain’s New Far Right Ep. 2
On the trail of the far-right YouTuber known only as ‘Ayatollah’. Tips from undercover sources, summer camp sightings and voice-recognition technology lead David to a quiet village in the West Midlands. How did a karaoke-singing millennial go from writing about Asian footballers to livestreaming Hitler praise, and what role did YouTube play in keeping him online?Host: David Aaronovitch.
A lockdown creation | Britain’s New Far Right Ep. 1
With the streets emptied by Covid, David Aaranovitch steps into the online world of Patriotic Alternative, a far-right group turning the pandemic into a recruitment tool.Discovering a particularly virulent racist aligned to the group, David asks if YouTube is doing enough to stop hate speech?Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Sky News, ITN.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subs
Atonement? | The Feud Ep. 5
Andrew returns to Oxford to reveal the wounds that still remain following the seven-figure financial settlement. The woman who made an allegation against Martyn Percy speaks out, alleging intimidation by some of his supporters. And has Christ Church tried to hide the astronomical cost of the feud?Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Times.This podcast was brought to you thanks to sub
Who blinks first? | The Feud Ep. 4
Breaking point as the college dons question Martyn Percy’s mental capacity. He accuses them of smear campaigns, and an ill-judged essay likening his plight to Nazi persecution triggers outrage. Costs soar, reputations crumble, and the University of Oxford itself is forced to intervene. After four long years, a deal is struck. But at what cost?Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Time
Mystery in the cathedral | The Feud Ep. 3
Christ Church stalls when a student asks for protection, yet when Martyn Percy is accused of impropriety he is suspended within days. What at first appeared a battle over different styles of governance now carries the stain of misconduct - and divisions widen within the college.Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Times.Clips: ITV, BBC, Sky News.This podcast was brought to you thanks to s
Immoral, scandalous, or disgraceful | The Feud Ep. 2
A stabbing, a scandal, and a battle over job descriptions. Andrew exposes the bureaucratic dispute that spirals into bitter war between Martyn Percy and Christ Church’s governing body. Behind the formal manners and age-old statutes, a plot is being devised to oust the dean at any cost.Host: Andrew Billen, feature writer, The Times.Clips: Walt Disney StudiosThis podcast was brought to you
Down the rabbit hole | The Feud Ep. 1
Christ Church, Oxford: a bastion of higher education since the 16th century that produced some of the country’s best and brightest, and is home to a very British way of life. When The Very Reverend Martyn Percy - a reformer from a working-class background - was appointed dean in 2014, everything looked promising. Until it didn’t. Andrew Billen explores the city's dreaming spires to find
Introducing: The Feud
The Very Reverend Martyn Percy leaves his post as dean of the world-famous Christ Church, Oxford, with a seven-figure settlement after a bitter dispute that pitted a lone reformer against an institution.But what really happened amid the Alice in Wonderland world of Oxford's dreaming spires?The Times's feature writer Andrew Billen heads down the rabbit hole to find out.This series was first release
Pennant money | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 3
Pennant money reshaped not only Jamaica, but also modern Britain. In Wales, it financed the vast Penrhyn slate quarry, built villages, and paid for the castle that April-Louise visits alongside her father, Gil. Together, they face the portraits of men who enslaved their ancestors, and ask what it would take for Britain to stop looking away.Host: Brenna DaldorphThis podcast was brought to you thank
Plantation records | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 2
April-Louise Pennant’s grandparents were part of the Windrush Generation, emigrating from the Caribbean to Britain in the 1950s. Visiting a local university archive to discover the significance of her Welsh surname, she discovers the Jamaica Papers - a collection of plantation records donated by the Pennants, which reveal a confronting truth.Host: Brenna DaldorphThis podcast was brought to you tha
Building Britain | The Legacy of Penrhyn Castle Ep. 1
Arguments still rage about Britain’s role in the slave trade, but the evidence of that dark past is written across the faces of some of the country’s wealthiest stately homes. Journalists Brenna Daldorph and David Aaronovitch face facts to look behind the grandeur and gold-leaf exteriors of one - Penrhyn Castle in North Wales - to uncover the brutal foundation on which it was built.Hosts: Bre
The kittens who still purr | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 4
Adnan Oktar is behind bars but some of his followers still believe. Louise meets his devotees, listens to their claims of injustice and comes to terms with the power Oktar still wields from behind bars. Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent at The Sunday Times.Clips: Al-Jazeera, CNBC, Sky News, CNN.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode
The turnstile system | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 3
The fortress walls begin to crumble. Survivors describe suffering sexual abuse and financial crimes while cult insiders help the authorities bring Adnan Oktar down. Accompanied by a former ‘kitten’, Louise revisits the night the police finally descended on Oktar’s hilltop compoundHost: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent at The Sunday Times.Clips: Ulusal KanalIf you, or someone you kn
Nice girls from good families | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 2
Away from the TV cameras, Adnan Oktar reigns over a den of secrecy. Louise meets the male enforcers he used to keep it under control. Oktar’s ‘lions’ reveal the hierarchy, rules, and ruthless methods used to enforce loyalty to the cult. And a woman who says she was sexually abused by Oktar describes how loyalty comes with a terrifying cost.Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent at
The Mahdi wears Armani | The Messiah and his Kittens Ep. 1
Meet Adnan Oktar, the Turkish televangelist who’s rarely spotted without an entourage of surgically enhanced young women he calls his ‘kittens’. After Oktar is sentenced to over 1,000 years in prison, Louise tries to get to grips with one of the strangest stories she has ever covered.Host: Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent at The Sunday Times.Clips: CNN TÜRK, TV100, Anadolu Agency,
Introducing: The Messiah and his Kittens
The leader of Turkey’s most powerful cult, Adnan Oktar, was sentenced to over 1,000 years in prison in January 2021. The Sunday Times’s Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan steps into his weird world of ‘kittens’, ‘lions’, and televangelism to reveal its dark heart.This series was first published on 28 January, 2022.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and
Innocent | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 8
In July 2023, almost 20 years after he was sentenced to life in jail, Andrew Malkinson's conviction is quashed. We visit Andy a day after the Court of Appeal overturned his rape conviction following the revelation that new DNA evidence implicated another man in the crime. Host: Will Roe If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following org
A breakthrough (February 2023 UPDATE) | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 7
Finally, a door opens. The CCRC refers Andy’s case to the Court of Appeal, and police arrest another man. After 17 long years, could Andy finally be vindicated?Host: Will Roe If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:Rape Crisis England & WalesNHS - Help after rape and sexual assaultCriminal Cases Review Commi
Police failings | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 6
Emily meets the former wife of another suspect in the original investigation. Police failures loom as we learn of other men - some with violent histories - who were barely investigated.Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times.Actress: Eliza Marsland.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:R
‘Forced’ to testify? | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 5
Cracks are showing in the case against Andy. Emily meets witnesses who claimed they felt pressure to testify, and learns of failures at the Criminal Cases Review Commission that may have contributed to a miscarriage of justice. Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following
Forensics | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 4
Years into Andy’s prison sentence, new forensic techniques reveal the presence of another man’s DNA at the crime scene. Emily investigates the implications of this and the challenges of reopening a long-closed case.Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times.Audio from HMP North Sea Camp courtesy of Two Step Films.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues
Witness testimony | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 3
Eyewitness evidence is powerful. But it is not infallible. Emily draws on wrongful convictions abroad to explore how memory and trauma can complicate justice and what this might mean for Andy’s conviction.Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:Rape
The trial | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 2
No DNA. Contradictory descriptions. Witnesses with hidden criminal pasts. Andy’s trial is fraught with controversy. As the jury returns a guilty verdict, Emily unpicks the flaws in the judicial system that can send an innocent man down.Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday Times.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the followi
Life turned upside down | Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story Ep. 1
In 2003, a 33-year-old mother of two was raped and left for dead during a horrific attack in Salford, Greater Manchester. A security guard called Andrew Malkinson was arrested and later sentenced to life - despite insisting he was innocent. Reporter Emily Dugan explores how a seemingly ordinary man became caught up in a shocking crime.Host: Emily Dugan, social affairs correspondent at The Sunday T
Introducing: Seventeen Years - the Andrew Malkinson story
A mother of two is brutally attacked, but was the wrong man sent to prison?Andrew Malkinson was wrongfully convicted of a brutal rape and sentenced to life in prison. The Sunday Times social affairs correspondent Emily Dugan investigates the flawed trial, unreliable witness testimony, police failings and breakthrough DNA evidence that turned the case on its head.This series was first released on 2
Questions and answers? | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 6
Finally facing interrogation, David Cameron and Lex Greensill appear before MPs. Between their testimony and half-apologies, we finally come to the truth - that the scandal surrounding Greensill Capital didn’t just bring down one company, it brought down British politics as a whole.Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Correspondent for The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for Th
The crash | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 5
What happens when the music stops? With insurers retreating and Lex Greensill’s tangled web of influence unravelling fast, only one thing’s for certain - many others stand to be exposed.Guest: John Collingridge, Deputy business editor at The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.Clips used: GFG Alliance, Parliament TV, Sky News, BBC News.This podcast was brought to y
Sanjeev Gupta, man of steel | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 4
Sanjeev Gupta styled himself as the saviour of Britain’s struggling steel industry, but his empire was fuelled by Greensill money. Deep in Britain’s industrial heartlands, we step inside a house of cards.Guest: John Collingridge, Deputy business editor at The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.Clips used: Channel 4 News, GFG Alliance.This podcast was brought to yo
A pay app for the NHS | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 3
Greensill Capital is on the brink - until it lands a lifeline helping to run a vital payroll app for NHS staff. David Aaronovitch uncovers how the company secured taxpayer-backed schemes even as its risky finance model raised eyebrows in the corridors of power.Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.Clips used: Sk
Collapse and aftermath | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 2
Calls, texts and elbow bumps. As a global pandemic takes hold, former prime minister David Cameron is now working for Greensill Capital, dusting down old contact books and making calls to old colleagues at the very top of a government in crisis. Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.This podcast was brought to
The rise of Lex Greensill | Cameron and the Toxic Banker Ep. 1
How did a little-known Australian banker end up with the ear of a Prime Minister? David Aaronovitch recounts the improbable rise of Lex Greensill from a sugar cane farm in central Queensland to high-flying advisor with an office in 10 Downing Street.Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.This podcast was brought to
Introducing: Cameron and the Toxic Banker
Behind the closed doors of Whitehall in central London Lex Greensill promised to revolutionise the way money moves through the highest levels of British business. Instead, he built an empire on financial smoke.David Aaronovitch follows the trail of charm and deception leading from the City deep into the heart of the British government.Presented by David Aaronovitch, former columnist for The Times.
Quiet survival | The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story Ep. 2
As the bombs fell, Hans Globke stayed behind his desk, signing papers that sent Jews to their deaths across Europe. Oliver Moody uncovers how Globke’s quiet survival allowed him to emerge unscathed from the ashes of the Third Reich, and return to power in a new Germany.Host: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times & The Sunday TimesClips: AP, ARD, The Eichmann TrialEN.This podcast w
Almost forgotten | The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story Ep. 1
Hans Globke is the forgotten Nazi. The Times and The Sunday Times’s Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody traces the story of the unremarkable bureaucrat who quietly laid the legal basis for the Holocaust, positioning himself at the centre of a deadly web of influence - then came back to build the foundations of modern Germany Host: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times & Th
Introducing: The Spider in the Web - the Hans Globke Story
Uncovering the story of Hans Globke, the Nazi bureaucrat who helped lay the legal basis for the Holocaust, then came back to build the foundations of modern Germany.Presented by Oliver Moody, the Berlin correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times.This series was first released on 4 March 2021.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unl
Meet Corey Junior | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 1
We meet CJ Davis’s mother Keisha McLeod and hear about the promising early years and the struggles of a young boy who, in his final 18 months, was sucked into an underworld of drug deals and gang crime. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic failings, rivalries and silence
Descent into crime | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 2
Lifting the lid on a national crisis of child criminal exploitation. Accounts from CJ’s girlfriend, Bella, and his mother give rise to questions: how did he come to be arrested for carrying a knife? What were CJ’s connections to drug dealing? And, crucially, where did the authorities miss opportunities to intervene?Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 Septembe
The gangs of Newham | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 3
We dive into the brutal reality of London’s gangland, where imprisoned but still powerful leaders Young Dizz and CB preside over the rival Beckton Boys and Woodgrange gangs. CJ’s name appears on a leaked police “gang matrix”, giving rise to the chilling question: Was CJ Davis a targeted victim of this deadly turf war?Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 Septem
The murder scene and the wall of silence | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 4
The September afternoon in 2017 when CJ Davis was shot dead in broad daylight in Forest Gate, East London. An anonymous witness recounts the harrowing moment she heard gunshots and rushed to CJ’s side in an attempt to save his life. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic f
How do we solve this? | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 5
Three years after CJ Davis’ murder, John Simpson interviews the lead detective working on the case, whose team continues to grapple with an impenetrable “code of silence”. Expert Craig Pinkney also takes us into the complex world of drill music to explore its connection to gang culture and, perhaps, to CJ’s death. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 Sept
Meet Corey Senior | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 6
In this bonus episode, CJ’s father, Corey Sr., speaks publicly about his son’s death for the very first time. We also meet close family friend Dwayne Brooks, who was witness to the Stephen Lawrence murder. Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic failings, rivalries and sile
Atonement | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 7
Five years after CJ Davis was shot dead in East London, John Simpson is back in Newham to confront the stagnant investigation. He brokers a powerful meeting between CJ's grieving mother and the woman who found him, revealing the pain that persists as the murder remains unsolved.Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspo
March 2023 UPDATE - An arrest | Who Killed CJ Davis? Ep 8
News breaks that a suspect has been arrested in connection with CJ’s murder. John Simpson speaks with CJ’s mother, Keisha, about this pivotal moment in her fight for justice.Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic failings, rivalries and silence surrounding CJ’s killer.Host: Joh
Introducing: Who Killed CJ Davis?
Corey Junior Davis was just 14 when he was shot dead on the afternoon of 4 September 2017. In this series, crime correspondent John Simpson exposes the systemic failings, rivalries and silence surrounding CJ’s killer.This series was first released on 31 July, 2020.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our j
Restless ghosts | Last Man Standing Ep 8
When a British minister tells reporters that John Cantlie is still alive in February 2019, the search is on again. What does the British government know? Anthony Loyd shares his conclusions.In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerged,
Inside Mosul | Last Man Standing Ep 7
Anthony retraces John Cantlie’s steps on the streets of Mosul, the Iraqi city where John was last seen alive.In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerged, fronted by Cantlie. He hasn’t been seen since. In this new series, the Times’ wa
Lend me your ears | Last Man Standing Ep 6
As one by one the British and American hostages are killed by their captors, John Cantlie emerges in a series of Islamic State propaganda films, ‘Lend Me Your Ears’. His new role keeps him alive. It also attracts questions. Is the hostage becoming a willing messenger?In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or mu
Freedom is for other people | Last Man Standing Ep 5
Some of the hostages who were held with John Cantlie describe what life was like inside their prison cell, under the watch of brutal Isis guards. Their captors had a special role in mind for John… but why did Isis pick him?In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series o
There but for the grace of God | Last Man Standing Ep 4
For Anthony this story is personal as he reveals that he himself was captured while reporting on the Syrian conflict. What is it like to be a journalist covering war? And what does his experience tell us about John Cantlie's kidnap?In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a
Missing | Last Man Standing Ep 3
John Cantlie is missing and there are no leads in the case. The hunt is on for his whereabouts, when a rapper shows up in a Belgian prison saying he has information to share. What can this man tell us about John’s location and the conditions they both experienced as Isis hostages?In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were r
The kidnap | Last Man Standing Ep 2
Anthony investigates details of John Cantlie and his colleague James Foley’s abduction in 2012. He speaks to those who were with them and explores possible reasons the men were targeted. In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerge
On the trail | Last Man Standing Ep 1
Anthony Loyd begins his investigation into the disappearance of journalist John Cantlie, who was taken by Isis in 2012. He explores the events of a prior kidnap and asks: what compelled John to return to Syria after his first escape? In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive.
Introducing: Last Man Standing
In 2012, British photojournalist John Cantlie was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerged, fronted by Cantlie. He hasn’t been seen since. In this new series, the Times’ war correspondent Anthony Loyd sets out to investigate the life - and fate - of the missing hostage.This series
