The wrongful conviction of Andrew Evans for Judith's 1972 murder is reexamined, revealing Peter Sutcliffe as the true culprit.
In the Summer of 1972, 14-year-old Judith Roberts took off for a bike ride within the vicinity of her Staffordshire home. Her body was discovered after a three-day manhunt, concealed from view in a thick privet having been brutally attacked. The community of Tamworth was rocked by the news of her death and an outcry for justice ensued.
Within weeks of her murder, an impressionable and troubled soldier, based in the nearby barracks, 17-year-old Andrew Evans, walked into a police station and confessed to the killing. Relentlessly interviewed for hours on end without representation or an appropriate adult present, Andrew was swiftly charged with Judith's murder. Despite attempting to recount his statement and a legal defence at trial that defied the prosecution's arguments that Andrew Evans was guilty, a judge sentenced him to life behind bars. He was eventually acquitted in 1997 in what was, at the time, Britain's longest miscarriage of justice.
While Andrew Evans fought for his freedom, another man drove up and down England undetected: Peter William Sutcliffe. Eventually proven capable of inflicting unimaginable horror at any given opportunity, an independent inquiry dubbed him likely responsible for more murders than the 13 he was convicted of and the seven others he attempted between 1975 and 1980.
In The Murder of Judith Roberts, Chris Clark and Tanita Matthews examine evidence that concludes that Sutcliffe, whose violent criminal history dates back as far as 1969, was the real culprit responsible for Judith's murder. With never before-published dialogue from Andrew Evans' police interviews showing the grave miscarriage of justice, the case file of the five-decade cold case is examined under a new light.
Clark, Chris: - "Chris Clark graduated from the Royal Military College in 1972 and served in the Australian Army Intelligence Corps until 1979. Following this, he worked in the Departments of Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Prime Minister and Cabinet. After writing commissioned histories for six years, during which time he completed a PhD at the Australian Defence Force Academy, he worked at the Australian National university and the Australian War Memorial. From 2004, until he retired nine years later, he was RAAF Historian and Head of the Office of Air Force History. He has written extensively on aspects of Australian defence over many years in a variety of publications - as sole author, contributor and editor."
Matthews, Tanita: - Tanita Matthews is a freelance television producer and journalist. Born in the Midlands, she resides on the South coast.
Tanita's career started as a trainee reporter working for a local newspaper in Dorset, before choosing to focus on crime reporting. Tanita spent three years writing for 'Real Crime' magazine (Future PLC) where she finished up as Investigations Editor for the national publication. During those three years Tanita covered every corner of the globe, recounting the world's most famous cold cases, interviewing individuals from all sides of the justice system and developed an interest in documentaries and film making. A contributor for 'Voice of a Serial Killer' (Season 3; CBS Reality) she made the decision to become a freelancer so she could focus on her passion for investigative journalism, truth and justice for victims and their families.
After five years of working in television, Tanita's credits include: 'Crimewatch Roadshow' (BBC Studios), 'The Real Prime Suspect' (Monster Films, CBS Reality) 'Yorkshire Ripper: The Secret Murders' (Impossible Factual, ITV), 'Murder; First On Scene (Phoenix Television, CBS Reality) and 'See No Evil' (Arrow Media, Investigation Discovery).
