The Investigator: A British Crime Story

The murder of Carole Packman, whose body has never been found, continues to affect the lives of many of those involved and as Williams-Thomas discovers, the shocking tale of murder, fraud, deceit and lies has left family members desperate for answers.

In a UK television first, The Investigator: A British Crime Story, will follow the case over four explosive episodes, combining stylized drama with compelling documentary.

Mark Williams-Thomas continues his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Bournemouth wife and mother Carole Packman. Her husband Russell is in jail for her murder, but Carole's body has never been found. Now the couple's daughter Sam has turned to Mark for help. His investigation leads him to Canada after he learns someone calling themselves Carole Packman began a new job in Montreal a year after Sam's mum disappeared. He then travels on to Guernsey to hear how police there were investigating Russell's disappearance after he apparently fell off a yacht during a sailing trip.

Award-winning journalist Mark Williams-Thomas re-investigates the mysterious disappearance of Bournemouth wife and mother Carole Packman. Her husband Russell is in jail for her murder but Carole's body has never been found. In this four-part series, Mark wants to investigate further the relationship between Russell and his mistress Patricia. He tracks down one of her old boyfriends and hears his account of how Russell and Patricia behaved after Carole's disappearance. Mark discovers that five years after Carole disappeared, someone claiming to be Carole signed over her share of the family home to Patricia. Mark enlists the help of a handwriting expert to help find answers. Mark uncovers a series of letters in which Sam's father speaks for the first time about what happened in 1985 - but is he telling the truth? With the help of forensic experts, Mark sets about testing the theories of what could have happened to Carole Packman.

In the fourth and final episode, a former police officer who investigated the original case tells Mark he believes it is plausible that Russell could have burned Carole's body as a way to dispose of it as he claimed in his confession letter.

Mark learns police recently visited Russell in prison to hold a meeting with him. Sam's son Neil contacts Mark to update him on developments. Neil says: "He [Russell] stands by what he said in the letter. The letter's completely truthful. Meyrick Park golf course was one of the locations he's given as where he scattered the ashes."

Mark heads to the golf course to see whether he can find any evidence, 30 years on.

Russell identified a broad area in his garden where he claims to have burnt his wife's body before scattering her ashes at different locations around the country, so Mark instigates a dig, and asks a specialist in cremated remains to investigate the claim. Sam has a brief recollection of the fire in June 1985. She says: "When I came home, my father was stood up on the bank with the fire … My father was really, really angry with me. And he ripped my dress and he sent me into the home."

Also, more letters arrive from Russell which add a further twist as the series reaches its end.