In February 2003, nineteen-year-old Marsha McDonnell stepped off a bus yards from her front door in Hampton and never made it home. Eighteen months later, twenty-two-year-old Amélie Delagrange was found dying on Twickenham Green after missing her stop on a late-night bus. Two women. Two streets we know. One man responsible for both — and for so much more besides.

This week Rachel tells the story of Levi Bellfield: the wheel-clamper and nightclub bouncer who stalked bus stops across south-west London for years before anyone caught him, and whose crimes would eventually bring down one of the most powerful newspapers in the world. We hear from the women who survived him, the ex-partner whose courage finally got him arrested, and the daughters who had to rebuild their lives in his shadow.

A content warning before you listen: this episode contains descriptions of violence, sexual abuse, and coercive control.

Sources include:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/08/vikramdodd

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2736407.stm

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/the-man-who-killed-amelie-and-marsha-6615651.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/marsha-killing-new-clue-7223992.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/mar/13/ukcrime

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8122841/marsha-mcdonnell-levi-bellfield-murder/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46787240

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/oct/17/ukcrime.france

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a25746134/milly-dowler-killer-caught-manhunt-amelie-delagrange/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Bellfield

https://news.sky.com/story/manhunt-detective-who-caught-milly-dowler-murderer-levi-bellfield-reveals-tricks-police-used-in-battle-with-serial-killer-12354796

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/22/ukcrime

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37926858

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/marsha-mcdonnell-died-yards-from-her-home/a/119479412.html

www.bbc.com/news/uk-13455748

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jun/27/levi-bellfield-defence-milly-dowler

https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/271777.marshas-murder-link-to-strawberry-hill-attack/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41652456

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_npFjpBJjw

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)