Rachel Nickell was walking with her two-year-old son and and their dog on Wimbledon Common when she was savagely assaulted and murdered. A young undercover policewoman befriended the man that police wrongly-suspected of being the murderer, and this is the story of this dramatic investigation.

Records the tragic circumstances which led to one man committing a sequence of vicious sexual assaults through to the murders of Rachel Nickell and Samantha and Jazmine Bisset. It has taken Alan Jackaman over 25 years to come to terms with what he experienced, but he now tells of his part in the downfall of serial killer Robert Napper. Reveals for the first time information not until now in the public domain and tells of the author’s tenacity as a lower-ranking officer in the face of dwindling resources and sometimes disparagement by more senior investigators. A straightforward account of the solving of heinous and complex crimes, it also delves into media fascination with serious offences and shows how the press may latch on to one murder whilst ignoring another, even more horrific, one. The author was an investigator on the Bisset case from day one through to seeing that case linked to London’s Green Chain Walk rapes and the discovery that Napper also killed Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common. The book tells for the first time the behind the scenes story of how the misguided targeting of Colin Stagg and rebuffing of the Bisset team’s suspicions allowed Napper to escape justice for 15 years. The book also looks at the mind of Robert Napper, his bizarre behaviour, family history and ‘doodlings’ (some reproduced in this book) and the fact that sheer ‘chance’ allowed him to remain free for so long. By the detective who arrested Napper. Looks at the emergence of criminal profiling. Enters the mind of a psychotic killer. Shows how media ‘obsession’ can hinder justice. Contains previously unpublished material. Extract: ‘To be able to properly investigate the murders of Samantha and Jazmine it was necessary to research the sequence of Green Chain Walk rapes. At first glance the string of offences bore the classic hallmarks of a psychopath who grew ever more cunning, yet reckless, but more importantly ever more violent. Studies of this type of offender clearly show they learn as they progress in their offending…’

This is Alex Hanscombe's powerful, inspirational account as seen on This morning, BBC Breakfast, BBC Newsnight and published in The Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday and The Sun. 'I was the most famous child in the British Isles...' A coming-of-age story that begins with tragedy but ends in understanding, forgiveness and peace. The stunning and heartbreaking story of the young son of Rachel Nickell - who witnessed the brutal attack on his mother and whose childhood was shaped by the media storm that followed. A coming-of-age story that begins with a tragedy but ends in optimism, forgiveness and peace. On a beautiful July morning in 1992, just three weeks before his third birthday, Alex Hanscombe and his young mother, Rachel Nickell, went walking on Wimbledon Common. Life was never the same again. Shortly after ten o'clock that morning, Alex was discovered by the side of his mother's body - she had been assaulted, stabbed forty-nine times in a frenzied attack, and left dead. Alex was the only witness to the attack. Letting Go is Alex's heartbreaking account of that morning, the aftermath, and the devastating effect on his father, the extended family and the wider community. Alex tells the story of the resulting media storm, the legal cases following and the peace and understanding that he has now found, as a young man. In telling his story, and the truth, this is the last stage of Alex's incredible journey to letting go.

In 1992, Rachel Nickell was stabbed and sexually assaulted on Wimbledon Common. In 1994 Colin Stagg was cleared of the killing. In this book, he examines the tragedy of Rachel's murder from his own perspective and the flawed police investigation that failed them both.

This is the book that the Metropolitan Police tried to ban. It containshocking letters between police and the chief suspect of this terrible crime,hat will make you wonder if justice was really done...No one could havemagined that when beautiful young Rachel Nickell went for a walk onimbledon Common with her little son, it would have resulted in a wicked,ickening crime that appalled a nation; or that the police investigation thatollowed would cost over a million pounds. This is the inside story of thatperation by the police detective that headed it up. It reveals informationhat has hitherto been withheld, and spectacularly prints letters from theolice involved in the operation to the chief suspect that will astonish theeader and bring the details of this terrible case right back into the publicye...

'GRIPPING' - The Times How can you speak up for someone accused of a savage murder? Or sway a jury? Or get a judge to drop a case? In this memoir, murder case lawyer William Clegg revisits his most intriguing trials, from the acquittal of Colin Stagg to the shooting of Jill Dando, to the man given life because of an earprint. All the while he lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back, and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk. Under the Wig is for anyone who wants to know the reality of a murder trial. It has been praised as "gripping" by The Times, "riveting" by the Sunday Express and "fascinating" by the Secret Barrister, who described the author as "one of our country's greatest jury advocates." Several prominent barristers, including Matthew Scott and Bob Marshall-Andrews QC, have said Under the Wig is a "must read" for anyone with an interest in the criminal law. Switch off the TV dramas and see real criminal law in action. Well-known cases featured: The Murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common The Chillenden Murders (Dr Lin and Megan Russell) The Trial of Private Lee Clegg The Murder of Jill Dando The first Nazi war crimes prosecution in the UK The Murder of Joanna Yeates The Rebekah Brooks Phone Hacking Trial REVIEWS 'This is a gripping memoir from one of our country's greatest jury advocates, offering a fascinating, no-holds-barred tour behind the scenes of some of the most famous criminal cases of modern times.' - The Secret Barrister 'Countless veteran lawyers have produced page-tuners based in the fictional world of law, but in Under the Wig William Clegg, QC, has distilled his extraordinary life in the criminal courtroom into a yarn equally as gripping.' - The Times 'One of England's best barristers provides a fascinating sometimes hilarious combination of a personal odyssey and insider accounts of the most important and famous court cases of recent times. 'From the infamous case of Colin Stagg and the Wimbledon Murders to war crimes in Belarus and Bosnia and the Murdoch phone hacking trials we share and applaud the author's deep commitment to justice and his infectious enthusiasm for one of the world's greatest professions. An absolute must read for anyone who aspires to join it (and anyone who already has.)' - Bob Marshall-Andrews QC 'Bill Clegg's memoir draws on some of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions of recent years to illuminate the career of a defence lawyer at the peak of his success. 'Deftly weaving personal reminiscences into the view from counsel's bench, he solves one high-profile murder case long before the police and ensures that justice is finally done in another after the tactics adopted by a better-known QC have led to a miscarriage of justice. 'Unlike many works of this genre, Clegg's case-book eschews endless exchanges with long-forgotten judges, lawyers and villains. Like the successful jury advocate that he is, Clegg reduces his story to its essence.' - Joshua Rozenberg 'A must read if you've got any interest in the criminal law.' - Matthew Scott, Barrister Blog 'Economically, simply and engagingly written... It is a must read for anyone with an interest in the law and justice, aspiring barristers and those with an interest in legal history.' - Catherine Baksi, Legal Hackette