In The Dark – Blood Relatives, Episode 5 (November 18, 2025)

Podcast: In The Dark
Host: Heidi Blake (for The New Yorker)
Main Theme: A breakthrough investigation into the Jeremy Bamber conviction, centered on a mysterious, potentially exculpatory 999 emergency call from inside the White House Farm on the morning of the murders.

Overview

This episode of Blood Relatives explores a pivotal detail in the infamous White House Farm murders: a 999 call reportedly made from inside the farmhouse, which, if verified, could upend the entire case against Jeremy Bamber. Host and reporter Heidi Blake uncovers new evidence and contradictory statements about this call, raising serious questions about the original police investigation, prosecution strategy, and the integrity of decades of appeals.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The 999 Call That Changes Everything (00:28–10:58)

• Heidi Blake recounts sifting through case files and finding a brief mention of an emergency call made at 6:09 a.m.—a time when, according to the prosecution’s theory, everyone inside the house was already dead and Jeremy Bamber was outside with police.
• She tracks down Nick Milbank, the police officer noted as having received the call. He tells her:

  "To be honest, in those days, it was just another. Just another phone call." (01:36, Nick Milbank)

• Milbank’s recollection is casual, but when pressed, he says he remembers answering a 999 call from the manor, hearing only background noise and movements, not voices:

  "I just sat there with the phone open to see if anyone did say anything or I heard anything." (06:29, Nick Milbank)

• The significance: If the call came from inside at that time, someone in the house was alive, contradicting the trial’s central timeline.

2. Contradictory Evidence and the House’s Timeline (10:58–16:25)

• Heidi highlights the shadow spotted in the manor’s window by officers after the police arrived, suggesting Sheila might have been alive until police entry.
• There are references to the possible movement of a body, confusion about who was seen in the kitchen, and the theory that Sheila may have killed herself during the siege, not beforehand.
• The inadequacy of the forensic investigation at the time is emphasized—pathologists didn’t properly check time of death, leaving a critical evidentiary gap.

3. The Family, Fostering, and Motives (16:25–22:17)

• The show delves into the emotional state of Sheila and the fraught family dynamics. Heidi finds independent confirmation from family secretary Barbara Wilson that discussions about fostering Sheila’s twins did occur—contradicting prosecution claims.
• Disturbing drawings by Sheila's son and the "I hate this place" graffitied in the twins’ room underline the troubled environment.

4. Agatha Christie Syndrome and Miscarriage of Justice (22:17–26:58)

• Dr. Dennis Eady (Cardiff Innocence Project) introduces his theory of "Agatha Christie syndrome":

  "It's the application of the whodunit fantasy to the real world... over complication and the looking for a better story with kind of catastrophic results." (22:45, Dr. Dennis Eady)

• He argues that authorities fixated on the notion of a scheming, evil perpetrator rather than the simpler, tragic possibility of murder-suicide driven by severe mental illness.

5. The Mystery of the 999 Statement (26:58–32:17)

• Heidi investigates a 2002 statement, attributed to Milbank, that downplays the significance of the 999 call, saying he merely monitored an existing open line:

  "I certainly didn't give anyone a statement. No, as far as I can... any statement that I've made, I've always signed. And if it's typed, signed by NR Milbank or... What does it say signed by?" (30:03–31:24, Nick Milbank)

• Milbank maintains he never gave such a statement; the document is unsigned and includes inaccuracies about his standard practices.

6. Institutional Skepticism and Cover-Up Allegations (32:17–37:57)

• When Heidi contacts Mark Oliver, the detective from the 2002 review, he brushes off her questions:

  "Do you know what? I really wouldn't waste any of your time on that case. ... He'll continue to make spurious allegations until the day he dies." (35:22, Mark Oliver)

• Heidi lists accumulating evidence of investigative failures: contaminated crime scene, mishandled murder weapon, unexplained sightings and calls.
• Jeremy Bamber, presented with Blake’s findings, expresses hope:

  "If Sheila made a 999 call from White House Farm at nine minutes past six in the morning, I was with 50 odd police officers. I mean, it proves my innocence. I've sat in jail for 40 years for absolutely nothing." (37:40, Jeremy Bamber)

7. The Case Moves Forward (37:57–End)

• As a result of the article and the new findings, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) agrees to initiate an expedited review of Bamber’s case.
• The episode ends on the cusp of new developments, with the promise that Bamber’s fate could soon be decided after decades in prison:

  "Suddenly, after 40 years of waiting, it seemed like he might finally have a path to freedom." (39:30, Heidi Blake)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Just another phone call." (01:55, Nick Milbank) — The casual dismissal that belies the call’s potential to exonerate Jeremy Bamber.
• "If this call had really been made at the time I'd seen referenced in the case files, that could mean only one thing. Jeremy Bamber could not have committed this crime." (01:55, Heidi Blake)
• "Who's this. Who's this Hydrophosis he gave a statement to?... I certainly don’t recall anyone speaking to me and making a statement in 2002." (30:35–31:47, Nick Milbank) — The baffling issue of the purported statement.
• "It's the application of the whodunit fantasy to the real world and to real cases… with catastrophic results." (22:45, Dr. Dennis Eady)
• "We looked at everything... He'll continue to make spurious allegations until the day he dies." (35:22, Mark Oliver)
• "It proves my innocence. I’ve sat in jail for 40 years for absolutely nothing." (37:40, Jeremy Bamber)

Important Timestamps

• 00:28–10:58 — Discovery and recounting of the 999 call; first interview with Milbank.
• 12:19–22:17 — Window sightings, Sheila’s mental state, family dynamics, and alternate timeline possibilities.
• 22:17–26:58 — "Agatha Christie syndrome"; wrongful conviction context.
• 26:58–32:17 — The dubious 2002 Milbank statement and Heidi’s real-time investigation of its origins.
• 35:22 — Dismissive police response to renewed investigation.
• 37:40 — Jeremy Bamber reacts to the new evidence.
• 39:30–End — CCRC development and the case’s potential future.

Conclusion

Episode 5 of Blood Relatives is a revelatory deep dive into a single phone call whose existence could unravel the official account of one of Britain's most notorious murder cases. Through dogged reporting, clear-eyed analysis, and compelling audio interviews, Heidi Blake exposes unsettling gaps and inconsistencies in decades of police and prosecutorial work—leaving listeners to wonder whether justice might finally be within reach for Jeremy Bamber. The stage is set for a potentially seismic shift in the story, as the CCRC embarks on an accelerated review.

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