How can you be convicted of a murder when there’s no body?

This series explores the herculean task facing police forces and prosecutors across the country as they try to get justice for families and prove a murder has happened without that vital piece of evidence – the body.

For hundreds of years no body meant no crime until the law changed in 1954. Now several “missing presumed murdered” cases are successfully tried in the UK courts per year - without a body having been discovered.

But with no forensic evidence such as a time of death, a cause of death or DNA left on a victim from their killer, detectives rely on other methods of investigation; from piecing together the victim’s last known movements to delving deeper into their lifestyle, their family, friends and acquaintances and trying to prove a motive for murder.

Joanna Scanlan will explore these remarkable and unconventional investigations, uncovering the lengths detectives must go to in order to prove a murder has occurred and shining a light on the heart-rending stories of families who, despite seeing a killer brought to justice, never had the chance to lay their loved ones to rest - and are still searching for closure all these years later.

This series includes interviews from those detectives leading the investigations, prosecutors, experts who helped to establish ‘no proof of life’ and heartfelt firsthand testimonies from friends and family. We also have access to CCTV footage, cell site analysis and forensic evidence which help piece together the movements of the suspect.