Episode 2

Second of a two-part documentary exploring the 1968 case in which three women were killed after a night of dancing, triggering Scotland’s largest manhunt.

In November 1969, Helen Puttock was found dead after she went out dancing at the Barrowland Ballroom with her sister. She was the third woman to have been murdered in similar circumstances, and Glasgow detectives now feared that they were dealing with a serial killer.

Journalist Magnus Linklater recounts the interview he conducted with Helen’s sister Jeannie Williams, who was with her the night she was killed. Jeannie left Helen in a taxi with a man named John, who they had met at the Barrowland earlier that night. Jeannie’s testimony about the mysterious red-haired, smart-suited man with crooked teeth who quoted from the Bible would form the basis of the biggest manhunt Scotland had ever seen. This is the story of that incredible and groundbreaking investigation, and the extraordinary effort made by the police, led by DSI Joe Beattie, to try and find the killer.