"This was an absolute bombshell because this meant there was a serial killer operating in south Wales in 1973 killing young girls.". Now, with his son's DNA proving he was a 50% match of the killer's DNA, Joseph Kappen became the prime suspect - decades after the murders. [5] In February 1973 a man resembling Kappen picked up two female hitchhikers and drove them to a nearby isolated road before attempting to rape both of them, but they also managed to escape; the victims did not report the incident as one thought she would get into trouble with her father. [5] Kappen alternately worked as a lorry or bus driver, and then as a bouncer. Could there be a serial killer on the loose? Is Steeltown Murders based on a true story? Joe Kappen was found to have brutally murdered three teenage girls in south Wales following a 30-year hunt for their killer. Brand new Welsh-made, true crime drama Steeltown Murders hits our TV screens tonight. For the sake of everyone, finding the truth was really important.". Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. It was not just closure for Geraldine and Pauline's loved ones, but for Sandra's family and close friends too. That decision turned out to be vital as, in 1998, a scientific breakthrough would once again throw light on the case. The four-part series follows the hunt to catch. [12], Around this time there was media speculation linking serial killer Fred West to the murders as he once worked in Llandarcy, but this was swiftly ruled out by police after the DNA was checked. In 2002, Kappens body was exhumed and forensic testing proved him to be the murderer. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. "That gave us two-thirds of a full profile for Joe Kappen," said Dr Dark, whose team were based at the old forensic laboratory in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. [4] He was also the first documented serial killer in Welsh history. How the real-life Steeltown Murders detective finally caught Wales [9] She was strangled with her own skirt and dumped in a ditch near a coal mine in Tonmawr. [11][6] Both the construction of the nearby M4 motorway and the ongoing Neath fair meant hundreds of itinerant workers had to be considered, as well as the countless strangers these events brought into the area. "You inherit your DNA from your parents and you pass your DNA onto a child. [6][11] The three-day working week imposed by the British government on everyone across the country, as a result of an energy shortage, further reduced the resources of the enquiry and hampered the investigation. To get the latest Celeb & TV news straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our newsletter here. He wasn't, but that was enough for Operation Magnum, the reinvestigation of the Llandarcy murders, to be officially opened. On Christmas Eve 2001, two years after that cold case was reopened, DI Bethell applied to Home Secretary David Blunkett to exhume Paul Kappens dad and, six months later, on a sodden hillside cemetery in South Wales, justice was finally served. [18][8][11] Mulcahy was similarly strangled after a Saturday night out, being found dead the following morning on wasteland very close to the Sandfields estate, where "Saturday Night Strangler" Kappen was living at the time. His dad, however, had been questioned back in 1973 because he fitted the description of the wanted man - and drove a light-coloured Morris 1100. There was a tremendous outpouring of grief. The developments in DNA meant that swabs proved the same man was responsible for all three murders. The team were not yet done with the late doorman - who was known to some on the force as a habitual petty criminal with a violent temper. 50 years after the murders took place, BBC One has aired its new Philip Glenister crime drama Steeltown Murders, which is based on the true story of Port Talbot serial killer Joseph Kappen. After cross referencing both lists, one surname stood out - Kappen. Joseph Kappen was born in 1941 and had six siblings. The two time frames see the characters frequent places like Swansea's Top Rank Suite, the building where that was located in real life was demolished in 2016 and wide shots including the Port Talbot steelworks, which still stands to this day. [11] In January 2001 the Llandarcy murders were reconstructed on BBC One's Crimewatch. Steeltown Murders - watch online: stream, buy or rent. Filters. "When we compared that to the crime stain profile, we could see that matched - but we needed the full profile to make absolutely sure that we had identified the killer.". Set in both 1973 and the early 2000s, Steeltown Murders centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first. [22], Kappen is also suspected of having committed numerous other unsolved rapes.[5]. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. "There was a chance that, had he been arrested or charged since 1995, our killer could be on it.". [5] Christine then gave birth to a daughter and then to a son, Paul, after she was raped by Kappen after his release from prison. Season 1: 8 episodes", "Steeltown Murders: How a DNA-first caught a serial killer 30 years on", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Kappen&oldid=1162257156, In 2016 another documentary on the case was released on, This page was last edited on 27 June 2023, at 23:57. Companion documentary to the BBC drama Steeltown Murders. The case went cold in the 70s and Joseph Kappen died in 1990. 4K . The friends, who worked together in a factory, had gone missing as they hitched a lift home from a night out at the the Top Rank nightclub in Swansea. TV drama BBC Steeltown Murders: First look at crime drama based on real life Port Talbot case Stars of Gavin & Stacey, Life on Mars, The Pembrokeshire Murders and more star in a Welsh. [18] Witness testimony points to Kappen having abducted her in a manner similar to the 1973 murders. Tyson Morlock, 27, was . We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The case went cold in the 70s and in the early 2000s after advancements in DNA testing technology, The Sun reports. He raped them all and then strangled them to death. Kappen had died of lung cancer 11 years earlier in 1990, aged 48. And, when detectives knocked on his door, his ex-wife Christine appeared to deliver the revelation that Kappen had died of lung cancer 12 years before. Using archive and first-hand accounts from the officers, scientists and relatives of the victims, Steeltown Murders: Hunting a Serial Killer tells the extraordinary inside story. Confrontation, celebration and confetti: Photos of the week, Oscar-winning Banshees pub opens for real, Gods, goatskins and drums: Morocco's mystical musicians, Armageddon: The 3,000-year-old city behind the biblical story. BBC Steeltown Murders: First look at crime drama based on real life Port Talbot case, Wales' most prolific actor Steffan Rhodri on the 'steeltown murders' next to his school, 'I've really fought for people to know that I am a Welsh actor': The Luke Evans interview, The Welsh actor who's been in everything while working behind a shop counter in Tenby, Steve Coogan on love of Max Boyce and making more The Trip with Rob Brydon, The Welsh actor you don't realise you keep seeing everywhere, The One Show's Alex Jones gives health update on husband Charlie Thomson, Alex Jones spoke all things career, family and health as she appeared on Gabby Logan's podcast, ITV This Morning star Holly Willoughby announces tragic death in family, 24 things you should never say to a Welsh person, Not if you want to keep your head on your shoulders anyway, good boy, Former Strictly star Brendan Cole living in a tent in Spain, The One Show's Alex Jones shares hospital update as she urges people to get checked, Alex Jones got candid in order to share a very important message after a referral to the hospital, Dick and Angel Strawbridge returning to UK in new career path after Channel 4 axe, They were dropped by Channel 4 in May following an investigation into the couples conduct while filming, Plane rides and beach motorcycle races in extraordinary photos showing how Wales holidayed 100 years ago, It's hard to imagine a holiday without checking the weather app on your phone or scrolling through social media but in the 1920s and 1930s people filled their beach days with many other activities, Modern home hiding off village street was built in someone's old garden, Gorgeous house in Gower offers views as well as luxury living, How Dino Fetscher went from Doctor Who extra to role in huge Apple TV+ series, Dino Fetscher, who said he sees Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies as a 'mentor', will appear in the second season of sci-fi series Foundation, Man killed in crash involving two motorbikes and car, A 58-year-old man from Caerphilly was pronounced dead at the scene, Tonight's rugby news as Wales star joins Switzerland camp, Here are your rugby evening headlines for Saturday, 8th July, The Voice Kids coaches feel like theyre on Dragons Den after sassy identical twins ask for a moment onstage, Shanice and Andrea Nyandoro made three coaches turn for them in their audition, The best photos from Saturday's Race For Life Pretty Muddy event in Cardiff, People got themselves well and truly covered in mud for the charity event, The Wales players who might yet spring a Rugby World Cup shock, Gatland is currently running the rule over his players out in Switzerland, Wales international emerges as shock transfer target for top New Zealand Super Rugby outfit, Rhys Patchell is a man in demand after ninge released by the Scarlets at end of last season, Michael Duff explains Josh Ginnelly's friendly absence as Swansea City boss says 'it didn't look a great one', The winger could already be facing a period on the sidelines, The sweet shop with 45-minute queues and products Willy Wonka would be proud of, Mazza Treatz stocks hundreds of products from all over the world ranging from pancake-flavoured cereal to sweet-stuffed gherkins and KFC-flavoured crisps, Welsh village named UK's best holiday destination, 'This delightful village presents the perfect Welsh welcome it's therefore no surprise that this holiday destination grabs the top spot', BBC presenter off air over claims of payments to teen for explicit photos, It has been claimed that the presenter paid more than 35,000 in exchange for sexual images, Boy left in critical condition after being hit by car, Police are investigating the incident in Barry which left the youngster needing emergency treatment in hospital, Brits issued warning as deadly bacteria and faeces found around Ibiza beaches, Brits travelling there have been warned after the alarming discovery, The committed Wales fans who drove hours through the Alps to watch their heroes train in Switzerland, Warren Gatland's World Cup squad are currently being put through their paces at an intense training camp, Father woke up to find his baby son had died beside him in bed, 'No matter how hard I tried I couldn't get any air into him', Two killed in 'serious' crash on busy road, The incident happened in the early hours of Friday, Couple make last-ditch attempt to stop daughter being adopted, 'I was heartbroken when I lost custody. Read more: BBC Steeltown Murders' cast on making the true story and more. Witnesses saw Geraldine and Pauline getting into a white Austin 1100 on the night they went missing and Sandra went missing two months prior. The drama centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence. Pressure builds on S Korea to send Ukraine stockpiled ammo. DNA taken from the bodys femur and teeth proved a full match. Something went wrong, please try again later. Warrington Wolves went down 24-20 to St Helens, but it wasn't without controversy. Officers from all over south Wales were drafted in to help with the manhunt for the killer in 1973, People were warned about getting into cars that matched the description of the killer's light-coloured Morris 1100, The parents of the murder victim Geraldine Hughes wanted to know who killed their 16-year-old daughter, Officers in 1973 were working without computers, relying on sifting through all of the data in detail, Geraldine and Pauline had been to the Top Rank dance hall on the Kingsway in Swansea on the night they went missing, The killer's DNA was similar to that of convicted car thief Paul Kappen from Port Talbot, DNA evidence helped prove Joseph Kappen became Wales' first known serial killer, Joseph Kappen was buried at Goytre cemetery on the hillside above Port Talbot, The then Home Secretary Lord Blunkett said he gave approval for Kappen's body to be exhumed to find the truth, The exhumation took place inside a police tent about 30 yards from where the press were stood, Geraldine and her cousin Julie Begley were the only two girls among the family and they didn't have much time to be "girly girls", Sandra Newton's friend Theresa May said: "I believe I will see her again - and we've got a lot of catching up to do! The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The painstaking police investigation has been turned into a new BBC drama, Keep up to date with the latest stories with our WalesOnline newsletter. Set in both the 1970s and. Updated 13:53, 15 MAY 2023 Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd were murdered on their way home from a night out in Swansea It was 1973 when the bodies of 16-year-old Pauline Floyd and Geraldine. They had got their man at last. Local car thief Paul Kappen's DNA was on the database after committing offences in and around the Port Talbot area, but he was only seven at the time of the murders. One of these was local car thief Paul Kappen, whose DNA was already on police files but who was only seven years old at the time of the murders. We now had a golden opportunity to search for the killer of these girls.. What followed was the biggest murder hunt Wales had ever seen and with the investigation now a focus of a major BBC drama, a new true crime documentary uncovers how police solved the case of the Saturday Night Strangler.. [5] Christine later testified that Kappen was physically abusive towards her and would rape her every two weeks. 14 May 2023 Updated 15 May 2023 Joe Kappen was found to have brutally murdered three teenage girls in south Wales following a 30-year hunt for their killer Three 16-year-old girls strangled, a.