The Crime Scene Insiders

In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, we’re joined by Charlotte Thorpe, a former Crime Scene Investigator, Crime Scene Manager, and Senior CSI, who spent over 20 years with Kent Police.

Charlie has worked on thousands of crime scenes, from volume crime through to serious and complex investigations, and has led teams through some of the most challenging moments of their careers. She shares what it’s really like learning the role from the ground up, being thrown in at the deep end, and building confidence through experience — not textbooks.

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Merry Christmas! In this Boxing Day episode, we lift the festive tape and share what it’s really like to work as a CSI over Christmas and New Year.

From frozen crime scenes to festive chaos, hear real stories from our days in the field — the good, the bad, and the downright ridiculous:

• Christmas Day shifts you can’t dodge

• The forbidden “Q word” and its consequences

• Burglaries, assaults and alcohol-fuelled incidents

• Technical winter nightmares: batteries dying, blood in snow, and footwear marks
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In this episode, we sit down with Dr Gary Currie — the CSI, Crime Scene Manager, national trainer, and senior lecturer who has shaped countless careers… including ours.

Gary reflects on more than 30 years under the barrier tape: from the early SOCO days to modern CSI work, the culture shifts, the chaos, the humour that keeps you going, and the moments that stay with you long after leaving the job.

We talk openly about:

🧪 What CSI work used to look like vs now

🚔 Sto...

Former Detective Sergeant Joanne Mackel joins us for a deeply personal conversation about her life, her policing career, and the decades-long search for answers surrounding her mum’s disappearance.

Joanne’s mother, Ann Law, went missing from Newcastle in 1973. Ann’s body has never been found, and it is long believed that she was murdered and buried by her husband — Joanne’s father, Gilbert Law. Growing up in the shadow of a flawed investigation, Joanne eventually pursued a career in policing — determined to be the officer she wished had been there for her family.
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In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, we sit down with expert investigator and diving specialist Peter Faulding, Founder of Specialist Group International (SGI). Peter shares his remarkable journey — from early careers in emergency response to becoming a leading voice in underwater search and recovery operations.

We dive into the technology behind Peter’s work, the hidden challenges of interpreting sonar, and some of his most notable cases.

We then turn to the high-profile Nicola Bulley case — discussing the sonar footage released by SGI, the collaboration and ch...

This week’s episode of The Crime Scene Insiders is a deeply personal one.

Ange opens up about an assault she and a friend experienced three years ago, and the long, exhausting journey through the criminal justice system that followed. As someone who’s spent years working within the sector, Ange offers a unique perspective on how victims can be let down by a system that’s supposed to protect them.

In this longer-than-usual episode, we discuss the flaws in the investigation, the impact of the process, and wh...

In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, we’re joined by James Harris — former City of London Police detective, specialist in major crime investigations, and one of the UK’s most highly trained investigative interview specialists.

James shares insights from his policing career, including his approach to interviewing suspects and witnesses, and the realities behind major crime investigations. He also talks about his transition into academia, training the next generation of criminal investigators, and what it really takes to succeed in policing today.

If you’re fascinat...

This week on The Crime Scene Insiders, we’re joined by Lindsy Slamon as she reflects on her remarkable 20+ year career across roles as a Crime Scene Investigator, manager, and coordinator. From gripping cases—including the high-profile Dale Cregan investigation—to the unforgettable moments that kept her on her toes, Lindsay shares stories that are equal parts fascinating and entertaining.

Now transitioning into policing education, she inspires the next generation with her wealth of experience, offering insights, humour, and hard-earned lessons from a career spent behind the tape.

This week on The Crime Scene Insiders we’re joined by Anthony Schembri - aka “The Commish.”

Anthony’s career is nothing short of extraordinary! From typing DA reports in Brooklyn at just 16, to leading homicide units, becoming a Police Commissioner in New York, overhauling Toronto’s jail system, and running Florida’s juvenile justice system. Along the way he’s also taught, trained and inspired the next generation. He's even the real-life inspiration behind the 90s TV series 'The Commish'.

In this episode, Anthony shares his experiences wi...

In this episode of Crime Scene Insiders, we open up about our own struggles with mental health and the impact of working as Crime Scene Investigators (CSI).

From shocking crime scenes to the moments that never leave you, we share the side of CSI work that doesn’t make it onto TV. We discuss the cases that turned our stomachs, the emotional weight of dealing with victims and their families, and the coping mechanisms that helped us survive life on the frontline.

We also talk honestly about st...

Former CSI Rebecca Jones shares her personal journey with PTSD, while shedding light on the broader mental health impact of crime scene work.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses traumatic topics including child and infant death, and includes personal accounts of PTSD. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, we speak with Rebecca Jones — former Crime Scene Investigator with 15 years’ frontline experience and now Deputy Head of the School of Life Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University.

Rebecca offers a...

In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, Ange and Dee speak with medicolegal death investigator Julie Wolf, who has handled over 3,000 cases in the U.S.

Julie shares the good, the grim, and the unexpected realities of her work. Join us to explore the differences between U.S. and U.K. investigations, what it’s really like to attend scenes, talk to families, and be the one to “speak for the dead.”

It’s candid, surprising, and packed with insight from the frontline of death investigation — with plent...

Why are people so fascinated by death, but so afraid to talk about it? In this episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, Ange and Dee get candid about what it’s really like to deal with death as part of the job. From first experiences to the questions they’re always asked, they share the reality behind the scenes.

This episode also sets the stage for our next guest: U.S. death investigator Julie Wolf, joining us on August 8th to share her experience from across the Atlantic.

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In July 2010, Raoul Moat became the most wanted man in Britain — just days after walking out of prison. What followed was a week of shootings, threats, and a tense armed standoff that gripped the nation.

In this Crime Scene Insiders special, Angela and Dionne take you beyond the headlines — and under the barrier tape — into the case they lived through as CSIs inside the Police.

They discuss the lead-up to Moat’s release, the devastating attacks on his ex-partner Samantha Stobbard, her boyfriend Christopher Brown, and PC David Ra...

From the crash of a Chinook in the Falklands to the pursuit of organised crime across international borders — Steve Horgan has lived a forensic career like no other.

In this episode, Steve takes us on a journey from his time in the RAF, through years as a Crime Scene Investigator, to leading complex investigations with the National Crime Agency.

Along the way, he shares gripping stories, naw dropping moments, and the realities of working in high-stakes environments where the smallest piece of evidence can make or break a...

This week, we welcome the extraordinary Julie Bramble—whose remarkable journey through the death industry began at just 15 years old.

From embalming to disaster response, and eventually to the gritty world of crime scene investigation, Julie shares gripping stories from the front lines, including her unforgettable first murder case and the chilling details of her final double homicide investigation.

Now a forensic lecturer, she brings those real-world insights to the next generation.

Don’t miss this intense and fascinating episode.

In this episode, Angela and Dionne had the honour of interviewing Alison Madgin and Carly Barrett, from Samantha's Legacy, a charity in the Northeast of England set up to raise awareness around knife crime, after the brutal murder or Samantha Madgin (Alison’s daughter, Carly’s sister), in 2007.

Samantha Madgin was murdered at the age of 18, with a bread knife, by a 15 year old girl.

This story is truly heartbreaking however, the family have turned this tragedy into something positive and are taking their lived experience to now...

In this episode, Angela and Dionne dive into the fundamentals of crime scene processes — what actually constitutes a crime scene, the critical role of health and safety, and how real-life forensic work stacks up against its TV drama counterparts.

Drawing on their own frontline experiences and real cases, they explore the challenges and protocols that shape every investigation, revealing the often unseen complexity behind every scene.

In the debut episode of The Crime Scene Insiders, former Crime Scene Investigators and disaster response consultants, Angela Davies and Dionne Watson, pull back the curtain on the world of forensic investigation.

With years of real-world forensic experience, they introduce listeners to their new true crime podcast with a unique twist: real cases, told from the perspective of those who’ve actually been on the scene.

Angela and Dionne share their own journeys into the world of crime scene investigation and outline their vision for the series: Th...