Netflix announces documentary to accompany series on Rachel Nickell’s murder

Netflix has announced it will be releasing a standalone documentary to accompany a three-part drama series on the murder of Rachel Nickell, a mother who was stabbed to death in front of her young son on Wimbledon Common.

True-crime drama The Witness, which premieres on June 4, will follow the investigations into Miss Nickell’s murder from the point of view of her son Alex Hanscombe, who was just two years old when he witnessed her brutal death.

Released on the same day, a companion documentary, entitled The Murder of Rachel Nickell, will explore the real events behind the series and examine the years-long police investigation that ensued.Miss Nickell was walking with her son on Wimbledon Common on July 15 1992 when she was killed in broad daylight.

Serial sex offender Robert Napper did not admit to the attack until 2008.

Andre Hanscombe, Miss Nickell’s partner, became a single parent overnight and The Witness follows the experience of the father and his young son.

A newly released trailer for the series begins with Alex’s voiceover saying: “I went for a walk with my mother when I was a child, and she never made it home.”

The series, which is spread across three hour-long episodes, will see the pair navigate the media furore and lengthy police investigation in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A trailer for the documentary, from Bafta-nominated director Lucy Bowden, features a previously unseen home video of Andre asking his son questions about Miss Nickell’s murder.

In the clip, a young Alex can be heard telling his father that he saw his mother’s killer stabbing her with a knife, telling him: “I saw it all.”

It’s followed with a voiceover of Andre saying: “My son witnessed his mother’s murder but nobody could have possibly known how long it was gonna take to find the person who did this.”

Alex and Andre said in a statement: “Our life has been a battle. We can never express how indebted we are to everyone that’s been a part of this, for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us, for the chance they took with us in bringing our story to the screen, and for the care they have taken.”

They added: “Our journey has all been by the grace of God and a promise to go on together, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to share our story in this way.

“We hope that audiences will be left with a testament to the tough battle of life we all face and to the power of faith, hope, love – and never giving up.”