True crime expert Cheish Merryweather to bring ‘MURDER:STAGED’ to Derry

How psychopathic is Derry? Live personality test to reveal local traits at true crime talk

True crime fans in Derry are invited to step inside the mind of a forensic deceiver as serial killer and psychopathy expert Cheish Merryweather brings her acclaimed new talk, ‘MURDER:STAGED’, to the New Gate Arts & Culture Centre on Thursday, January 22 2026.

The two-hour session, led by the BBC-featured expert, explores the chilling "CSI effect" - a phenomenon where killers use forensic knowledge to actively mislead police investigations and stage elaborate crime scenes.

Audiences will be guided through reconstructed real-life crime scenes to identify the subtle forensic inconsistencies that eventually caught some of the world’s most cunning killers.

“The 'CSI effect' has created a new type of killer - one that is forensically aware and is out to mislead an investigation,” says Cheish Merryweather. “‘MURDER:STAGED’ will explore the lies embedded in crime scenes with deep-dive walkthroughs that show exactly how these criminals try - and fail - to get away with murder.”

In a unique interactive twist, the Derry audience will participate in a live personality quiz designed to measure the collective psychopathic traits present in the room. Each stop on the national tour contributes to a city-wide score, with the results indicating local levels of psychopathy.

Serial killer and psychopathy expert Cheish Merryweather.

“The live psychopath test is a great way to find out who we really should be keeping a close eye on,” Merryweather explains. “Every audience creates their own city’s score - so whether Derry will turn out to be the most psychopathic remains to be seen.”

This evening is billed as an unmissable event for any true crime enthusiast, combining in-depth forensics, psychological analysis, and a deep dive into some of the world’s most shocking cases.

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.crimeviral.com.