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00:00a suitcase fished out of an urban canal inside dismembered human remains one of
00:14the most disturbing and mysterious murders in recent history we're dealing with a human being
00:20here that's had one leg chopped off below the knees had both of his arms taken off his body
00:27and he's been decapitated as well the most shocking element for me was the brutality
00:36the police had nothing they don't know how this man was killed or where or when they don't even
00:43know his name it was clear to me on on the initial day that we probably won't be able to identify who
00:50the victim was so the starting point was limited really so how do you find a killer if you don't
00:59know anything about the murder
01:01when there's a murder with no suspect no leads perhaps not even a body that's when investigators
01:21face their toughest test the evidence must be gathered the evidence must be analyzed
01:30but the evidence is worthless if you can't pin it to a suspect
01:34the only way to crack the hardest cases of all the only way to prove what happened
01:51the difference between success and failure critical evidence
02:05so
02:14birmingham england a warm summer's day in 2014
02:22workers cleaning one of the city's many canals found a suitcase
02:28detective constable simon lees was called in
02:31We were the duty team on the 12th of May 2014
02:35when a call came in from somebody at the canal in Riverstress
02:39saying that they had pulled a suitcase out of the canal.
02:43And I think initially they thought there was a dog or something inside the suitcase
02:47and it wasn't until they got it on shore and opened it slightly
02:51that they realised that it was a human body inside,
02:55at which point they left it well alone.
03:00But it wasn't a whole human body inside the suitcase.
03:05It was only part of one.
03:08There was no head, no arms, and one leg had been severed beneath the knee.
03:15Harry Harrison was the officer in charge.
03:19It was a unique case for me to investigate.
03:22It's very rare that you have an undertaking
03:26where you investigate a dismembered body.
03:30The shocking, most shocking element for me was the brutality endured
03:36in his body being dismembered and just thrown into a canal.
03:40As they struggled to make sense of the grisly discovery,
03:43Harry Harrison and his colleagues had an even more pressing problem.
03:47When I was at the scene,
03:48I was liaising with the forensic pathologist on the phone
03:52and he emphasised the urgency of refrigerating the body.
03:57Because of the warm climate at that time
04:00and the body had been submerged in the water,
04:03there was a fear that decomposition would be accelerated.
04:08If that was the case,
04:08that could destroy any potential forensic evidence that we could recover.
04:13The suitcase had to be refrigerated quickly
04:22or any hope of a useful post-mortem would be lost.
04:27The police also scanned the suitcase
04:30to see if there was anything else of interest inside.
04:33It contained paving slabs, sections of broken paving slabs.
04:43So, it was pretty clear that this man had been killed and dismembered
04:47and someone wanted the evidence of his murder to disappear,
04:51hence the paving slabs.
04:53Beyond that, the investigation began
04:54without anything approaching critical evidence.
04:57What had happened to this man?
04:59Where had he been killed?
05:01How long had he been dead?
05:02And, most importantly,
05:04who was he?
05:06Because without an identification,
05:08the investigation had stalled
05:09before it had even begun.
05:16From my point of view,
05:17the most important thing initially
05:18was to identify whose body
05:21we were actually dealing with
05:23and from that,
05:24the investigation doesn't become easy necessarily,
05:26but you have a much firmer starting point
05:29because you have a name of somebody
05:31that you can go away and investigate
05:33and you can look into their background,
05:35you can see what we know about them
05:37from police systems,
05:39we can go to the last place
05:41that they were known to live
05:42and start making enquiries.
05:43So, once you get an identity of someone,
05:46it certainly becomes a lot easier.
05:52A DNA sample from the torso
05:53was sent for analysis.
05:56As they waited for a result,
05:59detectives Harrison and Lise
06:00were confronted with a mystery.
06:03Why had a suitcase,
06:04weighed down with paving slabs,
06:07floated along a canal?
06:09Why hadn't it just sunk to the bottom?
06:12Forensic hydrologist Carolyn Roberts
06:14studies the movements of bodies in water.
06:17Human body parts, when they decay,
06:21something like an arm or a leg
06:24just decays and releases gas.
06:26But a torso, a chest and a thorax
06:29is an enclosed void, if you like,
06:33and can fill up with methane
06:34from the decomposition products.
06:37And that methane can't escape.
06:38It's like blowing up a balloon, basically.
06:40And so that part of the body
06:42will eventually float,
06:43assuming it has no perforations in it.
06:49The suitcase contained the chest
06:51and abdomen of the person
06:54who had been murdered.
06:55Decay had set in
06:56and the chest cavity had filled with gas.
06:58So, rendering the suitcase buoyant,
07:01it had floated up to the surface
07:03of the canal
07:03and then moved along
07:04with the flowing water,
07:05occasionally being blown
07:08from one side of the canal
07:10to the other
07:10by the prevailing wind at the time.
07:15But this explanation
07:17raised more questions.
07:19How long had the suitcase
07:20been floating down the canal?
07:22And where had it come from?
07:25That suitcase could have come
07:27from anywhere up north
07:28and flowed down.
07:30I had to consider
07:31whether I'm looking nationally
07:32or locally
07:33at that first instance.
07:35We're dealing with
07:36the mainline canal
07:37from Smethwick to Birmingham,
07:39which contains
07:40a huge volume of water.
07:41We took some advice
07:42very early on
07:43from someone
07:43at the Canal and Waterways Trust
07:46who advised
07:47a likely point
07:48for something
07:49to be put in the canal
07:50was in the Smethwick area
07:52around Pope's Bridge.
07:57I had some officers
07:59attend Pope's Bridge
08:00just to survey the area.
08:01on the footpath.
08:04On the footpath
08:05they saw what could be described
08:07as drag marks
08:08along the footpath
08:09to the water's edge
08:10underneath the bridge
08:11and the pattern
08:13of the drag marks
08:14are consistent
08:15with the wheels
08:17on the base
08:18of a suitcase.
08:20Police divers
08:21were dispatched
08:22to search the area
08:23around Pope Bridge
08:24two miles from where
08:25the suitcase was found.
08:26within a short time
08:29much to my surprise
08:31they found
08:32a second suitcase.
08:36It was submerged
08:38trapped in
08:39a section of reeds
08:40near Pope's Bridge.
08:46It was a very gruesome
08:47jigsaw puzzle.
08:48There were three days
08:49between finding
08:50the torso
08:51and finding
08:51the second suitcase
08:53that contained
08:54his limbs
08:55and his head
08:56and obviously
08:58at that point
08:59one of the first things
09:00from a pathologist's
09:03point of view
09:03is he needs to be sure
09:05that we have
09:06all of the body parts.
09:08Is there anything
09:09that we are
09:10we are still
09:11still missing?
09:15The second suitcase
09:16was also weighed down
09:18with paving stones
09:19and inside
09:20were a head
09:21and limbs
09:22all of which
09:23were missing
09:23from the first suitcase.
09:27Because these body parts
09:28didn't have the cavities
09:29of a chest
09:30or thorax
09:31they didn't fill
09:32with methane
09:33and so sank
09:33to the bottom
09:34and stayed there.
09:42Carolyn Roberts
09:43was able
09:43to recreate
09:44the likely journeys
09:45of both suitcases.
09:47The most likely scenario
09:53is the first one
09:54entered the water
09:55on around about
09:56the 27th of April
09:57it took 7 to 10 days
09:59to putrefy
10:01for gas to be generated
10:02and to start to float
10:03that's consistent
10:04with warm water
10:05popped up
10:06by the lock gates
10:07was seen by the lock gates
10:09on the 5th of May
10:10and floated down river
10:11for a further
10:12week or so
10:14and it was recovered
10:14on the 12th of May.
10:16I think that second one
10:17probably sank
10:18slightly more slowly
10:19it moved a few metres
10:22down the canal
10:23before coming to rest
10:24on the side of the canal.
10:31The police now
10:33had a likely date
10:33for the dumping
10:34and possibly
10:35the murder itself
10:36and most important of all
10:39they'd found the rest
10:40of their murder victim.
10:41But they still
10:43had no idea
10:45who he was.
10:47Bodies are often
10:47dumped in haste
10:48people tend to think
10:50that they will
10:51disappear forever
10:51and in fact
10:52that's not the case
10:53the bodies reappear
10:55at some point
10:55and so the water
10:57is not a passive
10:58recipient
10:59it tells its own story.
11:09May 2014
11:10Detectives in Birmingham
11:16have discovered
11:16two suitcases
11:17in one of the city's
11:18canals
11:18which they believe
11:20had been dumped
11:20from Pope Bridge.
11:24Inside
11:24were the dismembered
11:25remains of an unknown man.
11:30As well as human remains
11:32each suitcase
11:33contained broken
11:34paving slabs
11:35flecked with red paint.
11:37When we pulled
11:39both suitcases
11:40out of the canal
11:41there were
11:42bits of concrete
11:43and bits of brick
11:44that had obviously
11:45been used
11:45to weight the suitcase
11:46down
11:47clearly with the aim
11:48that they would
11:49sink to the bottom
11:50of the canal
11:51and never be found again.
11:59Next to Pope Bridge
12:00police found
12:01a collection of tools
12:02the kind used
12:03by home decorators.
12:04Harry Harrison
12:07asked his underwater
12:08search team
12:08to keep looking.
12:11The most important
12:12item they found
12:13was a Stanley
12:14handsaw.
12:16By that point
12:17following the initial
12:18post-mortem
12:19we knew the victims
12:20had been dismembered
12:21and we were trying
12:22to identify
12:23what tools
12:24could have been used
12:25to do that.
12:25but what was even
12:30more interesting
12:31was what they
12:32hadn't found.
12:34There was a piece
12:35of the body
12:36missing.
12:38It was a result
12:39of the second
12:40post-mortem
12:41it was identified
12:42there was a small
12:43section of shoulder
12:44bone
12:45that was missing
12:46and at that point
12:48we didn't have a clue
12:49where that was.
12:50if that part
12:52of his body
12:53isn't with the rest
12:53of it
12:54then where is it
12:55and what is that
12:55potentially tell us
12:56about the circumstances
12:58surrounding what's
12:59gone on.
13:05So the killer
13:07had tried to get
13:07rid of the remains
13:08but if this
13:10shoulder bone
13:10could be found
13:11it could be
13:12critical evidence
13:13confirming the scene
13:14of the crime.
13:16Ultimately
13:16the biggest source
13:17of leads
13:18in an investigation
13:19like this
13:20is the victim
13:21himself.
13:22Well we took
13:23a sample
13:24of body tissue
13:25and that got
13:26analysed
13:27and sent
13:27to the database
13:28and I think
13:29it was within
13:3024 hours
13:31we had a
13:32name come back.
13:35The victim
13:36was 39 year old
13:38painter and decorator
13:39Michael Spaulding
13:40and now they knew
13:42who their victim
13:43was
13:43the police could
13:44delve into his
13:45world.
13:46Once we found
13:47out that it
13:49it was Michael
13:49Spaulding's body
13:50that was in
13:51the suitcase
13:52that launches
13:53hundreds of lines
13:55of inquiry
13:55solely centred
13:57around him
13:59who is he
13:59where does he
14:01live
14:01where does he
14:02frequent
14:02who does he
14:03hang round with
14:04does he have a
14:04girlfriend
14:05what's his phone
14:06number
14:06all of those
14:07things that we
14:08can then use
14:08to explore
14:11further lines
14:11of inquiry
14:12that will
14:12hopefully
14:13lead to a
14:14greater understanding
14:15of what's
14:16actually happened.
14:19when we looked
14:23at Michael's
14:24Facebook account
14:25we saw that
14:25there were a
14:26number of
14:26messages
14:27from a girl
14:28who we
14:29assumed was
14:30his girlfriend
14:31or certainly
14:31a very close
14:32friend
14:32and she had
14:33posted a
14:33number of
14:34times
14:34messages to
14:35Michael
14:36asking her
14:36to get in
14:37touch
14:37and saying
14:38that she
14:38was worried
14:39about him
14:39hadn't heard
14:40from him
14:40for quite a
14:41while.
14:41Michael's
14:47girlfriend
14:47had last
14:47seen him
14:48on April
14:48the 25th
14:49no one
14:50had seen
14:51him since.
14:54From
14:55studies of
14:55water movement
14:56in the
14:56canal
14:57police believe
14:58Michael's
14:58body was
14:59dumped
14:59from
14:59Pope
14:59Bridge
15:00approximately
15:00two days
15:01later
15:01around
15:02the 27th
15:03of April.
15:04As well
15:08as focusing
15:08the investigation
15:09around these
15:10dates
15:10the girlfriend's
15:12information
15:12helped police
15:13build a picture
15:13of Michael's
15:14last few
15:15months.
15:17She was able
15:18to certainly
15:20fill in a lot
15:20of the big
15:22gaps that we
15:22had about
15:23where had
15:24Michael been
15:25living beforehand
15:25who had he
15:27been living
15:27with and
15:28what had
15:28been going
15:29on in his
15:29life.
15:34Michael had
15:35been redecorating
15:36the house
15:36where he
15:36was living
15:37in return
15:38for board
15:39for himself
15:39and his
15:39girlfriend.
15:41He was
15:41looking to
15:42start up
15:43a business
15:44painting and
15:45decorating
15:46and doing
15:47the decoration
15:48in that
15:48house in
15:50exchange for
15:50his rent
15:52was part
15:53of that
15:53process that
15:53he was
15:54going through
15:54to try
15:55to get
15:55back on
15:56his feet
15:56and start
15:57building a
15:58life for
15:58himself
15:58and his
15:59girlfriend.
16:01Michael's
16:01housemates
16:02were Lorenzo
16:02Simon and
16:03his girlfriend
16:04Michelle
16:04Bart.
16:06Lorenzo
16:06Simon was
16:07someone that
16:07was known
16:08to the
16:08police for
16:09some quite
16:11serious
16:11offenses
16:11and again
16:13like Michael
16:13he'd moved
16:15around the
16:16Birmingham area
16:17quite a bit
16:18lived in a
16:19number of
16:19different
16:19locations.
16:23According
16:24to Michael's
16:24girlfriend
16:24relations
16:25between the
16:25couples
16:26had broken
16:27down.
16:29As tension
16:30mounted
16:30she had left
16:31the house
16:31to stay
16:32with her
16:32grandmother.
16:34Michael
16:35remained
16:35but his
16:36relationship
16:36with Lorenzo
16:37Simon
16:37became
16:38poisonous.
16:40The police
16:41began to
16:41ask questions
16:42of the
16:43neighbours.
16:43we did
16:47comprehensive
16:48house to
16:48house along
16:49Oxford Road
16:50evidence came
16:52to light of
16:53people hearing
16:54shouting in
16:55the address
16:56male voices
16:57and then
16:59there was
17:00evidence of
17:01Lorenzo
17:02Simon being
17:03intimidating to
17:04Michael in the
17:05street.
17:05It seemed
17:08Lorenzo
17:08Simon was a
17:09hard task
17:10master.
17:11He certainly
17:12appeared to
17:13be working
17:14extremely long
17:15hours often
17:15through the
17:16night and
17:17then waking
17:17up very
17:19early the
17:20next morning
17:20at the
17:21behest of
17:22Lorenzo
17:22Simon and
17:23Michelle Bird
17:25and from
17:27what we know
17:27that certainly
17:28started to
17:29take its
17:29toll on
17:30Michael
17:32and he
17:33started to
17:34get fed up
17:35to say the
17:36least with
17:37the way he
17:38was being
17:38treated.
17:41The more
17:41they looked
17:42into the
17:42property in
17:42Oxford Road
17:43the more
17:44interested the
17:45police became
17:45in the
17:45house and
17:47its
17:47residence.
17:50When we
17:51identified the
17:52location you
17:53could see the
17:54exterior of that
17:55house was
17:55painted in
17:56red paint.
17:57I was present
17:58when the first
17:59suitcase was
18:00recovered and
18:02it was
18:03identified there
18:03was red paint
18:05on that
18:05suitcase.
18:07So it
18:07showed to me
18:08that at some
18:10point certainly
18:11the paving slabs
18:12may have
18:13originated from
18:14the premises
18:14and also the
18:17suitcases must
18:18have come from
18:18the premises.
18:22The police
18:22needed to find
18:23more critical
18:24evidence so
18:24they kept
18:25searching.
18:26The house
18:27was crucial to
18:28our investigation.
18:29The answers
18:30to all the
18:30questions that
18:31I needed
18:31answering lay
18:32in the premises.
18:34So far the
18:35police had
18:35lots of
18:36information that
18:36all pointed
18:37towards something
18:38happening at
18:39the property
18:39Michael shared
18:40with Lorenzo
18:40Simon and
18:41his girlfriend.
18:43There were
18:43the arguments
18:44in the streets
18:44there was red
18:45paint at the
18:46house and on
18:47the paving slabs
18:48and there were
18:48the tools found
18:49near where the
18:50body was dumped.
18:51But the police
18:52needed critical
18:52evidence to prove
18:53that Lorenzo
18:54Simon had murdered
18:55Michael and to
18:56get that they
18:57needed to have
18:58an official
18:58chat.
19:01By the 19th
19:02May, one week
19:03after the discovery
19:04of the first
19:04suitcase, the
19:06police arrested
19:06Lorenzo Simon and
19:07Michelle Byrd on
19:09suspicion of murder.
19:12In order to gather
19:13as much evidence
19:13as possible, they
19:14decided to film
19:15their suspects.
19:18Obviously after
19:19anybody is arrested
19:20they are cautioned
19:21and from that point
19:22onwards anything
19:23that they say
19:24can potentially
19:25be used
19:25in court
19:27as evidence
19:27by videoing it
19:29we have
19:30a completely
19:32objective and
19:33impartial record
19:34of what was
19:35or wasn't said
19:35and en route
19:37back to the
19:38police station
19:38whilst Lorenzo
19:39was being filmed
19:41he, completely
19:42unsolicited, said
19:43that he knew
19:44who Michael
19:46Spalding was
19:46that he was
19:47a friend of his
19:48and that he
19:49had kicked him
19:49out of his
19:50address.
19:51It was certainly
19:51confirmation for us
19:52that he knew
19:53exactly why
19:54we had kicked
19:56his door down
19:56at six o'clock
19:57in the morning.
20:15Lorenzo, can I
20:16just remind you
20:17that you're
20:17under caution
20:18and everything
20:18you say
20:19and record
20:20about time.
20:22Lorenzo Simon's
20:32claim of innocence
20:33by stating
20:34Michael had been
20:35alive and well
20:35when he'd last
20:36seen him
20:36was made
20:38under caution.
20:40This could be
20:41important should
20:41that story change
20:42later.
20:44And with Lorenzo
20:45Simon under arrest
20:46the house in
20:47Oxford Road
20:47could finally
20:48be searched.
20:49police suspected
20:53Michael Spalding
20:53had not left
20:54the property
20:54alive as
20:55Simon had
20:56claimed.
20:58And if a body
20:59had been
20:59dismembered here
21:00surely there'd
21:01be plenty
21:01of blood.
21:04We expected
21:05as an investigation
21:06team to find
21:07a reasonable
21:08amount of blood
21:09that may point
21:10to where
21:12Michael had been
21:13dismembered.
21:13the reality
21:14was the only
21:15blood of
21:16Michael's
21:16in the
21:17address that
21:17we found
21:18was on
21:18the living
21:19room wall
21:20and the
21:21kitchen door
21:21in the
21:22living room
21:22and we're
21:23talking about
21:24five or six
21:25minute blood
21:27droplets.
21:28There weren't
21:29enough blood
21:30droplets to do
21:31any meaningful
21:32analysis.
21:35Jennifer
21:35Guess is a
21:36forensic scientist
21:37and a blood
21:38stain pattern
21:38analyst.
21:39Officers
21:40sometimes have
21:41an expectation
21:42of a huge
21:43bloodbath
21:43and they're
21:44surprised when
21:44they don't find
21:45that but it's
21:45not necessarily
21:46surprising because
21:47it depends what
21:48that person was
21:48doing once they
21:49were bleeding.
21:50If they're killed
21:52and then they
21:52straight away
21:53collapse there
21:54isn't going to
21:55be a huge amount
21:56of blood cast
21:57around or spread
21:58around in a
21:59scene and it
22:01could be fairly
22:01straightforward
22:02to clean up.
22:02If a person's
22:09already dead
22:10when they're
22:10being cut up
22:11the heart
22:12stops beating
22:12so there's
22:13no force
22:14pushing the
22:14blood around
22:15the body.
22:16So the blood
22:16is literally
22:16just pooling
22:17in the body
22:17so once it's
22:19cut the blood
22:19will leak
22:20out of the
22:21body but it
22:21won't come
22:21out with any
22:22force, it
22:22won't be
22:22spread around
22:23so it won't
22:25necessarily be
22:26all that
22:27messy.
22:30With no
22:31critical evidence
22:32inside the
22:32house,
22:32the police
22:33turned to
22:34the backyard.
22:36They quickly
22:37became interested
22:38in the paving
22:38slabs which
22:39littered the
22:40garden.
22:43So what the
22:43forensic scientists
22:45did was they
22:45took the pieces
22:46of concrete
22:48from the
22:48suitcases and
22:49started going
22:50through one by
22:51one trying to
22:52match them up.
22:54There were
22:54four or five
22:55examples that
22:56we found
22:57fitted together
22:58exactly.
23:01Even to the
23:02extent on
23:02some of them
23:03where splashes
23:04of paint
23:04crossed where
23:06the break
23:06was.
23:08So police
23:09could prove
23:10that the
23:10slabs in the
23:11suitcases came
23:12from the
23:12backyard.
23:15This was the
23:16first piece of
23:16really critical
23:17evidence.
23:18The one thing
23:19that connected
23:20the house on
23:20Oxford Road
23:21to the
23:22suitcases in
23:22the canal.
23:23Michael
23:24had been killed
23:30here.
23:30There was no
23:33sign of the
23:34missing shoulder
23:34joint or any
23:35blood-stained
23:36carpet or
23:36clothes, but
23:38there was
23:39evidence of a
23:40recent fire in
23:41an oil drum.
23:42In the
23:43back garden,
23:44there was this
23:4440-gallon oil
23:46drum that had
23:46clearly been used
23:47by Lorenzo,
23:48Simon and
23:49Michelle Byrd as
23:50an incinerator.
23:51And obviously
23:52inside of that,
23:53on the top
23:54layer were bits
23:55of carpet and
23:56bits of general
23:57household rubbish.
23:58We employed the
23:59assistance of a
24:00forensic archaeologist
24:01to assist our
24:02forensic scientists
24:03in taking that
24:05oil drum apart
24:06layer by layer.
24:08Because once they
24:09started looking
24:10into it, there
24:11had clearly been a
24:12number of different
24:13occasions which
24:14things had been
24:14burnt in that
24:16incinerator.
24:18I insisted that
24:19we needed to
24:20examine the
24:21contents of the
24:22oil drum.
24:23We did a
24:24forensic excavation
24:26of that drum
24:27with a forensic
24:28anthropologist.
24:30At the third
24:30layer of the drum
24:31towards the top,
24:32the forensic
24:33anthropologist
24:34recovered a
24:35charred mass.
24:37The forensic
24:39anthropologist
24:39suspected there
24:40was something,
24:41possibly a human
24:42bone, hidden
24:43inside this
24:44mysterious charred
24:45lump.
24:46Whatever it
24:47was, it was
24:48badly damaged
24:49and could be
24:50destroyed by
24:51conventional
24:51examination
24:52procedures.
24:54But D.I.
24:55Harrison hoped
24:55that this strange
24:56lump of charcoal
24:57might contain
24:58critical evidence
24:59linking Michael's
25:00death to the
25:01property.
25:02And the only way
25:03to find out what
25:04was inside was
25:05to use technology
25:06never used before
25:07in a British
25:08murder investigation.
25:09It was crucial to
25:12me that we
25:12didn't spoil the
25:13integrity of that
25:15piece of evidence.
25:17police in Birmingham
25:34had been confronted
25:35with a gruesome
25:36discovery, a dismembered
25:40body disposed of in two
25:42separate suitcases.
25:43within a week, they
25:46identified the victim,
25:4839-year-old Michael
25:49Spalding, and arrested
25:52his housemates, Lorenzo
25:53Simon and Michelle
25:54Byrd, on suspicion of
25:56his murder.
25:56At this stage, the
26:03evidence against
26:04Simon and Byrd
26:05centred around the
26:05paving slabs that
26:06were intended, police
26:07believe, to weigh down
26:09the suitcases.
26:10These matched slabs
26:11found in the backyard
26:12of the couple's house
26:13at Oxford Road.
26:15But the police had
26:16found no compelling
26:17forensic evidence that
26:18could paint a picture
26:19of how the couple
26:20were involved in
26:20Michael's murder
26:21and dismemberment.
26:24They had, however,
26:25found something else.
26:26A badly burned lump
26:28of charcoal.
26:35This lump had been
26:36found in an oil drum
26:37in Lorenzo Simon's
26:38backyard.
26:40It had been badly
26:41burnt, but appeared
26:42to conceal something,
26:43possibly a human bone.
26:47But the police
26:48couldn't hope to get
26:49a match if they
26:49damaged or contaminated
26:50what was inside.
26:52So they turned to
26:53Professor Mark Williams
26:54at Warwick University.
26:56We got a phone call
26:58one morning saying
26:59that he recovered
27:00what's best described
27:02as a piece of charcoal
27:03from a crime scene
27:04and would we mind
27:05scanning it over
27:06at the University of Warwick.
27:07So they then
27:08transported the sample
27:09over to us.
27:10This was the first time
27:11we'd been involved
27:12in a case like this,
27:13so we were very,
27:13very apprehensive
27:15and really excited
27:16about being able
27:17to work on a real,
27:18real piece of evidence
27:19and really support
27:21the investigative process.
27:24Mark Williams
27:25and his colleagues
27:26use powerful scanning
27:27and digital imaging
27:28technology which can
27:29reveal objects
27:30in minute detail.
27:33These machines are
27:34called micro-CT scanners.
27:37So a hospital scanner
27:38can pick up details
27:39of 0.6 of a millimetre
27:41or 600 microns.
27:42These scanners
27:43can pick up thousands
27:44of millimetres
27:44or even millions
27:45of millimetres
27:46so we can see
27:47minute fractures
27:48or details
27:49that were very useful
27:50to investigations
27:51but would be otherwise
27:52missed either by the pathologist
27:53or using conventional
27:55hospital scanners.
27:57The scanners
27:58could produce
27:59a perfect replica
28:00without contaminating
28:01the evidence.
28:03The output
28:03from a micro-CT scan
28:04is a three-dimensional
28:05X-ray
28:06and we can either use
28:07that to create
28:08three-dimensional
28:09graphical representations
28:10or then output
28:11into a 3D printer
28:12and 3D print
28:13exact replica models
28:14This is technology
28:17normally used
28:18in industrial production.
28:20Because there was
28:21no need to physically
28:22touch the damaged lump
28:23the police hoped
28:25Williams and his team
28:25could effectively rescue
28:27this potentially critical
28:28piece of evidence.
28:32The sample arrives
28:34in a sealed
28:35plastic container
28:35because obviously
28:36being X-rays
28:37we don't have to
28:37physically handle
28:38any of the samples
28:39so we mount
28:40the plastic container
28:41containing the piece
28:42of evidence
28:43into the scanner
28:43we then scan
28:44press go on the scanner
28:46effectively
28:46and then overnight
28:47we capture all the detail
28:48then the next day
28:49we can reconstruct
28:50the digital models
28:51and we can see
28:52exactly what's inside
28:53and produce the evidence
28:54of use to the investigation.
28:59After we've completed
29:00the scans
29:00we looked at the results
29:02the next day
29:03and we were
29:03quite shocked
29:04to see that
29:05there were definitely
29:06human remains
29:08in the sample.
29:09Mark and his team
29:11had confirmed
29:12that a humerus
29:13a shoulder bone
29:14was hidden
29:15deep in the charcoal
29:16a humerus
29:18had been the only bone
29:19missing from the remains
29:20found in the suitcases
29:21The next question was
29:24did it belong to Michael?
29:28After we'd scanned
29:29the humerus
29:31that was contained
29:32in the charcoal
29:33we then subsequently
29:35scanned the remains
29:36in the suitcases
29:37and then that's where
29:38we could do the match
29:39and actually prove
29:40that they were
29:41from the same person
29:42actually physically
29:43fitted together.
29:44For Harry Harrison
29:48it was a significant
29:49moment in the investigation
29:50as well
29:52as an emotional one.
29:56I was aware
29:57of moral pressure
29:58trying to satisfy
29:59the family
30:00of trying to find
30:00the rest of Michael
30:01I'd resolved that
30:03I'd got him all back.
30:06It was a professional high
30:07I'd fulfilled
30:09an obligation
30:10to the family
30:11that would be covered
30:12all of Michael's remains.
30:20As well as confirming
30:22the humerus was Michael's
30:23Warwick University's
30:24scanners were able
30:25to piece together
30:26the horrific dismemberment
30:27of Michael's body.
30:31Upon close examination
30:32of the 3D printed model
30:34and the digital models
30:35we created
30:36you could see
30:36on the one piece
30:37that we had covered
30:38a wide range
30:39of distinctive tool marks
30:40that we could detect.
30:42from the large groove
30:44at the top of the bone
30:45to the minute
30:46minor scratches
30:48at the site
30:49of the dismemberment.
30:51Forensic specialists
30:52were able to compare
30:53these marks
30:53with tools found
30:54near Pope Bridge.
30:56Police believed
30:57these tools
30:57belonged to Michael
30:58and he was using them
30:59to renovate the property
31:00in Oxford Road.
31:02It was obvious
31:03from examination
31:04of the 3D printing model
31:05that a range
31:07of different tools
31:08were used
31:08in the dismemberment process.
31:10We could then match
31:12the physical geometry
31:13of those tools
31:15with the minute scratches
31:16or marks
31:17on the surface
31:17of the bones
31:18to carry out
31:18the dismemberment.
31:20One of the tools
31:21found by the bridge
31:22was a hand saw.
31:25Certainly in terms
31:26of the saw
31:27we had some
31:27very positive results.
31:29That was
31:29one of the implements
31:31that was used
31:31to dismember Michael's body.
31:34I don't think
31:34he could go as far
31:35as far as saying
31:35it's definitely
31:35that saw
31:36in the absence
31:37of any DNA evidence
31:39or any bone fragments
31:40on it
31:40but certainly
31:41a saw of that
31:43same type
31:44was used
31:45to at least
31:46partially dismember
31:47Michael's body.
31:51These were grim discoveries
31:53suggesting Michael
31:55had been dismembered
31:56using his own tools.
31:58But in terms
31:59of building up
31:59the evidence
32:00in this case
32:00Mark Williams'
32:01scanner
32:02had proved
32:02invaluable.
32:03Identifying the humorous
32:06proved Michael's remains
32:07had been in the
32:08backyard oil burner
32:09and it did
32:11something else.
32:13It proved
32:14that Lorenzo Simon
32:15had lied to the police.
32:17The disclosure
32:19by Lorenzo Simon
32:21in the car
32:22was a vital
32:24piece of evidence
32:25for us
32:25because in effect
32:27he was saying
32:28he was alive
32:29when he threw him
32:30out of the address.
32:32That was a provable
32:33lie.
32:38The dots
32:52were being joined.
32:54The police
32:54were now certain
32:55that Michael's body
32:56had been dismembered
32:57in Oxford Road
32:57probably using
32:59his own tools.
33:00They were now convinced
33:01the paving stones
33:02used to weigh down
33:03the suitcases
33:03were originally
33:04from Oxford Road
33:05and they now knew
33:07Lorenzo Simon
33:07had lied
33:08about his final
33:09encounter with Michael.
33:11All the evidence
33:12pointed to Oxford Road
33:13and Lorenzo Simon
33:14but that evidence
33:15was still circumstantial.
33:19Circumstantial evidence
33:20is essentially
33:21what we've been
33:22dealing with
33:22in this case.
33:23it is a number
33:25of different bits
33:26of evidence
33:27that on their own
33:27don't really mean
33:30anything
33:31in terms of
33:32working out
33:33what has happened
33:33and it's not
33:34until you piece
33:34them all together
33:35like a jigsaw
33:37that they make sense.
33:41The police
33:42needed something else
33:43to corroborate
33:43what they already had
33:45something that could
33:47complete the circle
33:48between Oxford Road
33:49Pope Bridge
33:50and the suitcases
33:51found in the canal
33:52something shocking
33:54and decisive.
33:56We had
33:57a key
33:59indisputable
34:01piece of evidence
34:02that we could build
34:03everything else
34:04around
34:05that clearly put
34:06Lorenzo Simon
34:07and Michelle Byrd
34:08at the centre
34:09of what had gone on.
34:15Police in Birmingham
34:22used advanced
34:23digital technologies
34:24to confirm
34:24a charred lump
34:25was a shoulder bone
34:27belonging to
34:2739-year-old
34:28Michael Spaulding.
34:30This bone was found
34:32in the backyard
34:32at Oxford Road
34:33where Michael lived
34:34with Lorenzo Simon.
34:36After their arrest
34:38police made sure
34:39that anything
34:39Lorenzo Simon
34:40or his girlfriend
34:41Michelle Byrd said
34:42was caught on tape.
34:45And the reason
34:46for that was
34:47was to capture
34:48any unsolicited
34:49comments
34:49that either one
34:50would make
34:52which we could
34:53possibly use
34:54in an interview
34:55as incriminating
34:57evidence.
34:58Shortly after
34:59Lorenzo Simon
35:00was placed in the car
35:01he came out
35:02with a real
35:03crucial point
35:04of disclosure
35:05where he said
35:06that Michael
35:07was his friend
35:08and he threw
35:09him out the address.
35:11So clearly
35:12that was significant
35:15to the investigation.
35:19Police believe
35:20this to be significant
35:21because it was a lie.
35:23The shoulder bone
35:24found in the backyard
35:25suggested Michael
35:26had not left
35:26the house alive.
35:29And soon
35:30a final piece
35:31of critical evidence
35:32emerged.
35:34In any murder
35:35investigation
35:35CCTV
35:36is a major line
35:38of inquiry
35:38at the scene
35:40of a crime
35:40a suspected
35:41scene of a crime
35:42or to identify
35:44movements
35:45of a victim
35:47or a suspect.
35:50The police knew
35:51Michael had spoken
35:52to his girlfriend
35:53on the 25th of April.
35:56Their analysis
35:57of the water flow
35:57in the canal
35:58suggested his remains
35:59were dumped
36:00near Polk Bridge
36:00around the 27th of April.
36:02This allowed them
36:04to do a sweep
36:04for CCTV footage
36:06in the area
36:07over this
36:0772-hour period.
36:10On the night
36:11of the 26th
36:12of April
36:13the day
36:14we say
36:15that Michael
36:16was killed
36:16we captured
36:18an image
36:19late at night
36:20of Lorenzo Simon
36:21and Michelle Bird
36:22wheeling
36:24two suitcases
36:25out of their address
36:26down towards
36:27Pope's Bridge.
36:32From my point of view
36:41it was also
36:42confirmation
36:42that we were now
36:43on very sound footing
36:45from a prosecution
36:46point of view
36:47we had
36:48a key
36:49indisputable
36:51piece of evidence
36:52that we could build
36:53everything else
36:54around
36:55that clearly put
36:57Lorenzo Simon
36:58and Michelle Bird
36:59at the centre
36:59of what had gone on.
37:02As soon as
37:03that footage
37:05became known
37:06to them
37:06they changed
37:08their accounts
37:09fairly quickly.
37:11Immediately after
37:12his arrest
37:13Lorenzo had claimed
37:14Michael had left
37:15Oxford Road
37:16unharmed.
37:18Now
37:18confronted with
37:19all the evidence
37:20including the CCTV
37:21I think it was
37:24a fair assumption
37:25that there had been
37:26some kind of
37:26argument go on
37:28that night.
37:29Unfortunately
37:29it's very hard
37:30when something
37:31is contained
37:32within
37:32the four walls
37:34of an address
37:35you've got
37:35no witnesses
37:36and very
37:37very little
37:37forensic evidence
37:38to point you
37:39down a certain
37:41path
37:42as to what
37:43has happened.
37:44The police
37:45believe Lorenzo Simon
37:46killed Michael
37:47after an argument
37:48on the 26th of April.
37:50He dismembered
37:51the body
37:52using Michael's
37:52own tools
37:53and then
37:55he and Michelle Bird
37:56dumped Michael's
37:57remains in the canal
37:58weighed down
37:59by slabs collected
38:00from their own
38:01backyard.
38:03The evidence
38:04that we gathered
38:05I believe
38:07we were able
38:08to put together
38:09a chronology
38:10of events
38:11that showed
38:12when Michael
38:14was killed
38:14who was responsible
38:17for killing him
38:18and disposal
38:20of the body.
38:21It's very much
38:22our job
38:23as an investigation
38:23team
38:24to put forward
38:25a viable story
38:27that allows
38:28the victim's voice
38:29to be heard
38:30as much as it can be
38:31because obviously
38:32in this case
38:32Michael couldn't
38:33speak for himself
38:33so we had to
38:35draw together
38:36as many different
38:37strands of evidence
38:38as we could
38:39to tell that story
38:41for him.
38:42The jury believed
38:43the narrative
38:44presented by the police
38:45and rejected
38:46Simon's new insistence
38:47that he had killed
38:48Michael in self-defense.
38:49I think it's quite clear
38:52from Lorenzo Simon's
38:54actions
38:54after the fatal
38:57altercation
38:57in whatever form
38:59that took
38:59his actions
39:01go to show
39:02that it wasn't
39:03self-defense.
39:05Dismembering
39:06Michael after
39:07that event
39:08and then
39:08disposing of his body
39:10in the canal
39:10go to show
39:12that this wasn't
39:13an accident
39:13and it was
39:14a deliberate attempt
39:15to conceal
39:17Michael's murder.
39:19Lorenzo Simon
39:22was convicted
39:23of murder
39:23and jailed
39:24for life.
39:26Michelle Byrd
39:26pled guilty
39:27to assisting
39:28an offender
39:28and was sentenced
39:29to two and a half
39:30years in prison.
39:32But despite
39:32all the evidence
39:33they had gathered
39:34one mystery
39:35remained.
39:37How exactly
39:38had Michael
39:39been killed?
39:41The cause of death
39:42unfortunately
39:42in this case
39:43is still unknown
39:44because there's
39:45certainly nothing
39:45on Michael's body
39:46that would indicate
39:48any form of
39:49injury that would
39:50have led to
39:52his death.
39:53He had some
39:54bruising
39:54and some
39:55minor grazes
39:57and cuts
39:59on his body
39:59but certainly
40:00nothing that would
40:00have brought
40:01about his death.
40:04So from that
40:05we can only
40:07assume that
40:08however he had
40:09been killed
40:10the evidence
40:11of that had
40:11been destroyed
40:12by the brutal
40:14and very chaotic
40:15way that
40:16Lorenzo Simon
40:17had decapitated
40:19Michael.
40:21The violence
40:22of the dismemberment
40:23of the body
40:24hid forever
40:25the exact cause
40:25of death
40:26which means
40:29only Lorenzo Simon
40:30knows for sure
40:31how Michael died.
40:33this case
40:37is a great example
40:38of the art
40:38of evidence
40:39gathering
40:39using advanced
40:41digital scanning
40:42to piece together
40:43a dismembered corpse
40:44analysing the flow
40:46of water in a canal
40:47to help establish
40:47time of death
40:48creating a tragic
40:50narrative
40:50which led
40:51from the door
40:52of Oxford Road
40:53to the canal
40:54system of Birmingham.
40:56When he dumped
40:57Michael
40:57in the water
40:58that dreadful night
41:00Lorenzo Simon
41:01must have thought
41:02that that's the last
41:02he would ever hear
41:03of him
41:04but the evidence
41:05as it usually does
41:07caught up with him.
41:10We were left
41:11with the task
41:11of building a jigsaw
41:12to ensure
41:14that the story
41:15was put across
41:16in a way
41:16that left the jury
41:18no doubt
41:18that what we were saying
41:21was in fact the case
41:23and that Lorenzo Simon
41:24had killed
41:25and dismembered
41:26Michael.
41:28I went to the trial
41:29I was satisfied
41:31that they were
41:32both convicted
41:32it was a professional
41:35accomplishment
41:36that they were brought
41:37to justice
41:38and I was pleased
41:41with the family
41:41we were able
41:42to bring the offenders
41:44to justice
41:45and provide them
41:45with some closure.
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