Episode 45: The Disappearance of Sian O'Callaghan

Sian O’Callaghan was a beautiful and vivacious woman living in Swindon, England with her boyfriend Kevin. When Sian failed to come home one evening after a night out on the town with friends, Kevin reported her missing to the Wiltshire Police. An investigation immediately ensued to find the missing woman. It didn’t take long for investigators to find a suspect with the help of CCTV footage around the Swindon area. Under the impression Sian was still alive, this suspect was put under police surveillance with hopes of leading police to where Sian was. With time running out, the suspect was arrested and interviewed for information, instead of being taken to the police station. This suspect led detectives to the area where he had left Sian…and provided a bombshell statement which led to the discovery of another victim. These confessions were ultimately ruled as inadmissible when it came time to go to trial. This tragic case reminds us all to keep an eye on our friends and sometimes what’s moral, isn’t always lawful. 

 

Sources:

“Taxi driver jailed for Sian O'Callaghan murder” by Steven Morris on The Guardian on October 19, 2012 (https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/oct/19/taxi-driver-jailed-sian-ocallaghan)

“Hunt in Field for Second Body After Tip from Suspect” by Caroline Gammell and Mark Hughes in The Daily Telegraph on March 26, 2011

“Taxi Driver Held after Body of Missing Wiltshire Woman is Found” by Jerome Taylor in The Independent on March 25, 2011

“Sian O'Callaghan: Murdered woman's family back calls for taxi safety” by BBC News on March 19, 2021 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-56448718)

“Family remember Sian O’Callaghan 10 years after her murder” by The Guernsey Press on March 18, 2021 (https://guernseypress.com/news/uk-news/2021/03/19/family-remember-sian-ocallaghan-10-years-after-her-murder/)

“Missing Sian’s Body Found – Taxi Driver is Double Murder Suspect” by Caroline Gammell, Richard Savill and John Bingham in The Daily Telegraph on March 25, 2011

“Missing Woman Traced from Nightclub to Forest” by Richard Savill in The Daily Telegraph on March 23, 2011

“Pathologist: Sian died from stab wounds and neck compression” on ITV News on October 19, 2012 (http://itv.com/news/update/2012-10-19/pathologist-sian-died-from-stab-wounds-and-neck-compression/)

“Boyfriend's appeal for missing Swindon nightclub woman” on BBC News on March 21, 2011 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12803733)

“’Where are you?’ Victim’s Final Text to her Boyfriend” in The Daily Telegraph on October 20, 2012

“Murdered Sian O'Callaghan's family feel 'raw pain'” by BBC News on March 28, 2011 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12877113)

”Timeline: The 10 years since the murder of Sian O’Callaghan” by Rod Minchin on Yahoo! News on March 18, 2021 (https://uk.news.yahoo.com/timeline-10-years-since-murder-000100889.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHOUm9tKuoC9FiLbGZOh-I9lpAECdVrzn6wj8haM1eN6k-JIDhzzUu7WDzltY6gdCxzbmIT_Z3tnjoUfzRPJY35QROLpYgfzWn426g8OZPAYeZOjLp4WkLgxzy2vlj_HI4Mqb9t69GDaDgFqlo-G8tY8Jd9t7gYHbYUvSqpN8CSS)

“Sian O'Callaghan 'died of head injuries', inquest hears” on BBC News on April 1, 2011 (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12931356)

“Detective who Caught Killer Gains Wave of Support over Suspension” by Victoria Ward and Duncan Gardham in The Daily Telegraph on October 22, 2012

“Christopher Halliwell: How Becky Godden and Sian O'Callaghan's killer was brought to justice” by ITV News on September 1, 2022 (https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2019-09-02/the-murders-of-becky-godden-and-sian-o-callaghan-how-christopher-halliwell-was-brought-to-justice)

“Catching a Serial Killer: Inside the Investigation | Real Stories True Crime Documentary” on Real Stories YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrQSbaIMTaE)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g187049-Swindon_Wiltshire_England-Vacations.html

“Watch me Disappear” on See No Evil, Season 3, Episode 12 on Discovery+ on May 3, 2017