When Missing Turns to Murder Season 1 Episode 4 Helen McCourt

When Missing Turns to Murder is a true crime series that explores cases where missing persons investigations ultimately lead to homicide investigations. In episode 4 of season 1, viewers are introduced to the case of Helen McCourt.

Helen McCourt, a 22-year-old woman from Liverpool, England, disappeared on February 9, 1988, as she was returning home from work. She had been employed as an insurance clerk and had been coming home from her job at the Royal Insurance offices in Liverpool. She would normally take a bus or a train to her home in Billinge, but on the day she disappeared, she took a different route that would take her past the George and Dragon pub, where her mother worked.

When Helen failed to arrive home that evening, her family immediately became worried. They reported her missing and attempted to retrace her steps in an effort to find her. As the days passed, the search for Helen intensified, but no trace of her was found.

Despite the lack of evidence, the police had their suspicions about the George and Dragon pub and its owner, Ian Simms. Simms was a suspect in the case from the start, as his pub was the last place that Helen was seen alive. Additionally, during the initial investigation, it was discovered that Helen's blood and clothing fibers were found in Simms' car, which was parked near the pub on the night of her disappearance.

Simms was eventually charged with Helen's murder, but he maintained his innocence throughout the trial. There was no direct evidence linking him to the crime, and the prosecution's case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence. Despite this, the jury found him guilty of Helen's murder, and he was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison.

The podcast episode of Helen McCourt's disappearance became instrumental in bringing the case back to national attention. Due to the legislation from 2019, hearsay evidence was allowed, and it also meant that Ian Simms would have to admit his crime to be released from prison.

When Missing Turns to Murder season 1 episode 4 dives into the details of this tragic case and showcases how the McCourt family has turned their grief into a crusade for justice. It is a heart-wrenching story that highlights the devastating consequences that can result from a person's disappearance and how it can affect families and communities. Viewers will be left pondering how the case would have turned out if it had happened in this day and age or the role of media in bringing a tragedy back into discussions.