Stern & Wild filmmaker shares the untold story of the girl who brought a killer to justice

Congratulations to Stern & Wild client Tanya Stephan, Director of the upcoming Sky Original docuseries The Girl Who Caught a Killer, which tells the extraordinary story of Rachael Watts, who as a young girl was kidnapped by a stranger, strangled, and left for dead.  

The two-part series, the second true crime commission from Stern & Wild clients announced by Sky this week, reveals how Rachael’s testimony finally caught a killer.

Four years before the seven-year-old Rachael was attacked, the “Babes in the Wood” murders of schoolgirls Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway had shocked the nation. Despite the evidence, the killer Russell Bishop walked free – free to proclaim his innocence and, sickeningly, lead a hunt for the “real” killer. Rachael not only survived her ordeal but was able to pick out her attacker from a police lineup. Bishop was found guilty of her attempted murder, and Rachael’s identity remained a secret. 

For the production, the now 42-year-old Rachael shares her story for the first time on camera, revealing the long-term impact of her trauma, and her role in helping put the murderer behind bars. Alongside Rachael’s story, family members of Nicola Fellows describe their 30-year struggle for justice.

The series is produced by Plimsoll Productions for Sky Documentaries. The Executive Producers are Richard Klein and Kate Beetham for Plimsoll and Kathryn Taylor and Emily-Jayne Wilde for Sky. Tanya is the Director with Anastasia Arsan and Kate Hole as Producers. It will premiere on Sky Documentaries and the streaming service NOW later in the year.

Rachael Watts as a young girl