Unmasking Lucy Letby: The true story of Britain’s most unlikely serial killer
About this ebook
Highly commended for BOOK OF THE YEAR at THE TRUE CRIME AWARDS 2025
Shortlisted for THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION at the 2025 CWA DAGGERS
'Diligent and absorbing' Gaby Hinsliff, Guardian
'Meticulous and unexpectedly gripping' Janice Turner, The Times
*AS SEEN ON BBC'S PANORAMA*
In June 2015 babies started dying unexpectedly on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. As medics searched desperately for answers, lead consultant Dr Steve Brearey emailed the ward manager to say, 'We still need to talk about Lucy.'
Several years have passed since then and Letby is now in jail. And yet the doctor's words continue to hold true. Despite her convictions and an extensive public inquiry, there are more questions now about Letby than ever - and they aren't going away. So who is the real Lucy Letby? What convinced senior medics and the police that she was killing babies? And were they right - or could her convictions be a miscarriage of justice, as some now believe?
Drawing on extensive interviews with people who knew and worked with her, as well as unrivalled access to documents and key players in her case, this book traces the story of Letby from primary school to prison, and grapples with the truth about one of the most high-profile murder cases in living memory.
'An excellent and open-minded study of the case' Peter Hitchens
'An extraordinary piece of work, and one that should be essential reading for anyone thinking of voicing strong opinions on the subject' Tristan Kirk, The London Standard
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About the author
Jonathan Coffey is one of BBC Panorama's most experienced senior
journalists. He has produced and directed more than twenty-five
documentaries on some of the toughest stories and subjects, including
Putin's secret wealth, Trump's sex scandals, and organised crime.
In 2016, he was one of the winners of the Investigation of the Year
category at the British Journalism Awards for his work on the series
of revelations known as the Panama Papers. He has written for the
Spectator, Standpoint, and the Wagner Journal. He has also presented
several documentaries for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4.
Jonathan led the BBC's investigative effort on the Letby case
for Panorama, and produced and directed the documentaries Lucy
Letby: The Nurse Who Killed and Lucy Letby: Unanswered Questions.
Judith Moritz is a special correspondent for BBC News. She was
one of the only reporters to be given access to the courtroom for
the duration of Lucy Letby's trials and spent nearly a year observing
her closely. She led all the BBC's national and international coverage
of the case and presented the Panorama documentaries Lucy
Letby: The Nurse Who Killed and Lucy Letby: Unanswered Questions.
Judith comes to the story with many years' experience of reporting
complex court cases including proceedings relating to Harold
Shipman, Ian Brady, the Morecambe Bay disaster and the Rochdale
grooming scandal. She has specialised in the legal aftermath of
Hillsborough and led the BBC's coverage of the Manchester Arena
Inquiry.
