About this episode
In 2002, former prison officer John Darwin was presumed dead after vanishing while canoeing off the coast of Seaton Carew. His broken canoe was found. His wife mourned publicly. His sons believed he was gone forever. But John Darwin wasn’t dead — he was living in secret, just metres from his old life.
This is the extraordinary true story of how a man faked his death to escape debt, lied to his family, and fooled the world… until a single photograph shattered the illusion. Tonight on Crime at Bedtime, we explore one of the UK’s most bizarre fraud cases — a tale of deception, survival, and a very public downfall.
If you're looking for a twisty story that won’t keep you up with nightmares but will leave you shaking your head — this one’s for you.
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