Lesley Whittle, 16, vanished in 1975; her body was found in a drainage shaft, and Donald Nielson was convicted of her murder and three others.

On January 14, 1975, 16-year-old Lesley Whittle vanished from her home in Highley, Shropshire, after her mother found three ransom notes warning against contacting police. Her body was later discovered in a drainage shaft. Donald Nielson, a former builder from Bradford known as the Black Panther, was convicted of her murder and three others, receiving four life sentences. The case shocked the community and left a lasting impact, remembered decades later as one of Britain’s most notorious crimes.