How Murder 24/7 immerses viewers in true crime

Film crews working on BBC series Murder 24/7 are used to blending into the background.

Following murder and serious crime cases investigated by West Mercia Police in real time, they capture virtually everything from the initial 999 call to prosecution.

It all means they have to work quietly in small teams so as not to impede inquiries, while also building up the trust and confidence of the people they are filming.

"It takes a while for people to feel secure and to be themselves, but once they get there, honestly, it is a cliché, people do forget the cameras are there," said executive producer Colin Barr.

"I'm constantly surprised by the sheer number of people, from detectives to specialists, that are involved in these major operations," he said.

"You'll have 50, 60, 70 people involved, trying to gather evidence, hunt down the perpetrators, prosecute the case itself, its huge."

He added that the programme, which has just started airing its third series, offers a window into the attention to detail in crime investigations.

"The dedication and the commitment of the professionals that we follow never ceases to amaze me," he said.

"The best of these shows operate on a couple of different levels – you've got the crime, but they also act as a lens on issues that are really, really urgent in society, whether that's mental health, grooming gangs, violence against women."

Following West Mercia Police, which covers Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, previous series have given an insight into investigations including the murder of Wendy Francis in Worcester in March 2024, and the murder of Claire Orrey in Telford in July 2023.

The third series heads to Worcestershire first, with two episodes covering the murder of Joanne Samak in Droitwich Spa in July 2024.

It also follows the murder of Cheryl McKenna, who was stabbed to death in her home in Redditch.

The series also revisits the murder of DPD delivery driver Aurman Singh in Shrewsbury.

"We told part of the story of Aurman's murder in series two - and there were eight attackers," said Barr.

Four of those men were convicted of his murder in 2025.

"What we do in this series is we bring the story up to date, we tell the ongoing story of the hunt for those killers," he added.

"It becomes an international manhunt where officers end up in Austria trying to track down two of the murderers.

"It's a story that continues to this day, it's still not over."

Murder 24/7 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.