Netflix is bringing a heartbreaking real-life crime story to screens worldwide in June 2026. The streaming service will release two separate projects about the same case on the same day: a three-part drama series called The Witness and a companion documentary titled The Murder of Rachel Nickell.
Both projects focus on the 1992 killing of Rachel Nickell, a young mother who was stabbed to death while walking with her two-year-old son on Wimbledon Common in Southwest London.
A Crime That Shocked the United Kingdom
The attack happened on July 15, 1992. Rachel Nickell was enjoying a walk with her toddler son Alex when she was killed in broad daylight. The young boy became the only person who saw what happened to his mother.
A passerby found little Alex clinging to his mother’s body. The child kept repeating the words: “Wake up, Mummy.” This detail from the case deeply affected people across the UK when the news broke.
The case remained unsolved for many years. The person responsible for Rachel’s death was Robert Napper, a serial s*x offender. He did not admit to the attack until 2008 – sixteen years after the murder.
Both Projects Arrive on Netflix on June 4
The Witness and The Murder of Rachel Nickell will both start streaming on June 4, 2026. The drama series runs for three hour-long episodes. Netflix had originally planned to release this project in 2025, but the production timeline took longer than expected.
The release schedule for global audiences:
- USA: Available on Netflix from June 4
- UK: Available on Netflix from June 4
- Canada: Available on Netflix from June 4
- Australia: Available on Netflix from June 4
- India: Available on Netflix from June 4
“I went for a walk with my mother when I was a child, and she never made it home.” – Alex Hanscombe (voiceover from The Witness trailer)
The Witness: Telling the Story Through a Father and Son
The drama series follows Alex Hanscombe and his father André Hanscombe as they deal with what happened. André became a single parent overnight after Rachel’s death. He pushed his own grief aside to focus on his traumatized son.
The show looks at how the family handled the media attention and the long police investigation. André’s main concern was always the well-being of young Alex.
Rob Williams created and wrote the series. He has previously worked on shows like Killing Eve and The Man in the High Castle. Alex Winckler directed the series.
The cast includes:
- Jordan Bolger as André Hanscombe (known from The Book of Boba Fett and The 100)
- Max Fincham as young Alex
- Kevin Eldon as DCI Mick Wickerson (from Trigger Point and Death In Paradise)
- James Bradshaw as DCI Tony Nash
- Jon Pointing (from Sweetpea and Big Boys)
The Murder of Rachel Nickell: The Real-Life Documentary
The standalone documentary comes from BAFTA-nominated director Lucy Bowden. It looks at the real police investigation that followed Rachel’s death.
The documentary features never-before-seen footage, including a home video where André asks young Alex questions about what he saw. In the video, the child tells his father: “I saw it all.”
“My son witnessed his mother’s murder but nobody could have possibly known how long it was gonna take to find the person who did this.” – André Hanscombe
The film examines how the initial police inquiry went wrong. The investigation led to the wrong person being prosecuted before a major breakthrough came more than ten years later.
The Family’s Role in Making The Witness
Rachel Nickell’s son Alex and her partner André Hanscombe did not just agree to these projects. They served as consultants on the series to make sure the story was told correctly.
The family released a statement about bringing their story to the screen. They thanked everyone who helped them share what happened.
“Our life has been a battle. We can never express how indebted we are to everyone that’s been a part of this, for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us, for the chance they took with us in bringing our story to the screen, and for the care they have taken.” – Alex and André Hanscombe
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What Viewers Can Expect From Both Projects
The Witness focuses on the emotional journey of a father raising a son who saw a terrible crime. The series shows how they moved through the years after the tragedy.
The Murder of Rachel Nickell gives viewers the full facts of the case. It includes exclusive archive footage and insights from forensic experts. The documentary also covers how a flawed investigation led to one of the UK’s biggest miscarriages of justice.
The trailer for both projects has already been released on Netflix’s official channels. Fans of true crime stories and documentary films will find both options available to watch starting June 4.
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