Who killed Hayley Reid in Unforgotten series three? The remains under the central reservation of the M1 motorway have been identified as a missing teenager who disappeared on New Year’s Eve at the turn of the Millennium – and DCI Cassie Stewart (Nicola Walker) and DI Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) are on a mission to bring her killer to justice.
But as they re-open this cold case, it becomes clear that the original investigation missed some vital clues. It now looks like Hayley’s disappearance could be connected to a group of four men staying in a rental home near to where Hayley was last seen.
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The theory began as Cassie tried to explain why Hayley may have vanished in her seaside town and turned up 18 years later near London. Now new information suggests she could be right: Hayley actually visited a holiday home for a cleaning job shortly before she disappeared.
Staying at the house were four men. But which of them is guilty? Let’s take a closer look…
Homeless artist Chris Lowe
So far there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of evidence against Chris Lowe (played by James Fleet). We do know he’s had a tricky few years with mental health issues, and he is now living in a minivan with his dog and trying to make a go of it as a painter.
But could Unforgotten writer Chris Lang be playing us by making the most sympathetic character ultimately the murderer?
Useless salesman Pete Carr
We know Pete Carr (Neil Morrissey) will do unethical and illegal things when backed into a corner, because we’ve already seen him rob £3,000 from a vulnerable pensioner by selling him an unneeded cash ISA.
There’s a nasty side to Pete which makes him a plausible murderer, although he’s so inept at his job that he doesn’t really seem like a criminal mastermind.
Dr Tim Finch
Dr Tim Finch’s (Alex Jennings) reputation has recently taken a blow after the daughter of an elderly dementia patient accused him of verbal abuse and took the case all the way to the General Medical Council. Is there any truth in her allegations? And if so, what does that say about him?
There are definite reasons to doubt the truth of this woman’s story, however, and in all other respects Tim seems like an upstanding friend, father and doctor. He helps his pal Chris in a moment of crisis with practical and emotional support and refuses to moan about his ex-wife even when pressed.
Quiz show host James Hollis
By the end of episode two, James Hollis (Kevin McNally) is set up to look pretty guilty. He has an extreme emotional reaction when hearing that Hayley’s body has been found. Panicky and distracted, he takes a break from filming to call his troubled son Elliot to check if he’s OK.
When the police come to the door, James doesn’t seem entirely blindsided. He refuses to speak to Cassie and Sunny even for five minutes without his lawyer present, lies to his wife about who was at the door, then immediately locks himself away to make a call: “Ells, it’s Dad again. It’s happened sweetheart. They’ve come. The police. About her.”
Now that’s a phone call which needs an explanation…
Did the men conspire to kill Hayley?
Given that each of them had a reaction to discovering that Hayley’s remains had been found, it has to be a possibility that one or more of the men were involved in Hayley’s death.
According to the victim’s friend, Hayley visited the house where all four men were staying for a cleaning job a couple of days before she died. Did she meet them all then? What happened? And could it have taken more than one person to transport and dispose of the body so cleverly?
Unforgotten airs on Sundays at 9pm on ITV
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