Who killed Hayley Reid in Unforgotten series three? The human remains under the central reservation of the M1 motorway belong to a 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 seems Hayley’s disappearance could be connected to a group of four men and their families who were staying in a rental home nearby.
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One vital clue was missed in the original investigation: it turns out that Hayley visited the group’s holiday home for a cleaning job shortly before she disappeared. And Hayley vanished in her seaside town and turned up 18 years later near London – so was the person who murdered her actually a visitor to the area?
Let’s take a closer look at the evidence against each of our suspects…
Homeless artist Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe (played by James Fleet) has 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. Initially he was the most likeable of all the suspects as we followed his romance with a Syrian refugee – but is there a darker side to him?
- According to James’ first wife Mel, who was staying in the house that night, Chris ran out of the house that evening in the middle of a massive mental health breakdown made worse by drugs and alcohol. He came back two hours later covered in mud and went straight to bed, but she has no idea where he went.
- Startlingly, his estranged daughter told Sunny that the reason his first marriage (and whole life) fell apart all those years ago, and the reason she has kept well away from her father, is that he was accused of paying for child pornography on his credit card. Is Chris actually a paedophile – and could that have something to do with the teenager’s disappearance?
Useless salesman Pete Carr
We know dad-of-two 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 ISA and then cashing the cheque to his own bank account. There’s a nasty side to Pete which makes him a plausible murderer, although he’s so generally inept that he doesn’t really seem like a criminal mastermind.
- Pete is the only one to admit he recognises Hayley as the cleaner who came to the holiday rental a couple of days before her death, because he was home alone with a hangover. He claimed that he never mentioned this encounter to the police because he never heard about her disappearance – which seems unlikely with such a high-profile case that was in all the papers. What’s he hiding?
- James’ first wife Mel says he and all the rest went running out after Chris on New Year’s Eve, meaning he was in town at the same time as Hayley was walking home from work. Why didn’t he admit that to the police in the first place?
- Unlike the others, he seemed really spooked when Sanjeev asked for a voluntary DNA sample to help rule him out as the murderer. He agreed to it but looked like he’d really rather not.
- The DNA sample connected him to a break-in and robbery at a church in Middenham that night, which police believe could be connected. His police record also revealed that he’d been in prison in Hong Kong for draining the funds from a disabled charity.
- He has lied and lied and lied again, damaging his credibility entirely.
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. He’s been cleared, but could there be 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.
- James’ first wife Mel says he left the house after Chris’ breakdown, meaning he was in town at the same time as Hayley was walking home from work. Why didn’t he admit that to the police in the first place?
- He warns the police in advance that his ex-wife, who was on the trip, is an unreliable witness because of her mental health struggles – an attempt to discredit her in advance.
- Tim’s ex-wife says he was mentally and physically abusive during their marriage, presenting the police with photographic evidence of her bruises – although her face is obscured, leaving room for reasonable doubt.
- One of his daughters is adamant in his defence when Sunny and Cassie get them together for a chat, but the other one seems hesitant. Does she remember something about that night?
Quiz show host James Hollis
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…
- His first wife Mel says he left the house that night despite his claims he stayed at home, meaning he was in town at the same time as Hayley was walking home from work. Why didn’t he admit that to the police in the first place?
- He owned the same make and model of the car (with the trailer attachment) as was seen in town at the time of Hayley’s murder, which police believe could be connected
Did several people 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.
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?
Also: the four men are initially set up as suspects – but is this a massive red herring? Cassie and Sunny have so far entirely discounted the other people staying in the house, but it’s entirely plausible that Chris, James or Pete’s wife could be involved in the murder in some way.
Did Elliott kill Hayley?
Although the four men are initially implicated, as the series goes on, evidence has emerged against Elliott.
- James seems very concerned on behalf of Elliott when the police come sniffing around – did Elliott kill Hayley, and did James help cover it up?
- At the time of the murder, Elliott was a rebellious teen with a criminal record and a history of stealing his father’s car. Perhaps the very same one that was seen in town that night?
- A guilty conscience could help explain some of his anguish and self-hatred
- Pete tells James that he saw something involving Elliott that night, which James wouldn’t want the police to know about.
Only two more episodes to go until we find out the truth…
Unforgotten airs on Sundays at 9pm on ITV
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