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A new BBC documentary sheds light on the chilling moment when detectives discovered that the chief suspect in Sarah Everard’s murder was none other than a serving police officer. The documentary, titled “Sarah Everard: The Search For Justice,” has been in the making for two and a half years and will air on Tuesday evening on BBC One.
Wayne Couzens, a former Metropolitan Police officer, brutally murdered Sarah Everard as she walked home through Clapham, southwest London, on March 3, 2021. Couzens, who was later convicted of a series of earlier offences of indecent exposure, prompted widespread grief and demonstrations over concern for women’s safety.
Detective Chief Inspector Katherine Goodwin, speaking on camera for the first time in the documentary, revealed the chilling moment when they connected Couzens to the crime. Goodwin disclosed that they initially had no knowledge of Couzens until they discovered he was suspected of an indecent exposure offence days earlier in Kent. It was through CCTV footage showing Everard and Couzens next to a car that led to his identification.
“At that time, Wayne Couzens was a name that meant nothing to any of us. So immediately we start researching the name, also the phone number and the address that had been given when he’d hired the car,” Goodwin said.
The revelation that Couzens was suspected of indecent exposure changed everything for the investigation. Goodwin expressed, “Suddenly it was clear to me that she’d got into the car of an alleged sex offender.”
As detectives raced to Couzens’ house in Kent to question him, a startling discovery halted them in their tracks. A detective burst into Goodwin’s office, informing her that they needed to hear something urgent. It was then revealed that Wayne Couzens was not just a suspect but a serving Metropolitan Police officer.
I knew that I had to tell my boss, and I can just remember the shock of having to just sit on the floor of the office and say to her, ‘You’re not going to believe this, that he’s a police officer,’” Goodwin recalled.
The documentary refrains from featuring pictures of Couzens alongside Everard, aligning with the family’s wishes. It provides a profound insight into the investigation’s challenges and the shocking realization that the perpetrator was someone sworn to uphold the law.
“Sarah Everard: The Search For Justice” airs days after the third anniversary of Everard’s tragic death, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and women’s safety.
