True crime fans are being spoilt rotten this year, with plenty of new documentaries and shows available to stream.
Although we’re just at the start of 2026 there are already plenty of contenders to add to your watch list, ensuring you never need to be without your crime fix.
Netflix have just released a Lucy Letby documentary, while the BBC are set to release one based on The Hunt for Arlene Fraser later this month.
There are also contenders on the likes of ITVX and Channel 4, meaning even if you don’t pay for subscription services you have plenty of options.
The Investigation of Lucy Letby (Netflix)
The documentary hit streaming service Netflix on February 4 2026
The documentary hit streaming service Netflix on February 4 2026.
Neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, 36, hit headlines after being convicted of murdering seven infants between June 2015 and June 2016.
She was also convicted of the attempted murder of eight young children under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital in those 12 months.
Lucy was arrested three times, in July 2018, June 2019 and November 2020, before eventually being charged with murdering and harming children in her care.
Viewers will see unseen footage of the serial baby killer being arrested in her bed as part of the documentary.
The 90-minute film, which will focus on the investigation into her crimes, will also include clips of the 36-year-old former neo-natal nurse’s police interviews, testimony from senior detectives and an interview with the mother of one of her victims.
It is the first time a family member involved in the prosecution has spoken in a television documentary.
‘Unseen footage and unheard insider accounts reveal the harrowing and divisive case of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse convicted of fatally harming infants,’ the streamer’s synopsis reads.
Killer In The House (ITV)
This new series which aired on the popular channel earlier this year focuses on some of the most shocking cases (pictured from Killer In The House : The Murders of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan)
This new series which aired on the popular channel earlier this year focuses on some of the most shocking cases in the UK.
Apple TV’s synopsis of the series reads: ‘This chilling true crime series delves into the UK’s most extraordinary cases, including a passionate affair that led to a double murder and a body buried in a teacher’s garden.’
Two episodes of the series have aired so far.
The first is Killer In The House: The Murder of Nicholas Billingham – which explores the story of Nicholas, who was murdered by his partner Fiona Beal in 2022.
The second instalment Killer In The House : The Murders of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan.
Lover, Liar, Predator (BBC)
Lover, Liar, Predator premiered on the BBC on February 1 2026
Lover, Liar, Predator premiered on the BBC on February 1 2026.
It explores the individual stories of four women – Jenni, Natalie, Shannon and Robyn – who all became ‘trapped’ by Aaron Swan.
‘Moving back and forth in time, this documentary unpicks how Swan got away with his crimes for so long, despite twice being placed on the sex offenders register.
‘Telling their story in their own words, the women reveal how Swan’s later victims finally found a way to put him behind bars with the help of his first wife, who had been denied her own justice decades before,’ iPlayer’s synopsis reads.
It comes as two of the women spoke out a year after convicted sex offender and domestic abuser Swan was jailed indefinitely, with neither victim believing he will ever be safe for release.
One of the women, named only as Jenni, suffered years of coercive and controlling abuse at the hands of Swan who was already a convicted sex offender when he targeted the vulnerable 16-year-old online.
Despite a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a call to police from her concerned family, he managed to whisk the teen – almost 10 years his junior – nearly 200 miles from her home in Sheffield to Jedburgh, in Roxburgh.
There she was manipulated, coerced, had her movements tracked, was threatened, raped and ultimately left fearing for her life. He even threatened to take his own life when she tried to leave him.
She and three other victims – one of whom made her own allegation of rape while married to Swan five years before he targeted Jenni – now share their stories in Lover, Liar, Predator.
Murder Case: The Hunt For Arlene Fraser’s Killer (BBC)
The Hunt For Arlene Fraser’s Killer is part of the BBC’s documentary series Murder Case
The Hunt For Arlene Fraser’s Killer is part of the BBC’s documentary series Murder Case.
The two-part series, which is set to air on the BBC in February, focuses on the murder case of Arlene Fraser in the late 90s.
Her husband was convicted of her murder after she disappeared on April 28 1998, however her body has never been found.
It will include interviews from the detectives involved, media who reported the case and Arlene’s family.
David Harron, Commissioning Editor, Factual at BBC Scotland said of the episode: ‘Murder Case is one of our most important brands and remains hugely popular with the audience.
‘The series provides a real insight into the work of the police in solving both contemporary and historical cases and is always made with care and sensitivity by Firecrest Films.
‘The Arlene Fraser case was one of the most high-profile in Scotland for years and this series is both fascinating and moving.’
Confessions of a Killer (BBC)
Confessions of a Killer is a two-part series which follows the story of the double killing of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan back in 1991
Confessions of a Killer is a two-part series which follows the story of the double killing of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan back in 1991.
This is the second documentary on this list that focuses on the horrific crime.
They were killed by Lesley’s husband Colin Howell and his former lover Hazel Stewart – who confessed to the murders 18 years later.
The episodes were released on iPlayer on January 20 2026 and are named Killer in the Room and Judgement Day.
The documentary was produced by Jim O’Hagan and directed by Michael Fanning.
It features original audio recordings of what was said in the police station in Coleraine, Country Londonderry, when Colin confessed.
Those who knew the pair appear on screen, as well as journalists, legal experts and family members.
Catching a Killer: Buried Truths (Channel 4)
Catching a Killer returned for its third series last month, Buried Truths
Catching a Killer is a true crime docu-series which hit our screens in 2017.
‘A gripping series with extraordinary access to the police as they investigate murders and search for missing people. Part of True Crime on Channel 4,’ 4oD’s synopsis of the series reads.
The Search for Natalie Hemming aired in 2017, A Knock at the Door premiered a year later and A Diary from the Grave landed in 2020.
The latest instalment to the series is called Catching a Killer: Buried Truths and aired on January 6 2026.
It focuses on the murder of Cumali Turhan, 45, who was found dead in a landfill site in Chelmsford in November 2024.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Louise Metcalfe and Police Sergeant Simon Gray appear on our screens to talk about the 47-day search.
‘Lured into a bar by his love rival, Cumali Turhan has been reported missing. Essex Police suspect foul play.
‘When a witness sees Turhan’s body thrown out with the rubbish, a murder enquiry begins,’ 4oD’s synopsis reads.
