New Darlow Smithson Doc Looks at Ipswich Murders

LONDON, December 1: Darlow Smithson Productions, an IMG Company, has been
commissioned by Channel 4 to produce Killer
in a Small Town: The Ipswich Murders, a new 75-minute doc for its Cutting Edge strand.

The
documentary pulls together two narratives: the story of five women in a sleepy
Suffolk town whose descent into drugs and prostitution led to their death, and
the police investigation for the murderer. This Cutting Edge special features the police detectives who worked on
the case and the pathologist who found the link to the killer, as well as
interviews with the women's family and friends.

John Smithson,
the chief creative director of Darlow Smithson Productions, said: "Turning
news events into compelling television is Darlow Smithson's forte. Ipswich
Murders was one of the highest profile news event of 2006 and we've worked hard
and sensitively to be able give a voice to the families of the Ipswich victims
who until now were only portrayed via the news coverage of the time."

Hamish Mykura,
the commissioning editor for Channel 4, commented: "This is a moving and
important film about the raw realities of the drugs culture in small town
Britain, made by a first-rate director, Louise Osmond. It will further add to
the reputation of the Cutting Edge
strand as the home of the best documentaries on British TV."

Killer in a Small Town: The Ipswich
Murders is set to air
on Channel 4 in February.

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski