Transistor Films & Krempelwood Co-Producing True-Crime Special

Transistor Films and Krempelwood are co-producing the two-part true-crime documentary Body in the Suitcase: The Murder of Deborah Chong for A+E Networks EMEA’s Crime+Investigation.

The program explores the circumstances of Deborah Chong’s murder. When Chong rescinded her offer to lend her friend Jemma Mitchell money, Mitchell, a trained osteopath who had boasted about her human dissection skill, entered Chong’s house on June 11, 2021, with a big blue suitcase and was seen leaving four hours later. Chong’s headless body was discovered on June 28.

On October 28, 2022, Mitchell was convicted of murder at the Old Bailey and sentenced to life imprisonment in the first televised sentencing of a woman in the U.K. To this day, Mitchell proclaims her innocence.

The filmmakers interview Mitchell’s mother, who, despite the wealth of evidence, continues to plead her daughter’s case. They will also speak with investigators and forensic experts to help unravel the complex motives and circumstances behind a friendship that ended in a brutal murder.

Body in the Suitcase: The Murder of Deborah Chong is slated to premiere on Crime + Investigation in September 2023.

Dan Korn, VP of programming at A+E Networks EMEA, said: “This 2×60 special will shock and mystify by turns as we delve into the unbelievable events surrounding Deborah Chong’s last moments. Examining as much firsthand testimony and evidence as possible, the documentary aims to explore the relationship of Deborah and Jemma and ultimately what led to this most brutal of murders.”

Danny Tipping, managing director at Transistor Films, added: “This documentary promises to deliver a comprehensive exploration of the events that led up to Deborah Chong’s murder. It’s an extraordinary and complex story with so many layers. The key to telling it is the exhaustive research and incredible access the team secured, as we unravel how this most shocking murder took place. We’re very grateful to all our contributors and thank Crime+Investigation for helping us bring this remarkable account to their audience.”