Overview
- Charlene Downes, 14, vanished in Blackpool in 2003, and police believe she was killed by men who had been grooming and abusing her.
- Detective Superintendent Gareth Willis says the covert material underpinning the lurid disposal claim has been fatally undermined and effectively does not exist.
- An eight-part Daily Mail podcast hosted by Nicola Thorp releases interviews with original suspects, relatives, friends and witnesses to debunk the claim and highlight fresh leads.
- Forensic audio specialists have long disputed interpretations of the bugged conversations, a problem that contributed to collapsing prosecutions.
- Two men tried in 2007 were later cleared after a retrial failed and each received £250,000 in compensation, while a £100,000 reward remains on offer as the case stays open.