Three-part drama series The Witness — now available to watch on Netflix — takes us inside the aftermath of Rachel Nickell’s death on Wimbledon Common back in 1992. The Witness is told through the lens of the experiences of Rachel’s partner, André Hanscombe, and her son, Alex Hanscombe. Alex was only 2 years old at the time, and the only witness to his mother’s death.

“We’ve given interviews before, and there have been other programs that have been made, but with the best intentions, they were just scraping the surface,” says Alex Hanscombe of making the drama series and its accompanying documentary, The Murder of Rachel Nickell. “We believe that life is a battle between good and evil, and that while evil is real, the power for good is always greater, and something positive can come out of everyone’s pain and suffering. We wanted to pay tribute to the healing power of love, hope, and faith in our lives, and never giving up.”

Created, written, and executive produced by Rob Williams and directed by Alex Winckler, the series dives into the devastating impact of a brutal act of violence. Following Nickell’s murder, André and Alex were forced to navigate the unscrupulous media furor and the urgency of an increasingly desperate police investigation. Alex and André both served as consultants on the series. Sarah Brown executive produces for STV Studios, and John Yorke serves as an executive producer. 

Is The Witness based on a true story?

Yes, The Witness explores the aftermath of Rachel Nickell’s murder, revealing the pain, turmoil, and trauma experienced by her partner André Hanscombe and son Alex Hanscombe. André says that although the series is “not a home video,” the team making the drama “worked incredibly hard to make sure that everything felt true in spirit to us, as we lived it.”

Sophie Köehler/Netflix

Is The Witness based on a book?

The Witness is based on Alex Hanscombe’s 2017 book, Letting Go. “Over the years, I have tried to make sense of and come to terms with what happened,” says Alex. “Writing the book was part of that process, but it’s a complicated journey and, for me and my father, we never felt we’d got it quite right, nor that we’d stopped growing, and we both felt that there was still a part of the story to share to truly honor my mother’s memory.” 

Alex adds that at the heart of sharing their journey from darkness to light is the desire to help others. “We don’t always know why things happen, the ‘Why?’ of our pain and suffering, nor are there guarantees of what our future will be — our message is to never give up or lose hope. That life is a battle worth fighting for, and that it’s worth sacrificing everything to follow what’s in your heart.”

Rekha Garton/Netflix

Is there also a documentary about Rachel Nickell, André, and Alex Hanscombe?

Yes, The Murder of Rachel Nickell, a documentary based on the true story of Rachel Nickell, her son, and her partner, will also arrive on Netflix on June 4. Alex and André Hanscombe are contributors to the documentary The Murder of Rachel Nickell.  “People respond differently to drama and documentaries, so we really saw that as an opportunity to reach more people with our story and to hopefully make a difference,” says Alex on their reasons for making the accompanying documentary. 

The Murder of Rachel Nickell tells the story of a young mother killed in broad daylight on London’s Wimbledon Common in 1992, leaving her 2-year-old toddler as the sole witness. Exploring the shocking, real events behind the drama series The Witness, this gripping documentary from BAFTA-nominated director Lucy Bowden examines the notorious, yearslong police investigation that followed. Featuring exclusive archival footage, firsthand accounts from family members, and insights from leading forensic experts, the film unpacks how a flawed, highly publicized inquiry led to the wrong man’s prosecution, before a stunning breakthrough reignited a family’s fight for justice more than a decade later.

“What sets [this documentary] apart is there’s a production team that gets it, and are on the same page as us,” says André. “Unfortunately, with the best intentions in the world, our experience with the media has often been that the person on the other side of the table was unable to see things from our point of view. Often, we’ve struggled to agree on what’s important, and get that message across in a way that feels true to us.”

Adds Alex, “This is the first time we’ve had a team so committed and so caring in our corner, willing to go beneath the surface and narrate our story in a way that does justice to it. This hasn’t been done overnight and simply tagged on at the last minute; we’ve been working with Danny [executive producer] for several years now. We can never thank him, the Netflix team, Tanya, Lucy, Emma, Paul, Becca, Zanna, everyone at Blast Films, and Tom, Tim, Adam, Keir, and all the crew enough for the kindness and generosity they’ve extended to us. We know that this has been a labor of love for all of them, and I know that I speak for my mother also in saying that they will always be in our prayers.”

You can watch all three episodes of The Witness now.