Rachel Nickell; My Mother’s Murder is commissioned by Channel 4
Channel 4 has commissioned the 160 minute documentary Rachel Nickell: My Mother’s Murder from Monumental Pictures, Angel Station, and Hatchling Films. This deeply personal film examines the high-profile murder of Rachel Nickell through the eyes of her son Alex Hanscombe and the impact on the adults in his life. Alex revisits the events surrounding his mother’s murder for the first time on television, examining how they shaped him into the man he is today.
Alex was only two years old when he was the sole survivor of his mother’s heinous murder on Wimbledon Common. Following Rachel’s death in July 1992, both the press and the public became obsessed with the âtragic totâ who witnessed his mother’s murder just weeks before his third birthday. Family members, friends, and professionals involved in the investigation expressed concern about the young child’s welfare, and many have not seen him since.
Alex and his father Andre fled the country months after Rachel’s death to avoid public scrutiny. They are now returning to the United Kingdom and to Wimbledon common together for the first time. Alex relives this time period of his life as he meets key figures from the era, some of whom are family friends and relatives, others of whom are professionals involved in the case.
While revisiting the incredible trauma suffered by a young boy, we get to know Alex Hanscombe the man, who offers hope that life is possible after unimaginable loss.
Fran Baker, Executive Producer at Hatchling Films, stated, âThis case has been a public obsession for nearly 30 years, but the voice of the small child at its center has been silent during that time. It’s an honor to collaborate with Alex in order to assist him in telling his story for the first time and to provide insight into the impact of childhood trauma. â
According to Will Rowson, Channel 4’s factual commissioner, “This is Alex’s story, told from his perspective.” It is critical that he is able to own this narrative, and I am overjoyed that he has chosen to collaborate with us on such an important film.
