Sam Mullins

Emily Connell is our digital coordinating producer. Executive producers are Cecil Fernandez and Chris Oak. Senior manager is Tanya Springer. And the director of CBC Podcasts is Arif Noorani.

It was Halloween, 1996. While everyone was putting on their costumes, pretending to be Tickle Me Elmo or Baby Spice, or whatever the fine folks of 1996 dressed up as, there was a man in the back of a police cruiser in Essex, apprehended for pretending to be someone he was not. David Davis was arrested under suspicion of murdering Ronald Platt.

It was Halloween, 1996. While everyone was putting on their costumes, pretending to be Tickle Me Elmo or Baby Spice, or whatever the fine folks of 1996 dressed up as, there was a man in the back of a police cruiser in Essex, apprehended for pretending to be someone he was not. David Davis was arrested under suspicion of murdering Ronald Platt.

They had proof he'd been stealing Platt's identity, and that he'd been in Devon that July, the same month that Ron's body was pulled up from the seabed. But if Davis really was the one who put him there, the police needed evidence. So with Davis taken off in the cruiser, all attention turned to his home. the quaintly named Little London Farmhouse on Little London Lane.

They had proof he'd been stealing Platt's identity, and that he'd been in Devon that July, the same month that Ron's body was pulled up from the seabed. But if Davis really was the one who put him there, the police needed evidence. So with Davis taken off in the cruiser, all attention turned to his home. the quaintly named Little London Farmhouse on Little London Lane.

Out in the world, Davis had been acting in the theatrical role of Ronald Platt for months. So now the police were anxious to peer into the backstage area and see who else was participating in this production.

Out in the world, Davis had been acting in the theatrical role of Ronald Platt for months. So now the police were anxious to peer into the backstage area and see who else was participating in this production.

Joining the investigative team that day was a young officer called Brian Slade. The neighbors had told police that the man they knew as Ronald Platt had been living in the house with his young wife. So they mobilized in the driveway and prepared to take her in for questioning, and then bring in scores of officers to search every square inch of Little London Farmhouse.

Joining the investigative team that day was a young officer called Brian Slade. The neighbors had told police that the man they knew as Ronald Platt had been living in the house with his young wife. So they mobilized in the driveway and prepared to take her in for questioning, and then bring in scores of officers to search every square inch of Little London Farmhouse.

Peter Redman, the man whose original door knock had started all of this, was the one who knocked on this door too. The woman who opened the door was shocked to see the officers. The feeling was mutual. I was surprised how young she was. To Redmond, she looked like she was 20 at the oldest. Redmond asked her name. She said, I'm Noelle.

Peter Redman, the man whose original door knock had started all of this, was the one who knocked on this door too. The woman who opened the door was shocked to see the officers. The feeling was mutual. I was surprised how young she was. To Redmond, she looked like she was 20 at the oldest. Redmond asked her name. She said, I'm Noelle.

Redmond said, I'm arresting you under suspicion of murdering Ronald Platt. And she said, what about my children? Children? Children?

Redmond said, I'm arresting you under suspicion of murdering Ronald Platt. And she said, what about my children? Children? Children?

The baby was still breastfeeding, but the three-year-old, the police explained, would need to either stay with a friend or the police would arrange for social services to take her. They were going to take Noelle all the way to Devon for an interview. As the officers began moving through the house, they noted how sparse it was. It hardly looked like the warm home of a young family.

The baby was still breastfeeding, but the three-year-old, the police explained, would need to either stay with a friend or the police would arrange for social services to take her. They were going to take Noelle all the way to Devon for an interview. As the officers began moving through the house, they noted how sparse it was. It hardly looked like the warm home of a young family.

Outside, there were flowers and a well-manicured lawn and a bountiful vegetable garden. But on the inside, there was hardly any signs of a life being lived within its walls. Upstairs in the toddler's bedroom, there was scant a single toy. It looked like they had been squatting in a foreclosure home. Was this woman and children held against their will? Were they prisoners in their own home?

Outside, there were flowers and a well-manicured lawn and a bountiful vegetable garden. But on the inside, there was hardly any signs of a life being lived within its walls. Upstairs in the toddler's bedroom, there was scant a single toy. It looked like they had been squatting in a foreclosure home. Was this woman and children held against their will? Were they prisoners in their own home?

The wife disappeared from sight for a moment.

The wife disappeared from sight for a moment.

When the officer chaperoning Noel stepped closer, suspicious at what was taking so long, the young wife sheepishly held the bag and the officer gestured for her to hand it over.