Sam Mullins

That first day, right after the police took the body off Coppock's boat, Coppock steered his vessel to its usual parking spot in the fishing boat pens. As Coppock was finishing up, one of his buddies walked by, spotting the anchor in the net, and was like, is that anchor up for grabs? Coppock gave the anchor to his friend, who ended up not needing it.

So a month later, he gave it to his wife to sell at a car boot sale. She tried to sell it for £15, but there were no takers. So Coppock's friend's wife just takes the anchor to her mother's house.

So a month later, he gave it to his wife to sell at a car boot sale. She tried to sell it for £15, but there were no takers. So Coppock's friend's wife just takes the anchor to her mother's house.

So the police go to her house. She leads them to her backyard where they find the biggest piece of evidence in the biggest case any of them will ever work. They send it to forensics.

So the police go to her house. She leads them to her backyard where they find the biggest piece of evidence in the biggest case any of them will ever work. They send it to forensics.

The first post-mortem had noted there was a serious wound on the back of the head and along the right side of the body there was bruising at the hip and bruising at the thigh. And now, like a jigsaw piece, the points of contact aligned exactly.

The first post-mortem had noted there was a serious wound on the back of the head and along the right side of the body there was bruising at the hip and bruising at the thigh. And now, like a jigsaw piece, the points of contact aligned exactly.

They put the belt under the literal microscope and discovered on the right hip portion of it, there were tiny silvery deposits of zinc that matched the zinc of the anchor.

They put the belt under the literal microscope and discovered on the right hip portion of it, there were tiny silvery deposits of zinc that matched the zinc of the anchor.

This was the murder weapon. Now they needed evidence to put Ron Platt on the Lady Jane, and to put him there in mid-late July. To do that, police needed to rely on two relatively new technologies at the time, DNA and GPS. On the Lady Jane, they found Ronald Platt's fingerprints on a plastic bag, which, if you can believe it, also contained the sales receipt for the anchor.

This was the murder weapon. Now they needed evidence to put Ron Platt on the Lady Jane, and to put him there in mid-late July. To do that, police needed to rely on two relatively new technologies at the time, DNA and GPS. On the Lady Jane, they found Ronald Platt's fingerprints on a plastic bag, which, if you can believe it, also contained the sales receipt for the anchor.

In the cabin, they found Ronald Platt's hair on a pillow and specks of Ronald Platt's blood, both inside the cabin and on one of Lady Jane's sails. They also found a GPS unit that was one, turned off, and two, appeared to be missing a component. The second component of this GPS they found on the other side of the country.

In the cabin, they found Ronald Platt's hair on a pillow and specks of Ronald Platt's blood, both inside the cabin and on one of Lady Jane's sails. They also found a GPS unit that was one, turned off, and two, appeared to be missing a component. The second component of this GPS they found on the other side of the country.

Walker had rented a storage unit in the same week that police first contacted him. Inside, police found several more gold bars, three suitcases containing Ronald Platt's clothes, and... We found the GPS that fitted to the boat.

Walker had rented a storage unit in the same week that police first contacted him. Inside, police found several more gold bars, three suitcases containing Ronald Platt's clothes, and... We found the GPS that fitted to the boat.

With the camera rolling, someone from the GPS manufacturer turns on the devices. and they discovered that the devices had been switched off on the evening of July 20th, the last day that Ron Platt was seen alive.

With the camera rolling, someone from the GPS manufacturer turns on the devices. and they discovered that the devices had been switched off on the evening of July 20th, the last day that Ron Platt was seen alive.

When the switch was flipped at 9pm on July 20th, the Lady Jane was on the water.

When the switch was flipped at 9pm on July 20th, the Lady Jane was on the water.

It was an extremely solid circumstantial case.