75 - Pathological: The murders of Lesley Clarke & Trevor Buchanan

In May of 1991, the bodies of Lesley Clarke and Trevor Buchanan were discovered in a fume filled car, parked in Lesley's deceased father's garage. The deaths were ruled a tragic double suicide - probably the result of the affair that Lesley and Trevor's spouses were carrying on together.

But 18 years later, a startling confession would launch a renewed investigation into the deaths, this time as a case of murder. The prime suspects were the victim's spouses - Colin Howell and Hazel Buchanan.

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Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music:   Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Sources:

Deric Henderson Let This Be Our Secret (Dublin: Gill & McMillan, 2011) Purchase here

“Colin Howell' estranged wife 'will not face charges'” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-24978359 (17 November 2013) 

“Man suspects Colin Howell over father's death” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-12643326 (4 March 2011) 

Deborah McAleese, “Killer dentist Colin Howell got payout of £400,000 after death of wife” in The Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/killer-dentist-colin-howell-got-payout-of-400000-after-death-of-wife-28589652.html (17 February 2011) 

“Killer dentist Colin Howell: Failed hunt for Japan's war gold triggered my confession” in The Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/killer-dentist-colin-howell-failed-hunt-for-japans-war-gold-triggered-my-confession-28590107.html (18 February 2011) 

“Howell conned out of life savings” in The Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/howell-conned-out-of-life-savings-28574522.html (3 December 2010) 

“The secret life of Colin Howell” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-12606874 (2 March 2011) 

“Dentist Colin Howell admits double murder” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-11784184 (18 November 2010) 

“Inside the mind of Colin Howell” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-12733348 (15 March 2011) 

“Who is Hazel Stewart?” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-12383602 (2 March 2011) 

“Hazel Stewart found guilty of murder” from RTE News https://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0302/298225-stewarth/ (2 March 2011) 

“Murderer Stewart could have saved husband” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-12756395 (16 March 2011) 

Nicola Weir, “Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan: police 'overlooked murder clues'” from BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-16038375 (6 December 2011) 

“Dentist Colin Howell pleads guilty to indecent assaults” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dentist-colin-howell-pleads-guilty-to-indecent-assaults-1.574319 (18 May 2011) 

Maurice Fizmaurice and Chris Kilpatrick, “Killer dentist Colin Howell's £587k pension axed after convictions for groping patients” from Belfast Live https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/killer-dentist-colin-howells-587k-11249818 (6 May 2016) 

Bimpe Archer, “Colin Howell: 'A Devious plan pre-meditated in a manner that might be described as professional” from Irish Central https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/01/29/news/colin-howell-a-devious-plan-pre-meditated-in-a-manner-that-might-be-described-as-professional--1538496/ (29 January 2019) 

Henry McDonald, “Hazel Stewart, policeman's wife who hid terrible secret for nearly 20 years” in The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/mar/02/hazel-stewart-murder-colin-howell (2 March 2011) 

Natalie Corner and Chris Kilpatrick “The Secret: Colin Howell's nine children divided as its revealed only one of them visited him in prison” in The Mirror https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/secret-colin-howells-nine-children-8014417 (20 May 2016) 

“Hazel Stewart verdict 'no cause or celebration'” in The Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/hazel-stewart-verdict-no-cause-for-celebration-28594100.html (2 March 2011)