Inside the Fred West Case: A Conversation with Biographer Geoffrey Wansell
British Murders with Stuart Blues
Stuart Blues
4.6 • 876 Ratings
🗓️ 1 January 2026
⏱️ 33 minutes
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Summary
January 1, 2026 marks 31 years since Fred West took his own life while awaiting trial for a series of horrific crimes that shocked Britain. This special episode features a rare and insightful conversation with Geoffrey Wansell, the journalist and author commissioned to write West’s official biography following his death.
Geoffrey brings a unique perspective shaped by extensive research, exclusive access, and decades of experience covering some of the UK’s most notorious cases. In our discussion, he reflects on the challenges of documenting West’s life, the realities behind the investigation, and the responsibility that comes with telling such a dark and complex story.
Check out 'Blood Ties', a true crime podcast hosted by Geoffrey and Molly Wansell:
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Disclaimer:
The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. The views and opinions expressed by my guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host. This episode is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Always True Crime, a podcast network bringing you gripping real-life stories that you won't be able to stop thinking about. |
| 0:08.2 | Discover your next true crime obsession at alwaystruecrime.com. |
| 0:14.3 | On January 1st, 1995, 53-year-old serial murderer and child molester Fred West took his own life in his cell at |
| 0:24.2 | Winson Green Prison, escaping the justice he was due to face. He and his wife Rose were jointly |
| 0:31.0 | charged with nine murders, with Fred alone being charged with an additional three. While Fred avoided accountability, Rose was convicted of 10 murders and sentenced to 10 life |
| 0:43.2 | terms with a whole life order. |
| 0:45.9 | Today marks 31 years since Fred's death. |
| 0:50.3 | So to mark that anniversary, I'm joined in this episode by someone with an unparalleled perspective on his story. |
| 0:58.6 | My guest, Geoffrey Wansel, is an acclaimed journalist, author and broadcaster, |
| 1:04.4 | known for his in-depth work on some of the UK's most notorious criminals. |
| 1:10.0 | After Fred West's death, Jeffrey was commissioned to write his |
| 1:13.5 | official biography, giving him rare access to case files, investigators, and those who knew West |
| 1:20.3 | personally. In this special episode, we discussed Jeffrey's experiences research in West's |
| 1:26.8 | life, the challenges of confronting such dark subject matter and what he learned about the man behind the crimes. |
| 1:37.3 | So I'm here with Jeffrey Wancel. Welcome, Jeffrey. Thank you for giving me your time. You're a bit of a... |
| 1:43.3 | Some people don't like this word. Would you call yourself a legend in the true crime niche? No, I wouldn't call myself a legend in any kind of niche to it. I just make it up as I go along, really. I've done it for 30 years though, so, you know, I kind of know it vaguely. I mean, if we go back, your background's sort of in writing and editing, isn't it? |
| 2:03.8 | That's kind of your bread and butter. |
| 2:06.1 | At what point did you move across to true crime then, if you've been doing it for like three decades? |
| 2:10.6 | At what point did you think true crime? |
| 2:13.1 | It's a very good story. |
| 2:15.0 | I was actually, I've written biographies before and I was a journalist. I |
| 2:18.9 | worked for a lot of different papers. And in 95, my then agent rang me. I was in Los Angeles with |
... |
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