S14 Ep9: The Forgotten Prisoner
Blood Ties Podcast
Peter Shevlin
4.4 • 668 Ratings
🗓️ 27 April 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Maria Pearson is Britain’s longest serving female prisoner and one of its most unsettling cases. Dubbed the 'forgotten prisoner', she has spent decades behind bars, yet still refuses to accept responsibility for a brutal murder that shocked the nation.
In 1987, driven by jealousy and rage, she stalked and stabbed a young woman 17 times in the street. It was calculated, savage, and final.
What followed is just as chilling. Nine parole rejections. Repeated failures to engage with rehabilitation. Allegations of bullying and intimidation inside prison walls. And still, she insists it was self defence.
So what keeps someone locked in that mindset for nearly forty years? And should the system ever release a prisoner who will not admit guilt? Geoffrey and Molly Wansell discuss Maria Pearson in this latest episode of Blood Ties.
CREDITS:
Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly Wansell
Producer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/
Artwork: George Leigh
Music: Dan Wansell
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This week on Blood Ties. |
| 0:13.0 | Maria was out and met a student from Edinburgh. |
| 0:15.0 | She had agreed to meet the next day and on the 18th, |
| 0:19.0 | She in a date, the man from Edinburgh, drove to Janet's house |
| 0:22.9 | and she told her companion to wait, as I've got something to do. I think she graffitied the house. |
| 0:33.5 | Shortly asked the 7.30pm, on the 18th of October 1986, |
| 0:39.6 | Janet left her home to go to meet Malcolm. |
| 0:49.7 | Maria stabbed her in the street. |
| 0:54.1 | 17 times. |
| 0:59.0 | Twice in the heart and left her in a pool of blood. |
| 1:03.0 | She used a sheath knife. Hi, I'm Molly Wonsall. |
| 1:18.6 | And I'm Geoffrey Wonsall. |
| 1:20.6 | We're a father and daughter, as those of you who listened to Blood Ties in the past will remember, |
| 1:24.6 | and we meet every week and often our conversation has turned to murder, |
| 1:29.0 | which is why we originally launched blood ties and why we've now decided to bring it back |
| 1:33.9 | in its new fresher form. |
| 1:36.2 | We're really excited to be back and we would love it if you could also check out our Patreon. |
| 1:41.2 | Just search Blood Ties on Patreon. |
| 1:43.2 | Thanks so much. |
| 1:44.0 | Thank you. Thank you. |
| 1:50.0 | Hi everyone. Welcome back to the Blood Ties podcast. I'm Molly Wansel and I'm here with my father, Jeffrey Wansel. |
| 1:55.5 | Hello everyone. Welcome back to Blood Ties 2.0. Thank you for listening. It's very kind of you and we really appreciate it. |
... |
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