Episode Details

On May 6, 1967, 12-year-old Keith Lyon left his happy family home in Ovingdean, Brighton, for a short walk to buy a geometry set accessory.

He never returned. Ambushed on the scenic Happy Valley bridle path, Keith was brutally stabbed 13 times in a frenzied attack—his pockets rifled, body hidden under bushes.

A teenage girl walking her dog discovered the blood-soaked scene just minutes later.

In this full documentary from Crimes That Haunt Us, we dive deep into one of Sussex's most shocking unsolved child murders: the frenzied knife attack, the discarded serrated steak knife (free with washing powder), blood in a nearby cemetery lavatory (likely the killer's own sliced hand), sightings of four sparring youths fleeing the scene, bloodstained teens on a bus, a large-scale fingerprint operation of 6,000 boys, deathbed confessions, partial DNA from up to three suspects, and persistent rumours of a family fleeing to Canada.

Nearly 60 years later, the case remains open with usable DNA evidence.

Why has justice eluded Keith's family? Watch to uncover the chilling details of this haunting 1967 cold case that destroyed a family and still shocks Britain.

If you have any information, contact Sussex Police or Crimestoppers anonymously.

For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/yCy3gJ5kjyY

(00:00) The Haunting Case of Keith Lyons

(0:46) Who Was Keith Lyons?

(03:10) The Day of the Murder

(5:00) Keith is Attacked

(6:52) The Investigation Begins

(8:35) The New Theory

(9:15) Murder Weapon is Found

(11:02) The Blood Stained Bus Seat

(12:41) Gang of Boys Responsible

(17:32) The Anonymous Letter

(21:17) The Case is Reopened

(21:10) Two Men Arrested

(25:20) Deathbed Confession