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Everything you need to know about David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue

David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue is a two-part documentary series taking a deep dive into the horrific crimes of Fuller which spanned more than 30 years.

In 1987, 25-year-old Wendy Knell and 20-year-old Caroline Pierce were found sexually assaulted and murdered in their homes in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

The two cases occurred months apart, and were confirmed to be linked in 2007 – 30 years later – when DNA left at the scene belonged to the same man.

The Bedsit Murders, as they were later known as, became one of the longest unsolved serial murder cases in British history as the killer evaded the law.

In the documentary, DC Nicki Hilton of Kent Police said it was “the hardest case she’s ever worked on” and it “stole a piece of her soul” when her team discovered the truth.

In 2020, the killer was finally identified as David Fuller, a hospital electrician, thanks to the DNA evidence found at the scene.

But this only proved to be the start of discovering something more sinister. In bodycam footage obtained by the documentary, the police searching Fuller’s house discovered a cache of photographs and videos of Fuller abusing dead bodies in the morgues where he worked, going back to at least 2005.

It was later estimated at least 101 bodies of women and girls were abused by Fuller during his crimes.

David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue delves into the 30-year-long investigation that finally put Fuller behind bars, speaking to police officers involved in the case, as well as people who lived in the area at the time and knew Fuller.

David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue: Episode Breakdown

David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue is two episodes in length, and tracks the investigation from the murder of Wendy Knell in June 1987, through to the series’ release in May 2023.

The two hour-long films interview loved ones, police officers and investigators who were central to arresting Fuller and bringing him to justice.

The episodes play out as follows:

Episode One: Murder In Bedsit Land

Run Time: 44mins

In the first of the two episodes, the life and deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce are reflected on and honoured ahead of their heartbreaking murders.

Wendy, who worked at SupaSnaps in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, died in June 1987. Fuller, an amateur photographer, would get his pictures developed there.

She was found in her bed by her boyfriend, with head wounds as well as signs of sexual assault.

Caroline was found dead in December 1987, after disappearing that November.

Shortly before her death, she had moved into a bedsit just a mile away from Wendy’s home after splitting with her boyfriend, but had noted to others she had seen a Peeping Tom near her home.

She had worked at Buster Brown’s restaurant, and was last seen by a taxi driver as he dropped her off home late that evening after a shift.

Her body was found three weeks later in a flooded drain 40 miles away.

The episode also dives into alternative suspects for the crimes at the time, including Stuart Durkin, who was arrested for rape of another woman in the area around the same time.

Durkin admitted several crimes, including breaking into Caroline’s flat before she had moved in, but had denied murdering Wendy or Caroline.

Prior to his time in Kent, Durkin had been convicted of the manslaughter of his wife in 1984 in Sweden.

His previous convictions and sexually violent past initially led police to put him as prime suspect.

Episode Two: The Invisible Man

Run Time: 44mins

The second episode focuses on how exactly Fuller managed to go undetected for 33 years.

Fuller was known to many for his love of cycling and amateur photography.

Fuller led a double life throughout that entire time, married three times, and had a son before settling down for a quiet family life in Sussex.

During that time, he picked up work in hospitals in 1989 as an electrician at Kent and Sussex Hospital (which is now closed) and later Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

As the investigation continued, with DNA evidence providing somewhat of a breakthrough.

Through this evidence, investigators were able to narrow down 500 people to 90 potential familial matches on the DNA database.

Further investigation found a match in the database of David Fuller’s brother, which allowed them to probe Fuller further.

When he was arrested, police in the documentary described him as calm.

He would have been 34 years old at the time of the murders, but not only did he deny killing the women, he said he had no knowledge of the high-profile case.

Among his belongings was a post-it note in his wallet with his bank details and the pin number 1987 - the same year he committed the attacks.

They conduct a search at his home, and discover hard drives, floppy disks and photographs all showing Fuller committing sexual acts on dead bodies at his hospital mortuary.

Victims ranged from a nine-year-old girl to a woman over the age of 100.

While the Bedsit Murders were finally solved, a whole new crime was uncovered that no one was prepared for.

What happened to David Fuller?

In 2021, Fuller was convicted of the two murders, as well as 16 mortuary-related offences.

Fuller initially plead not guilty to the murders, before changing his plea six days into the trial.

He also admitted to 44 charges relating to 78 women and girls in mortuaries between 2008 and November 2020.

He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in a rare whole life order.

In December 2022, he was sentenced again for the further abuse of 23 bodies. It’s believed that 101 bodies in total were abused, and that he was committing his crimes up to three days before his arrest.

He is currently imprisoned at HMP Frankland.

An inquiry later ruled there were "serious failings" at the hospitals where he worked, allowing him to commit his mortuary crimes without suspicion.

As part of his work duties, Fuller was given an all-access card for both the now-closed Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury.

This included unlimited access to the mortuary, where they would often have issues due to the freezers, and he would work nights in order to work with the least amount of disruption to the hospital.

The post-mortem room did not have CCTV out of respect and for the dignity of the dead patients, further allowing him to go undetected.

When the police searched his home, they found 818,051 images and 504 videos of his depraved acts as well as evidence supporting a “persistent interest in rape and abuse”.

He would have remained at large if it wasn’t for DNA testing linking him to the Bedsit Murders, and therefore uncovering his necrophilia.

Where to watch David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue in the UK

Sky is the exclusive home of David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue in the UK.

You can only watch the series on Sky Crime, Sky Documentaries, on demand via SkyGo or by streaming on NOW. You cannot watch it on Netflix or Disney+.

David Fuller: Monster In The Morgue is available to watch now on Sky Crime, Sky Documentaries and NOW.

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