“In a quiet corner of west Wales, the countryside kept its secrets for years.”
In the 1980s and 1990s, Pembrokeshire was a place of farms, coastal paths, and roads that emptied after dark. Movement was familiar. Faces were known. A man who looked like he belonged rarely drew attention.
Then, across two decades, violence struck in isolated places — a farmhouse set back from the lane, a stretch of coastal path below the cliffs, an open field near a housing estate. The investigations ran separately. The answers never came.
Years later, items preserved for decades were examined again. What had once been silent began to speak — and old assumptions shifted.
This week, the Archive traces a case that unfolded slowly — where ordinary familiarity masked something far darker, and where time itself became part of the story.
Links to socials and Discord https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish
Court of Appeal (BAILII) — Appeal refusal judgment
Cooper, Re Application for leave to appeal [2012] EWCA Crim 2240
https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2012/2240.html
Wilkins, Steve & Hill, Jonathan — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer (2013)
First-hand account by the Senior Investigating Officer and ITV journalist
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/steve-wilkins/the-pembrokeshire-murders/9781841884509/
Conviction & sentencing report
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13538545
Background profile — Spot-the-Ball win, burglary history, lifestyle
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13409516
Son’s testimony — “shotgun walks”, hidden possessions, photographs, gun barrel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13077287
CCRC review request (recent status)
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-65374137
The Guardian — early court coverage
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/may/15/double-murders-accused-court
The Guardian — convictions overview (technology breakthrough angle)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/may/26/john-cooper-murders-finally-solved
ITV News — True story explainer / timeline
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-01-11/the-pembrokeshire-murders-the-true-story-behind-the-notorious-double-murders-that-shook-west-wales
ITV News — appeal/review coverage
https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-04-24/bullseye-killer-john-cooper-to-appeal-sentence
Forensic Access — Angela Gallop / forensic involvement
https://www.forensic-access.co.uk/cold-cases/pembrokeshire-murders/
Western Telegraph — trial archive hub
https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/9063258.western-telegraph-murder-trail-25-years/
Western Telegraph — conviction review application
https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/23476698.serial-killer-john-cooper-applies-conviction-review
Crime and Investigation https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/john-william-cooper-the-bullseye-murderer
Royal Television Society — Bullseye history & viewership
https://rts.org.uk/article/comfort-classic-bullseye
UK Game Shows — Bullseye format details
https://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Bullseye
Huffington Post — case explainer tied to ITV drama
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-pembrokeshire-murders-real-story-itv-drama-cast-luke-evans-keith-allen-john-cooper-killer_uk_5ffc3f1bc5b63642b6fd68ef
The Independent — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Where are John Cooper and his family now? https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pembrokeshire-murders-john-cooper-wife-b1786770.html
Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cooper_(serial_killer)
