The upcoming documentary Did You Kill Emma? revisits one of Scotland’s most disturbing cold cases, the murder of 27-year-old Emma Caldwell, whose killing went unsolved for nearly two decades before a breakthrough conviction.
Emma Caldwell disappeared in Glasgow in April 2005. Her body was later discovered in Limefield Woods near Biggar, South Lanarkshire, several weeks after she went missing.
The case remained unresolved for years before being reopened following renewed scrutiny and fresh investigative work.
Investigative failings
Emma Caldwell was working as a sex worker in Glasgow when she disappeared in 2005.
The original investigation later came under serious criticism for missed opportunities and investigative shortcomings. Former officers involved in the early inquiry have stated that warning signs about a suspect’s behavior were not properly acted upon at the time, and that early lines of inquiry focused on other individuals who were later cleared.
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Police Scotland later acknowledged failings in the handling of the case and issued an apology to Caldwell’s family and other victims following the eventual conviction.
Conviction after nearly two decades
The case returned to public attention through renewed investigative journalism and media coverage, including BBC Scotland’s Disclosure series, which examined inconsistencies and gaps in the original inquiry.
In February 2024, Iain Packer was convicted of the murder of Emma Caldwell, along with multiple other serious offences involving sexual violence against 22 women. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 36 years, backdated to 2022.
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The sentencing judge described his actions as a prolonged campaign of violent and sexual offending that caused severe and lasting harm to multiple victims.
Iain Packer is currently serving his life sentence in a Scottish prison. He will remain incarcerated for decades before being eligible for parole, following one of the country’s most significant sexual violence convictions.
The series is expected to release on Prime Video in June 2026 as part of its true-crime slate, with availability potentially varying by region.