BBC Crimewatch actor named as suspect in case he starred in 21 years ago
An actor who played a murderer in an episode of Crimewatch 21 years ago has now been named as a suspect in the same unsolved case following the BBC’s decision to replay the appeal last month.
Steve Watson played the role of a suspect in an episode of Crimewatch which reconstructed the murder of nursery worker Julie Pacey in 1994. Watson, 31 at the time, lived just 15 miles away from Pacey’s home in Lincolnshire where she was found dead in her bathroom by her 14 year-old daughter. Watson bore an uncanny resemblance to the police sketch of the killer who was found to have strangled and sexually assaulted Pacey.
After responding to a BBC advertisement to play the wanted man, Watson’s resemblance resulted in him being cast in the role. His similarities to the suspect however resulted in suspicion and abuse by people who mistook him for the killer, including an officer who attempted to arrest him when he visited the police station in costume with the TV crew.
The BBC re-aired the case last month with the original footage after a breakthrough in the case. Two Crimewatch viewers subsequently contacted police and named Watson as the killer.
According to The Times, Police arrived at Watson’s home in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where they collected a DNA sample and he still remains a suspect.
He is said to be angered by the BBC’s failure to contact him prior to his appearance in last month’s episode. He told The Times that he could “see the laugh in it, but the serious side is there. If you’re going to do a reconstruction in a murder case, then be prepared for whatever comes.”
Regarding Watson’s involvement in the case Detective Inspector Helen Evans, of Lincolnshire police, said: “We would be remiss not to thoroughly investigate every solid piece of information that has come in and decide whether or not it is relevant to the enquiry.”
The BBC meanwhile commented that it “always [tries] to contact actors involved when reconstructions are re-used, unfortunately this actor’s details were not listed in our records.”
A clip from the Crimewatch case can be viewed below.