California police launch 'Serial' style podcast to catch fugitive murder suspect
British-born Peter Chadwick was arrested for the murder of his wife in 2012 but skipped bail in 2015.
Thursday 20 September 2018 07:26, UK
A new true crime podcast series has been launched, written and produced by detectives hunting for the wealthy British-born fugitive in a murder case.
Following the huge success of podcasts like Serial and S-town, police in Newport Beach in California have created Countdown to Capture in the hope it will help them find suspected murderer Peter Chadwick.
Chadwick has been on the run since January 2015 when he disappeared while on bail over the murder of his wife Quee Choo 'QC' Chadwick.
In October 2012, he called police claiming a handyman had murdered QC and forced him to drive to the Mexican border to dump her body.
But Chadwick was found covered in blood and scratches and was arrested after leading police to his wife's body.
When he was released on $2 million bail, he surrendered his British and American passports but detectives believe he did manage to leave the country.
The six-part podcast series, prompted by the huge commercial success of a host of true crime stories, is believed to be unique in being produced by officers involved in an active investigation.
"Listeners will hear about his crimes, his arrest and how he has been able to escape justice so far," said Newport Beach police chief Jon Lewis.
"Peter could be anywhere in the world. He has got the financial means to avoid the restrictions on his travel and he's taken every opportunity to hide his tracks.
"We want to spread his picture and the story of his crimes far and wide. We want everyone to be looking for Peter Chadwick."
The 54-year-old millionaire property investor had moved $600,000 out of bank account before his disappearance. Detectives found books on "Surviving in Mexico" and "How To Live On The Run Successfully" in his home.
He had been married to Quee for 21 years and the couple had three sons. Chadwick was born in the UK but later became a US citizen.
He has now been added to the Most Wanted List of the US Marshals Service and a reward of $100,000 offered for information leading to his capture.
In a message to him, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said: "Mr Chadwick, you are in a very bad situation here.
"You are a fugitive from justice, there's a $100,000 reward on your head, the word is getting out everywhere, it is going to get to every corner of the world.
"You can run but you can't hide much longer. Do yourself a favour, Mr Chadwick, and turn yourself in."