It's been just over a week since Channel 4 dropped the latest episodes of 24 Hours in Police Custody, but we're still obsessing over every detail of the A Family Vendetta special.
The two-parter follows the investigation into the brutal murders of 32-year-old Josh Dunmore and his father, 57-year-old Gary Dunmore. The pair were gunned down by 67-year-old Stephen Alderton, who killed them over a custody dispute involving his daughter, Samantha Stephen. Alderton was later sentenced to a minimum jail term of 30 years – but, by the end of 24 Hours in Police Custody, viewers (us included) were left wondering what happened to his daughter?
Here, we take a look at Samantha Stephen's role in the case and where she is now...
Where is Samantha Stephen?
Following the murders of her ex-partner, Josh Dunmore, and his father, Samantha Stephen has relocated to the US with her new husband.
Stephen no longer has custody of her son, who is now in the care of Mandy Seamark, the mother of Josh Dunmore. Speaking about the child she now has sole custody of, Seamark said in the 24 Hours in Police Custody documentary: "He's lost so much, but I just want him to know what a good daddy and grandad he had."
"To get yourself up every day, before he came to me, was painful," she added of the impact the murders have had. "It's always with you. It's never gone. But I've got my ray of sunshine – and he is a ray of sunshine."
Everyone's clicking on...
It's unclear what Stephen's new life in the US is like, or if she maintains a relationship with her son.
Who is Samantha Stephen?
Samantha Stephen is the daughter of Stephen Alderton, who was convicted of killing Samantha's ex-partner, Josh Dunmore, and his father.
Stephen and Dunmore had previously been in a relationship and shared a son, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Upon the breakdown of their relationship, Stephen entered a new relationship and went on to marry US Air Force serviceman Paul Stephen. He was later redeployed to America for work, and Stephen filed a petition to take her son to the US with them.
Dunmore opposed Stephen's application to take their son to the US, and on 27 March, just two days before the shootings, the family court made an interim ruling that Stephen and Dunmore's son could not be taken out of the country – thus setting Alderton on a murderous path.
Speaking about the events that led up to the death of Dunmore and his father, prosecutor Peter Gair said that it was "clear" the murders were "triggered" by this family court case. Similarly, Judge Mark Bishop said during Alderton's sentencing that he carried out the brutal murders due to his "distorted beliefs" about family court proceedings, following what was "an interim and not final hearing on 27 March".
This is further backed up by comments made by Alderton after his arrest, as well as texts he'd sent before killing the Dunmores. Just hours after the double murders, Alderton told police that "sometimes you have to do what you have to do even if it's wrong in the eyes of the law". The court also heard he had previously written in text messages that he would "override any court decision" and that there was "always a plan B".
24 Hours in Police Custody: A Family Vendetta is available to stream on Channel 4.
