The Night Watcher

Emerging from the area around London, a violent home invader began to rob affluent families in the waning weeks of 2014. He would strike on-average every six months, always targeting wealthier families that lived in "secure" communities. However, just as soon as he emerged, he was gone, disappearing with roughly £7m in jewelry…

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Robert and Catherine Stiff, a multi-millionaire and his wife, had become well-known in the region of Surrey. There, they lived in Kingswood, a wealthy suburb that was about 20 miles south of London. At the turn of the last decade, they had purchased a home worth approximately £5 million, which was a large, gated mansion that was located next to the Kingswood Golf & Country Club on Sandy Lane.

By 2014, Robert and Catherine had been married for 27 years and had already raised up their three children to adulthood. Robert, in particular, had become well-known in the area as a wealthy entrepreneur, having just recently sold his company Team24 for tens of millions of dollars. In the years that followed, he would become involved with other business ventures, and had been a patron of the Prince's Trust for some time.

Things were undoubtedly going well for the Stiff family, and they were enjoying their privileged life heading into the cold winter months of 2014.

In the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, November 12th, the family patriarch Robert was still away at work. His wife, Catherine, was at home with their two daughters, 23-year-old Chloe and 24-year-old Katie, who had become known for operating a boutique clothing store in Banstead. The sun had set at 4:18 PM that day, and about an hour-and-a-half later, these three women would be thrust into unexpected chaos.

At around 5:45 PM, a large man wearing a balaclava entered the family's home, breaking in through the back of the six-bedroom house. He carried with him a sawed-off shotgun, which he wielded efficiently - never hesitating to aim it at the women in his sights - but knew that he didn't really need to. His shocking emergence and imposing figure were more than enough to scare the women into compliance.

Thankfully, only one of Catherine's two daughters (Katie) was in the main house at the time, but both were immediately accosted by the masked man with the gun, who demanded they lie on the ground. Once there, he began to kick at them; kicking at them multiple times in the sides, showing no regard for 24-year-old Katie's bulging stomach. She was roughly six months pregnant at the time. Catherine, in particular, was hit in the face numerous times by the man, but never enough to daze or confuse her; this individual wanted her to remain alert, believing her to have the information that he wanted.

The masked man spoke clearly and fluently, demanding access to not only the women's jewelry but the family's safe; where, it seems like, he knew that more jewels were being held. Fearing for the lives of herself and her daughters, Catherine opened the safe and allowed the gunman to take numerous prized possessions, which included expensive rings and watches that the family had collected over several years. The gunman took the items and stored them in a black duffle-bag, which he had brought with him. He then bound the three women with zip-ties that he had brought with him, and the dread that the worst was yet to come began to slowly dawn over them.

Then, just like that, the masked man left, leaving behind the three women in a state of shock and disbelief. The incident would be reported to the local police force just minutes after it happened, around 6:00 PM, and specialist firearms officers would be dispatched to the scene of the crime. They, they would discover that the armed offender had already fled, leaving behind no clue as to his identity or his whereabouts.

Meanwhile, the other first responders began to react to the dazed and confused women, who remained in the Stiff estate. Catherine and her pregnant daughter would be admitted to the hospital to be treated for their injuries - which were thankfully minor - and would spend the next several days struggling to overcome their sense of dread and anxiety. Catherine and Robert's other daughter, Chloe, was similarly uninjured, having been elsewhere on the property when the robbery started but happening upon it as it happened. Like her mother and sister, she too was shaken by the incident, understandably so.

This high-profile robbery would spark a manhunt that continues to this day, as the offender of this short-yet-violent act would go on to commit many other similar crimes: perpetrating violence against relatively wealthy families in the pursuit of diamonds, jewels, and other valuables. While some liken his efforts to that of Robin Hood - a violent vigilante that steals from the rich - there has been no evidence that he is doing anything other than lining his own pockets, a distinction that is either lost on some or ignored entirely. Those same people seem to have little sympathy for the wealthy victims, who received violence at the hands of this unknown individual, who has been given a nickname by the press worthy of a comic-book supervillain.

This is the story of the Night Watcher.

Based on the descriptions given by Catherine, Katie, and Chloe Stiff, it was believed that the individual that had broken into their home and robbed them at gunpoint was an imposing figure: a physically-large man that stood upwards of six feet tall. It was speculated that he might have stood 6'4" - nearly two meters tall - with white skin and a stocky, athletic build. The victims described him speaking in a south English accent, potentially even a London accent, and the three survivors described his voice as being "gruff."

In addition to the balaclava he was wearing, this individual was wearing dark clothing, including a black jacket and black leather gloves.

Detectives speculated that this individual had staked out the Stiff home for days, if not weeks, ahead of time, learning the movements of those inside and knowing when would be the opportune moment to strike. They believed that he had accessed the property through the nearby country club and golf course, which jutted up against the sizeable estate. They would attempt to track down security footage from the surrounding area, but because this was a relatively affluent and isolated neighborhood - a large tract of land near a golf course - this was much easier said than done.

The case would receive some attention after it was featured on BBC's "Crimewatch," during which, some footage would be aired that had come from a rail station nearby. This surveillance footage showed a man in a blue shirt arriving at the station at around 3:30 PM, and then leaving about three hours later; a timeline that fits in with when this attack had taken place but was by no means definitive. This man was supposedly recognized by viewers that called in, but it's unknown if he was officially identified or not in the days that followed.

Additional footage from the Kingswood Golf Course would reveal another man arriving in the area at around 4:30, who then began walking off towards the location of the Stiff property. The footage showed this man being followed around the car park by a black Ford Ka, which didn't park and left shortly thereafter. Both were being eyed with suspicion by police, who wanted to track down both the man and the owner of the vehicle.

Detectives did not believe that the offender would return to the region, especially since neighbors of the Stiff family were understandably on-edge over the next several weeks; many of whom had not been taking security precautions seriously, but now were. Officials overseeing the case warned the public that this was a "dangerous and violent individual" who should be avoided at all costs but was likely going to strike again.

Roughly two months after the first robbery, this unknown individual would strike again; this time, just west of London, in the large market town of Maidenhead, in Berkshire. This was in the same neighborhood that famed British journalist Sir Michael Parkinson lived in, along Fishery Road.

On the evening of January 21st, 2015, a woman in her 50s and a man in his 20s (whose identities have been withheld) were quickly stunned and subdued by a man wearing a black mask, who entered in through an unlocked back door of their home just before 7:00 PM. Like the prior case, he carried a sawed-off shotgun into the home, with a black duffle-bag slung around his body.

While specific details of the robbery haven't been released, it has been reported that several items of jewelry were stolen in the commission of this crime. The two witnesses described the armed thief as a white man with a stocky build, who stood upwards of six feet tall and spoke in a southern British accent. He wore a black balaclava and dark clothing, including a black jacket, gloves, pants, and walking shoes.

In the hopes of learning more about this offender, police would reveal this description to the press. But at the time, it was not believed that this was the same offender as the armed robber from Kingswood, about 40 miles to the southeast. Other than the offenders wearing dark clothing and carrying a shotgun while stealing jewelry, there was not much that linked the cases together, and connections between the various cases wouldn't be made until much later.

Nonetheless, some valuable information from this robbery would arise in the form of surveillance footage, which came from a camera covering the back door of the home. This camera had caught the offender in the moments both before and after the crime, as he emerged from the darkness with a black-duffle bag wrapped around him, which he would pull his shotgun out of. He would then sling the bag around him while observing the individuals inside the home, before moving into the house at a brisk pace.

It's worth noting that this man left the back door open when he entered the home; undoubtedly a security precaution for himself in case things went south. He would return to close it during the robbery itself, but this seems to hint at some kind of experience with tactical decision-making.

The footage released by police then shows the offender leaving out the same back door, carrying his black duffle-bag (which had been filled with the victim's precious valuables) and disappearing into the night.

Roughly one year after the second robbery - and fourteen months after the first - this offender would strike again; this time, in Chichester, down in Sussex, about 90 miles south of Maidenhead and 50 miles south of Kingswood. And even though his first two targets had been wealthy individuals, this offender would manage to attack his most high-profile targets yet, the Earl and Countess of March.

Charles Gordon-Lennox and Janet Elizabeth Astor, a very wealthy and esteemed couple, are known throughout the area as Lord and Lady March. Charles, also known as the Duke of Richmond, comes from royal blood and is a major presence in British racing, having founded the Goodwood Festival of Speed and serving as the President of the Auto British Racing Club (as well as being a member of other racing organizations). His wife, Janet, is the daughter of wealthy politician William Waldorf Astor and English model Bronwen Astor and married into the Duke's family in the early 1990s.

Together, this couple resides in Chichester's Goodwood House, a prestigious estate located in West Sussex that was originally built in 1600. There, they reside along with their four children, and - for the most part - have lived a relatively charmed life.

Early on the morning of Wednesday, January 13th, 2016, Lady March was awoken by a strange sound. It was around 4:15 in the morning, and she left her bed to go and inspect whatever the sound was. As soon as she opened her bedroom door, she was shoved backward by a man wearing a balaclava, who had seemingly broken in through an upstairs window by using a ladder he found outside. Now in the bedroom, the masked man struck Lord March once, hitting him in the head with a "blunt instrument" that left the Duke dazed and disoriented. This was just long enough for the masked man to gain control of the situation.

At gunpoint, the man in the balaclava demanded Lady March open the family's safe, which guarded the family's historic valuables. This included a diamond ring valued at upwards of £400,000, which had been made in 1820; as well as an emerald ring once worn by the mistress of King Charles II, whose bastard son had become the first Duke of Richmond. Some of the other valuables stolen included a diamond necklace worth around £200,000, numerous rings containing diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds, and other rare watches and earrings. In total, more than 40 items were stolen - most of which were viewed as irreplaceable - which were estimated to be worth around £700,000 in total.

Once the safe was open, the masked man bound the couple with plastic cable ties that he had brought with him and then gagged them as they lay helpless in their bedroom. There, for over two hours, the couple would remain bound and gagged as the masked man made his getaway; presumably, through the same way that he had come. It wasn't until staff members started to arrive at the estate at around 6:30 that the couple was finally noticed, and 999 was called to report the theft.

The investigation into this third theft was unable to come up with much in the way of evidence. Whoever the offender was, he had been able to cover up his tracks and leave close to nothing behind.

Investigators believed that, because the items he had stolen were so recognizable and expensive, that he would break up the items into individual jewels and gems to sell on the black market, while the metal would be melted down into other items, which he could then hock at home or abroad.

In the weeks that followed, it would be reported that a 26-year-old from Hampshire was arrested on suspicion of robbery, but he was released on bail until February of the following year, pending a continued investigation. This suspect would not be brought up in any subsequent reporting, which indicates to me that this individual was cleared by police, or they stopped suspecting him for any number of reasons.

Over the next couple of years, the investigation into these bizarre and violent thefts would continue, but mostly behind-the-scenes. Other than some scant appearances on news and television broadcasts, the stories of these three robberies would quickly die out in the press. However, the crime spree that this unknown individual had started would continue.

On November 22nd, 2016 - ten months after the burglary of Lord and Lady March - the balaclava-wearing gunman would strike again in Sevenoaks, over in Kent. Then, just two months later (January 2017), he would strike in Maidstone - again in Kent - just a short distance east of Sevenoaks. Then, three months after that - on April 24th, 2017 - the armed robber would return to Surrey to strike in Virginia Waters.

Very few details about these robberies have been released to the media, but in at least one of these attacks, the offender would spend more than an hour in the victims' home - unafraid of being discovered by any of their friends, family or acquaintances - believing them to have more valuables that they had hidden away. And in at least one of these cases, the gunman struck while children were at home; while he didn't specifically target the kids, he made it clear to their parents that he would harm them if necessary.

Roughly six months after the last violent theft in Virginia Waters, this offender would strike again in Surrey; returning to the neighborhood where he had committed his first known crime, Kingswood.

Susan Morris was a married 61-year-old that was home alone on the evening of October 26th, 2017. She was working from her home computer in the early evening and was surprised when she turned around and discovered that a balaclava-wearing man had been slowly creeping up behind her, carrying a shotgun. Once he closed into Susan, he grabbed ahold of her and would refuse to let go of her for more than a moment during the commission of this crime; using his physical strength to fuel the woman's fear.

According to Susan, who said that this man spoke without a noticeable accent, he told her:

"I want the jewellery, take me to the safe."

This man even made Susan touch the shotgun he was carrying, just to show her that it was real and not a prop. He began hitting her repeatedly, demanding to be given access to all of her family's jewels.

Speaking to reporters, Susan would later recall:

"I gave him a lot of jewellery from the safe and I said to him, 'You have got very valuable stuff there, now get out,' but he wasn't happy with that; he asked for more jewellery, I gave him some more jewellery and he then wanted more jewellery, and this is when he really got angry and started to hit me.

"He hit me very hard on my face, not enough to knock me out, he knew exactly how hard to hit me. He hit me three times on my face, it was very painful. I couldn't believe the blows kept coming.

"At one point when he was hitting me, with the gun pointing at me, at that moment I did actually think, this is it, it's all over."

After being hit in the face and torso repeatedly, and then bound with zip-ties that the offender had brought with him, Susan was then dragged down the stairs and into a separate room by her hair. There, Susan recalls, she remembered thinking that she was about to get raped; which, thankfully, did not happen.

After telling the masked man that her husband was going to be home any moment now, the masked men told her without hesitating:

"I'll shoot him."

Shortly thereafter, though, the masked man would leave the home through the way he came, having stolen precious valuables from the Morris family: including some heirlooms that Susan had inherited from her mother-in-law the year prior, and a brooch from her own mother, who had died decades beforehand.

Susan's husband, Stephen, returned home shortly thereafter and found his wife hiding in a bedroom, still bound with zip-ties. After being discovered, Susan would be taken to a local hospital to be treated for her numerous injuries, which included extensive bruising to her face, a broken jaw, a missing tooth, and other cuts and bruises to the rest of her body.

In January of 2018, this story would finally begin to gain some traction throughout the United Kingdom, due to police releasing several details that they had collected over the past three years.

A joint investigation had been formed between various police agencies, which was operating under the codename "Operation Prometheus." This included police from the counties in which the offender had struck, but was lead by investigators from the Surrey Police force. They would begin to release images of the items stolen by this individual, which they speculated that he had either broken down into individual gems and metals or was attempting to sell overseas. It was estimated that this individual had stolen several million pounds of valuables.

Investigators would also publish footage and stills from the security camera at the second robbery, the crime in Maidenhead. This was the footage that showed that man watching his victims from glass panes near the back door, which eventually gave this offender a nickname from the press: the "Night Watcher."

The woman leading the investigation, Surrey Police Detective Inspector Dee Fielding, would state to the press:

"The burglaries all appear to be the work of someone who knows exactly what they are doing and who is incredibly decisive in their actions.

"On each occasion unnecessary levels of violence have been used in addition to a firearm, which he used to threaten the victims, who have then been tied up.

"He has worked quickly and appears to have knowledge of who is home at the time of each attack, the location of safes and the layout of the home.

"This leads us to believe he has planned the attacks in advance with a great level of detail and prior knowledge.

"He is incredibly confident, incredibly violent and we believe he has specialist skills to commit the burglaries we have investigated. This individual does extensive research on houses before he burgles them. In fact, we know he will stake out houses for weeks.

"He does this to ensure he knows what the occupants are doing, their daily routines before using the sawn off shotgun to intimidate and terrify them.

"He is an extremely confident individual, it is very unusual for someone to be willing to enter a house alone and dominate more than one person inside.

"We can't run the risk of him striking again. Somebody knows who he is. Perhaps someone from an ex-military or services background?"

We can glean certain details about this individual from the numerous armed robberies he carried out.

For starters, we know that he is a white man that acted alone. He's also a somewhat-imposing figure, standing anywhere between 6' and 6'4", with a stocky, athletic build. Almost all of the victims described him having a southern British accent; and some even described him as sounding like he was from London (I'm not well-versed on the nuances between different accents in the U.K., so I'm unsure if Londonians have their own distinct accent separate from those around them, so make of that detail what you will). He was also described as well-spoken and intelligent, implying some level of higher education or significant life experience.

We also know that during the commission of these crimes, this individual seemed to know who was at home and when; implying that he observed the families and their homes for days, if not weeks, ahead of time. He also seemed to keep notes on everyone living in the residence, knowing when they would be gone or asleep and for how long.

Additionally, this man seemed to have knowledge of the home's inner layout, knowing which homes had safes (and knowing ahead of time if there was more than one and where they were). At times, he would attack his victims when they were letting their dogs outside, indicating that he was lying in wait for the opportune moment to catch them off-guard.

In addition to the publicly-released surveillance footage (from January of 2015), there seems to be other footage withheld by the investigators, which shows this individual approaching homes at varying times and observing those inside. It's been theorized that this individual actually enters the home while people are out, learning the layout and where things are inside (such as the safe, which he then directs the victims toward).

This individual seemed to strike, on average, about once every six months, although it varies, with the shortest time between robberies being two months and the longest time being an entire year. This implies a sense of regularity in doing so; perhaps indicating that he commits these crimes whenever he needs money.

This man also used violence and the threat of his sawed-off shotgun to force compliance, having been more than willing to physically abuse older or even pregnant women to accomplish his goals. This implies a sense of familiarity with violence, which leads us to one of the most popular theories in this case.

Based on the efficiency of the crimes and the offender's attention to detail, it is believed that he has some kind of military experience (whether it be prior or current). Due to him scouting out locations and families ahead of time - for days, if not weeks - and committing his crimes with expediency and efficiency, it is believed that he might have some knowledge of military tactics or had been involved in similar operations abroad.

The National Crime Agency, who have weighed in on this case, believe that this man may have served or is still serving in the Armed Forces. They took into consideration the man's patience while conducting reconnaissance on his victims, as well as his ability to evade sophisticated security systems, as major factors in this judgment. Some have even publicly theorized that this man might have trained with the French Foreign Legion.

As I hinted at just moments ago, it is believed that in addition to surveilling his victims, this individual has likely broken into many of the properties he robs ahead of time. This would give him knowledge of the home's layout - perhaps informing him where any potential weapons or hiding spots would be - and also lets him know where the safes are that he later empties of valuables.

Because of his nonchalant, confident attitude during these crimes - as well as his willingness to attack while multiple people are home - it is believed that he is an experienced criminal. Or, at least, someone who is no stranger to violence (which fits in with the theory of him being prior- or current-military). This is a real worry to police, including Detective Inspector Dee Fielding, who told the media:

"We are worried the violence could escalate and a victim could get really badly hurt or worse."

In the years since this crime spree started, investigators have theorized that the culprit could have been behind other similar burglaries that have not yet been officially linked to this crime spree.

In addition to the seven known crimes that the Night Watcher committed between 2014 and 2017, investigators were able to link him to at least five other offenses: all of which occurred in southern or southeastern England and spanned the years of 2006 to 2017. These crimes bore significant similarities to the known crimes, and police have since confirmed them as being committed by the same masked individual, expanding the timeline of his crimes by an entire decade.

In the years since, they have begun to suspect that at least four other crimes bear a number of similarities, which investigators have referred to a "significant links" to the Night Watcher's spree. This includes "senseless violence" by the offender, as well as the usage of a sawed-off shotgun to threaten victims (among other similarities).

There are also some additional burglaries were committed throughout Surrey between 2006 and 2015 that may be linked to this violent thief, but officials have not publicly disclosed any information about this potential link.

More recently, the Night Watcher seems to have gone silent after his crimes started getting publicized by the English press. Following the announcements in January of 2018, there have been no additional crimes linked to this individual, but there is one crime from last year that bears many similarities.

On February 27th, 2019, a woman living along Wray Lane in the town of Reigate was accosted by a man wearing a ski mask. Instead of carrying a gun, this man wielded a knife, which he used to threaten the woman and demand all of her jewelry. The woman later described him as speaking in an articulate southern English accent, wearing black clothing, and carrying a black duffle bag. She also described him as being between 35 - 40 years old, standing around 5'11" with a stocky build, and having light-colored eyes with light brown hair. This matches the general description of the Night Watcher, but the added details - such as him being a bit shorter, and having more of his facial features exposed - leaves many to theorize that this was nothing more than a copycat wielding a knife.

Thankfully, the woman from this most recent incident was unharmed, but she was left shaken after the robbery, which lasted around 20 minutes in total and cost her several of her family's valuable personal items.

For some time, it was theorized that the Night Watcher could also be the Wimbledon Prowler: a somewhat-similar criminal that struck in the Wimbledon region of London, striking the homes of wealthier families in the area. Like the Night Watcher, the Wimbledon Prowler acted alone and committed similar robberies on high-profile targets, including tennis champion Boris Becker and ex-footballer Nicolas Anelka (who reportedly chased this thief through the yard).

This Prowler was supposedly responsible for dozens of burglaries and thefts from over a decade, spanning between 2006 and 2018. It was reported that he was even brazen enough to strike the same house more than once, stealing upwards of £10 million worth of jewelry and other expensive items. Because none of these valuables were ever recovered, it was believed that the Prowler had broken them down into parts for individual resale, or had pawned them off overseas or in illicit black markets.

Despite being caught on numerous security cameras over the years - and matching the same physical description as the Night Watcher - the Wimbledon Prowler managed to avoid detection and identification for over a decade; during which time, the Night Watcher came to prominence, and police began to grow concerned that they might be one-in-the-same. Both showed a tendency to evade security cameras, showed a talent for conducting careful reconnaissance against their victims, and showed an ability to either control or avoid the victims to accomplish their goals.

Detective Inspector Dan O'Sullivan from Scotland Yard said about the Wimbledon Prowler, who he believed might have also been the Night Watcher:

"There is evidence that my suspect also has military training or experience in the Armed Forces. He is highly disciplined and has left few clues.

"In the offenses committed in South West London the suspect has clearly observed properties but has avoided confrontation.

"But if the psychological profiling of the individual is correct, he could be disciplined enough to 'switch on' violence and intimidation when he needs it."

It wasn't until last year that police were finally able to identify the Wimbledon Prowler, through two DNA markers left at separate crime scenes; which they were eventually able to link together, and then to a definitive suspect.

In 2019, investigators identified the Prowler as 42-year-old Asdrit Kapaj, an Albanian-born man that lived in Manchester with his wife and two children. He had originally lived in Wimbledon after arriving in the UK back in 1996, a decade before his crime spree began, and actually traveled more than 400 miles to commit each of his burglaries, making the commute from Manchester to London in order to avoid detection.

In Manchester, Kapaj had owned and operated a fish-and-chip shop but had secretly become a gambling addict; using the proceeds from his thefts to support his bad habits. It would also be discovered that Kapaj, an Albanian immigrant, was supposed to have been deported years prior because of prior arrests for theft; which would become a divisive issue in local politics when he was finally identified as the Wimbledon Prowler and apprehended in February of 2019.

Asdrit Kapaj later pleaded guilty to numerous offenses, including some of the most high-profile burglaries and thefts, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was also ordered to be deported following the serving of his sentence, permanently bringing his time in the UK to an end. However, during his sentencing, Kapaj refused to spill the beans on where he had distributed the stolen goods, or even where they currently were. Likewise, he kept many of his methods a secret, with police and other officials still not knowing how he gained entry to many of the homes he broke into.

Despite their methods seeming to be totally different - with the Night Watcher embracing and utilizing violence, and the Wimbledon Prowler seeming to avoid confrontation - some consider the correlation between the sprees to be suspicious. However, I think it's just a coincidence that the Night Watcher has not re-appeared since the arrest of Kapaj, who remains incarcerated today.

While the Night Watcher managed to escape from his various crime scenes without leaving behind any known forensic clues, it is possible that DNA may hold the answer to his identity.

Investigators have admitted that they have a suspicious DNA sample, which was retrieved from a single crime scene and has yet to be matched with any of the others. This DNA sample has been tested against policemen and known criminals - all of whom submit their DNA into a national database (in the case of police, to test for cross-contamination at crime scenes) - but a search of this database has not come back with a match as of yet.

However, investigators would really like to test this DNA against another large forensic database: that of the armed forces, who take the DNA of everyone enlisted or commissioned (just in case they need to identify their remains). Because investigators believe that the Night Watcher has military experience, they believe that this treasure trove of DNA might hold the answer, but the British military has continued to deny this request, citing privacy laws and standards that they have to adhere to... which don't allow for fishing expeditions from law enforcement.

As it stands now, the Armed Forces are not able to open up the database for any other agency - not even the police - unless that agency can provide more evidence that someone, in particular, has committed a crime. As they have done for other similar cases, they cannot break precedent for this one case but will require police to provide more proof before they move forward to compare DNA samples.

The investigation into this bizarre and violent crime spree carries on to this day.

Operation Prometheus has reviewed more than 10,000 tips and cleared more than 200 separate persons-of-interest, but has been unable to officially link any additional crimes to this individual since the story broke; at least, no crimes since the waning months of 2017.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Preston of the Surrey Police told the press last year (2019):

"No further offences that fit within this series have been identified since October 2017... this may be because the offender has left the country or has died."

Investigators also suspect that the scrutiny drawn to the crime spree - as more of his violent tendencies have come to light - might have scared off the individual, who may fear getting caught. However, as of this moment, he has done a good job of concealing himself from authorities, with none of his stolen items being recovered in the years since and his identity remaining unknown.

The man involved in this crime spree is likely white, relatively tall, with a stocky and/or muscular build. He speaks with a southern English accent and was probably away from his home often (during the days/weeks he was committing these crimes and surveilling families). He may or may not have military experience (knowledge he carried over into his criminal career) and might have a disproportionate amount of wealth, having stolen roughly £7,000,000 in valuables over his three-year career... and that's just what investigators have released thus far. His criminal record likely extends beyond these twelve known crimes, and it's possible that he has stolen much more over a longer period of time.

Anyone with information is encouraged to reach out to Surrey Police, or send an email to the joint investigation at OPPrometheus@surrey.pnn.police.uk. Anyone calling in an anonymous tip can do so by dialing Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.

Until such a time that this criminal is unmasked, the story of the mysterious Night Watcher will remain unresolved.

Episode Information

Writing, research, hosting, and production by Micheal Whelan

Published on on June 21st, 2020

Producers: Maggyjames, Roberta Janson, Ben Krokum, PEggy Belarde, Quil Carter, Victoria Reid, Gabriella Bromley, Laura Hannan, Damion Moore, Amy Hampton, Steven Wilson, Scott Meesey, Marie Vanglund, Scott Patzold, Astrid Kneier, Lori Rodriguez, Aimee McGregor, Danny WIlliams, Sydney Scotton, Sara Moscaritolo, Sue Kirk, Thomas Ahearn, Seth Morgan, Marion Welsh, Patrick Laakso, Kelly Jo Hapgood, Alyssa Lawton, Meadow Landry, Rebecca Miller, Tatum Bautista, Jared Midwood, Travis Scsepko, Erin Pyles, Jo Wong, Teunia Elzinga, Consuelo Moreno, Jacinda B., Emi Coates, and Kelly Harris