Should I Marry a Murderer has gripped Netflix viewers across the world – but last year, the BBC tackled the same devastating case in a documentary you can stream for free.
There are plenty of new documentaries arriving this month, but it’ll be hard for Netflix to top Should I Marry a Murderer.
The series follows Caroline Muirhead, a Scottish doctor who discovered that her fiancé, Alexander “Sandy” McKellar, had killed and buried a man. She eventually reported him to the police, while continuing the relationship as she gathered evidence and wrestled with her own conflicted feelings.
It’s a compelling, complicated case. If it seems familiar, there’s a good chance you may have already seen it covered in a BBC documentary.
Should I Marry a Murderer fans need to watch The Vanishing Cyclist
Murder Case launched on BBC Scotland in 2019, offering deep dives into “Scotland’s most complex and shocking murder investigations, with unprecedented access”.
It has covered several major cases, including the disappearance of Julie Reilly and the murder of Kiesha Donaghy.
In August 2025, the series released The Vanishing Cyclist, a two-part documentary about the death of Tony Parsons.
If you’ve watched Should I Marry a Murderer, the title will immediately make sense. Parsons, 63, was on a solo charity bike ride when he was hit by McKellar’s car in 2017.
“As Tony embarked on his journey through the iconic Bridge of Orchy, he seemingly vanished without a trace,” the synopsis reads.
“Three years on, and one phone call changes everything. A woman has called 999 and revealed something truly astonishing: she knows the truth about what happened to Tony Parsons.”
That woman was Caroline Muirhead, McKellar’s fiancée and the central figure in Should I Marry a Murderer.
However, aside from a recording of her voice, Muirhead doesn’t feature heavily in The Vanishing Cyclist. Instead, it focuses more on the police investigation, Parsons’ loved ones, and the wider impact of his death.
‘Reserve judgement until you watch The Vanishing Cyclist’
Should I Marry a Murderer has sparked strong reactions, particularly around Muirhead and the police’s treatment of her.
That’s why many viewers have recommended The Vanishing Cyclist as essential follow-up viewing.
Not only is it a strong documentary in its own right, but it gives a wider view of the case and may change how some viewers feel about what happened.
“The way she was portrayed in the BBC documentary by the police was absolutely abhorrent, they completely dismissed and downplayed her involvement with putting them on the path to solving it and how much danger she potentially was in from the brothers,” one viewer wrote.
“Seriously, anyone reading this needs to watch the BBC documentary and reserve judgement until afterwards,” they added.
“It was very harrowing, hopefully the family can move on,” another wrote.
“It was pretty awful and a hard watch,” a third commented.
“This was a fascinating watch – so glad his family finally got closure,” a fourth added.
“This is the true way how the story of how this happened, not like it was told from a different perspective and more of a film makeover like Netflix did,” another argued.
How to watch Murder Case: The Vanishing Cyclist
Murder Case: The Vanishing Cyclist is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
You can also stream the rest of Murder Case for free.
Read more: The best movies you can watch on BBC iPlayer now
Should I Marry a Murderer is available on Netflix.
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