The Sun HillSerial Killer was a major storyline from the ITVpolice procedural drama The Bill. Known originally as the "River Murders", the storyline spanned several months in 2002 and served as the exit for popular cast regular Cass Rickman. It was the first of several serial killer storylines in the show. Events came to a head in the New Year of 2003, when Acting DI Samantha Nixon discovers the truth and is taken hostage by the serial killer, before a final confrontation in which she is overpowered by DC Duncan Lennox, charged and thrown into the cells at Sun Hill Station.
The victims
All the victims of the killer featured prominently in various episodes.
Liz Chambers – A teenage goth who testified against her father in court in favour of her boyfriend, who is later considered to be a strong suspect for the killings.
Tina Pope – A young mother married to a known violent criminal. The police begin the hunt for a serial killer when her body is discovered to bear the same hallmarks as the body of Liz Chambers. Her dead body is later stolen from a morgue and morbid photos leaked onto an S&M website.
Miriam Ray – The victim of a flasher. She helps the police identify the man who exposes himself in a park.
Lucy Corrigan – Desperate to drive a wedge in her ex-boyfriend's marriage, she sends hate mail to herself claiming him as the sender. Her tearful and frightened act vanishes into a cool and ruthless one once her lies are exposed.
Vicki Casson – A middle class teenage runaway determined to make her stepmother's life hell, including putting her in hospital.
PC Cass Rickman – The final victim of the serial killer and former cast regular. The discovery of her body ties up the loose ends of the case and wraps up the storyline.
The killer
The Sun Hill Serial Killer was finally revealed to be Patricia "Pat" Kitson, an unstable woman who had been obsessed with her own brother. Her brother killed himself in his cell at the station after evidence was found in connection with the murders and the serial killer tried to frame him in the concluding episode of the storyline. Pat kidnaps Acting Detective InspectorSamantha Nixon, intent on making her the seventh victim. She confesses to Nixon about the murders revealing she saw them as rivals for her brother's affections. She also confesses to being responsible for the murder of her brother's first wife because she wasn't good enough for her brother. At the police station, PC Nick Klein lashes out at Pat and hits her, yelling that he trusted her and that Cass' mother had the decency to thank her for coming to the funeral in Liverpool, when she was the killer all along.
Legacy
The high ratings of the Serial Killer storyline spanned two similar storylines, in which other members of the cast were written out. The Sun Hill Gay Serial Killer storyline saw the exit of PC Lance Powell and the Sun Hill Sniper storyline saw out long-time favourite PC Kerry Young. The storyline was also referenced when Nixon’s daughter went missing in season 20. She stated it was the most famous case she investigated during her career as a police officer to that point.
