The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer

After having spent almost half his life in prison, suspected serial killer Charles Sobhraj agrees to a series of interrogations concerning murders he has never been tried for. Experts try to get to the truth of the horrific crimes, bring about some accountability for the victims, and assess whether Sobhraj remains a dangerous man.

The first episode lays out the horrific crimes that Sobhraj is accused of committing in Asia before charting Sobhraj's trail of robberies and scams in his 20s, which lead to him being imprisoned in Afghanistan. After a shocking jailbreak, a witness describes what's believed to be his first murder. Former Metropolitan Police detective Jackie Malton begins her re-examination of the murders Sobhraj is accused of, focussing on five horrific killings in Thailand in the 1970s. Meanwhile, leading forensic psychologist Paul Britton explores Sobhraj's childhood and motivation.

Former detective Jackie Malton recruits another ex-Met officer, Gary Copson, to help with her investigation. The pair interview key witnesses to the five murders committed in Thailand in the 1970s and challenge Sobhraj's version of events. Forensic psychologist Paul Britton continues his examination of Sobhraj, trying to ascertain whether he's still a dangerous man.

Former Met Police detectives Jackie Malton and Gary Copson re-examine five murders linked to Charles Sobhraj in the 1970s. They work to collate all the existing evidence about Sobhraj and gear up for their final interrogations. Criminal psychologist Paul Britton makes his final assessment about whether Sobhraj is a psychopath and if he remains a dangerous man.