The story of the trial that gripped America

Documentary exploring the trial that gripped America, 25 years on. Lawyers, expert witnesses and media, tell their side of the story. British nanny Louise Woodward had been taking care of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen for just a few weeks before he was apparently shaken to death. Louise was held responsible, convicted of murder, but eventually walked free. This compelling Louise Woodward documentary covers the twists and turns of the televised trial that had everyone talking.

Watch The Trial of Louise Woodward and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

More documentaries you might like...

Subscribe to BBC Select for hundreds of hours of thought - provoking, award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentaries from the BBC and beyond.

The Kingdom: The World's Most Powerful Prince

The Kingdom: The World's Most Powerful Prince

The extraordinary rise of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia.

(K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story

(K)Nox: The Rob Knox Story

A true crime investigation into the murder of 18-year-old Harry Potter star Rob Knox.

Disappeared: Mexico's Missing 43

Disappeared: Mexico's Missing 43

Nine years ago in Mexico, 43 students disappeared. What happened, and who is responsible?

The Murder of Alice Ruggles: Social Media Murders

The Murder of Alice Ruggles: Social Media Murders

A chilling true crime investigation into a young woman killed by her calculating ex.

The Apartheid Killer

The Apartheid Killer

The shocking true story of a serial killer on the loose in 80s South Africa.

The Missing Cryptoqueen

The Missing Cryptoqueen

What happened to cryptocurrency queen Ruja Ignatova, the world’s most wanted woman?

Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?

Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?

Are masked men responsible for people dying as they try to cross the Mediterranean?

War and Justice: The Case of Marine A

War and Justice: The Case of Marine A

The death of a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan leads to a murder charge for a soldier.

Kidnapped: A Georgian Adventure

Kidnapped: A Georgian Adventure

The story of James Annesley, whose fate inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's book Kidnapped.

The Body in the Bag

The Body in the Bag

The mysterious, shocking unsolved murder of a spy found dead inside a locked bag.

Murder In Mayfair

Murder In Mayfair

Why has the only suspect in the murder of a student never faced justice for the crime?

Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua

Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua

Man of God? Or predatory cult leader? A ground-breaking investigation into TB Joshua.

The Man Who Took Shannon Matthews

The Man Who Took Shannon Matthews

This is the untold story of the man who abducted nine-year-old Shannon Matthews.

The Beverly Allitt Tapes

The Beverly Allitt Tapes

Exploring the crimes of Beverley Allitt who was convicted of murdering four children.

Murdered: Baby on the beach

Murdered: The Baby on the Beach

A woman is accused of murdering her child in a true-crime case that shocked Ireland.

Tortured To Death: Murdering The Nanny

Tortured To Death: Murdering The Nanny

The bizarre story of a couple who murdered their au pair for truly unbelievable reasons.

Taken: Putin’s Stolen Children

Taken: Putin’s Stolen Children

What has happened to the thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russian state?

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley investigates murderesses from history and their extraordinary crimes.

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley investigates murderesses from history and their extraordinary crimes.

The Queen and Her Lover

The Queen and Her Lover

Was Mary, the Queen of Scotland responsible for the brutal murder of her husband?

The Footballer, His Wife and the Crash

The Footballer, His Wife and the Crash

The story of footballer Jlloyd Samuel whose dream became a nightmare.

Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisoning

Litvinenko: The Mayfair Poisoning

The previously untold story of those who investigated Alexander Litvinenko’s murder.

Body On The Beach: What Happened to Annie?

Body On The Beach: What Happened to Annie?

Annie Börjesson’s body was found on a Scottish beach in 2005. But what happened to her?

Girl, Taken

Girl, Taken

A baby is kidnapped just after birth. Many years later, she randomly meets her sister.

Killed by a rich kid

Killed by a Rich Kid

A look at the killing of Yousef Makki and the subsequent trial that shocked a nation.

moors murders

Moors Murders

The shocking story of the Moors Murders, the most notorious serial killings in UK history.

Murder of Meredith

The Murder of Meredith

Exploring the evidence, egos and errors in the case of Meredith Kercher's murder.

Andrew Tate: The Man Who Groomed the World

Andrew Tate: The Man Who Groomed the World?

Who is influencer Andrew Tate and how has he grown to be such a controversial figure?

The Ice Cream Wars

The Ice Cream Wars

The story of one of Scotland's most brutal crimes and a 20-year fight for justice.

Who Killed Lin and Megan?

Who Killed Lin and Megan?

Could a serial killer be responsible for a vicious murder? Is the wrong man in jail?

Ransom

Ransom

How an extortionist and murderer evaded capture following the kidnapping of a young woman.

National Security: The Treholt Story

National Security: The Treholt Story

The thrilling story of Arne Treholt, a diplomat accused and imprisoned for espionage.

Worlds Collide The Manchester Bombing

Worlds Collide: The Manchester Bombing

Why did a British-born terrorist detonate a suicide bomb at an Ariana Grande concert?

The Murder of Grace Millane: Social Media Murders

What role did social media play in the tragic death of British backpacker Grace Millane?

Image of the home of the bambers

The Bambers: Murder At The Farm

Jeremy Bamber was convicted of killing his whole family. But is there more to the murder?

A silencer gun pointed at the white house

A Murder In Washington

An investigation into Seth Rich, a young staffer working for the Democrats, who was shot.

One Bullet In Belize

The story of a murdered cop and the socialite who fired the gun

Untold: The Muder of James Bulger

Image of a shadow of two sil

Untold: The Murder of James Bulger

This is the inside story of the murder of toddler James Bulger.

Untold: The Wests

Image of shovel in the dirt with police tape across the image

Untold: The Wests

It’s one of Britain’s most notorious crimes: a killer couple living in a house of horrors. The 12 women killing spree went undiscovered for years. With exclusive witness testimony and rarely seen archival footage, this definitive true crime documentary reveals the true horror of The Wests. Told by those who lived it, this is the story of how an innocuous couple became notorious killers.

Watch Who Killed The Princes in the Tower? on BBC Select

Who Killed The Princes in the Tower?

Did King Richard III murder two princes to ruthlessly gain the crown of England?

Stream Downfall of the Porn King: The Ron Jeremy Story on BBC Select

Downfall of the Porn King: The Ron Jeremy Story

The rise and fall of porn star, Ron Jeremy.

Stream Louis Theroux: Dark States - Murder in Milwaukee on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Dark States - Murder in Milwaukee

Louis Theroux is in Milwaukee to investigate the city's spiraling homicide rate.

Image of someone looking out of a window with bars on it

Life and Death Row

A look at what it's like to live on death row

Watch Jack the Ripper The Case Reopened

Jack the Ripper - The Case Reopened

Casting a new light on the Jack the Ripper case

Watch The Spy Who Fell to Earth on BBC Select

The Spy Who Fell to Earth

The incredible story of an Israeli double agent who died in mysterious circumstances.

Stream Look Away on BBC Select

Look Away

Decades of coercion and sexual abuse within the music industry are investigated.

Stream Married to a Psychopath on BBC Select

Married to a Psychopath

The gripping true crime story of a detective's relentless pursuit of a ruthless killer.

Taken: Hunting the Sex Traffickers

Can a secret police investigation find the masterminds behind a human trafficking gang?

Stream House of Maxwell on BBC Select

House of Maxwell

How the Maxwells, from father Robert to daughter Ghislaine, became embroiled in scandal.

Watch When Louis Met ... Jimmy Savile on BBC Select

When Louis Met ... Jimmy Savile

Louis Theroux looks for a crack under the mask of now-disgraced celebrity Jimmy Savile

Watch When Louis Met ... Jimmy Savile on BBC Select

Louis Theroux: Jimmy Savile Revisited

Louis Theroux scrutinizes his relationship with disgraced entertainer Jimmy Savile

Watch Secrets of the Falklands on BBC Select

Secrets of the Falklands

A Royal Marine walks out of a bar ... and disappears without a trace.

Murder in the Badlands

Four young women. Four decades. Four brutal murders. All unsolved.

Stream Catching the Black Cab Rapist on BBC Select

Catching The Black Cab Rapist

John Worboys preyed on the women of London, drugging, raping and sexually assaulting over 100 victims in his taxi cab between 2000 and 2008.

Watch A Very British Murder on BBC Select

A Very British Murder

Lucy Worsley investigates why we are so fascinated by grisly, gruesome murders

Stream Crime & Punishment on BBC Select

Crime and Punishment

The disturbing true crime documentary series about the UK criminal justice system returns.

Stream Dark Son - Hunt for a Serial Killer on BBC Select

Dark Son: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

The fascinating story of the biggest unsolved serial murder in British criminal history.

BBC Select free trial

BBC Select is available on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Apple TV app for only $6.99 a month. Start a 7-day free trial and watch a range of acclaimed documentaries from the BBC and beyond. Restrictions apply*.