The murders and surrounding story were the subject of an ITV drama series The Secret, broadcast in April and May 2016.
[6] Howell had been led to believe he would make £20 million; however he only acquired a few brass ammunition boxes, containing silver coins, worth about £30.
[9] Howell, a native of Portadown and a dentist by occupation, was a deeply religious father of nine and a former lay preacher.
[12] His former lover Hazel (née Elkin, formerly married to Trevor Buchanan, currently married to David Stewart) claimed in court that she acted under duress, but was found guilty of the murders of Lesley Howell and Trevor Buchanan in March 2011 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.
[16] On 17 May 2011 Howell pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting nine female patients in his surgery over a period of several years.