The murder of April Jones will always be one of the most shocking and heartbreaking crimes Wales has ever seen, in which the evil actions of one man destroyed a family and shook the country to the core.
Mark Bridger murdered the little girl, who was taken from the street outside her home in the market town of Machynlleth in October 2012 where she lived with her parents, Coral and Paul, and her siblings. Despite the largest missing person search in UK police history, April's body has never been found.
On Tuesday, Channel 5 aired April Jones: The Interrogation Tapes, which includes recordings of Bridger's police interviews, which are being aired for the first time. The programme details April's disappearance, the investigation launched by Dyfed-Powys Police and Bridger's arrest.
As the first police interview commenced, Bridger was asked by detective constable Louise Thomas where April was. He said: "I don't know where she is."
The suspect told police he had been to his daughter's parents evening and had gone to his girlfriend's home near April's house where he parked his car.
In the recorded interview, he said: "Stupid. I had a few to drink and there was two girls on their bikes, I remember the dark-headed girl came from behind the car. I looked to see where the other girl was and I couldn't see this other girl."
Beginning to cry, Bridger added: "The next minute the bike was there. I started the car up and as I went to pull away, there wasn't a thud, I can't understand. The car rose up, as I opened the car I walked round and underneath the front of the car is... April.
"She was only little so I picked her up and put her across my seat and put her in the passenger seat. I tried to take her pulse and there was nothing. I put my mouth over her mouth and went to blow and put my hand back on her chest and that's when I realised, one side of her chest wasn't there. I'd obviously crushed her little body."
Bridger said he left Bryn y Gog, where April's mother and father lived, and drove along a back road. He claimed his intention was to get April medical help.
He said he drove near the railway station and up to the clock in Machynlleth town centre. He added: "That's when I realised the colour had gone out of her. Her lips were purple. Paul and Coral are friends of mine and I've killed their daughter."
This was the first admission by Bridger that April was dead, but his account became vaguer. He told interviewing officers he was trying to "jog his memory" but that the next thing he could remember was being in his home.
He said: "She's not there and I can't find her. I wouldn't have ditched her, I know that, I would have put her somewhere, but I can't remember what I've done. I don't know where I put her."
Officers doubted his account and questioned everything he had told them, including whether April was alive or not.
A key witness had told the police April had entered the Land Rover and described her being "happy and smiley".
When confronted with this information, he said: "That is complete fabrication and lies. That cannot have happened. It happened exactly as I told you. That person is lying. I did not abduct April. I'd like you to go away and do the tests on the car."
Forensic officers examined Bridger's Land Rover and found no evidence to prove his version of events. It was clear his account to the police was false. One of the largest police operations in UK criminal history was launched to look for April or find any leads that could establish what had happened to her.
Forensic psychologist Dr Joe Sullivan, who had worked on the Madeleine McCann and Soham murders cases, was brought in to create a psychological profile on Bridger.
DS Thomas attempted to appeal to Bridger's paternal side, as a father of six children, and asked him to think of April's parents and her family.
He said: "I can promise you she's not alive. I can't change my story. It's what happened that night."
Bridger was later arrested on suspicion of April's murder and was found to be in possession of indecent images of children.
He was asked about some of the images on his devices and search terms he had used relating to child murder, but Bridger distanced himself from the images and denied any sexual interest in children.
Police extended their search, but now they were searching for April's body, having come to the conclusion it was unlikely she was still alive.
Blood spots in Bridger's home were analysed and found to match with April's DNA. There was also blood on Bridger's collar which belonged to April. It was believed by police that Bridger had murdered April in a sexually motivated killing.
In their last interview with him, police challenged him and told him they knew he knew where April's body was. Asked about blood in his home, he said: "Obviously there was only a very minute amount of blood. I never recall having blood from the injury or April's body on me."
He was also asked about the indecent images on his computer. He said: "I haven't got an interest in children. I did not sexually assault April, there was no sexual assault on April."
Bridger was charged with the murder and abduction of April Jones. At his trial in 2013, he was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he should never be released.
April Jones: The Interrogation Tapes, airs on Tuesday, March 24, on Channel 5 at 9pm.
