Get ready for your next ‘true crime’ podcast binge… (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
On a cold December evening in 2009, a woman called Kristina returned home after a weekend away at her boyfriend. Flapping in the wind on her veranda deep in rural Sweden, she discovered the weirdest thing – a tiny three-piece navy corduroy suit.
It was so small it would only fit a 10-year-old – but with her son all grown up, Kristina had no clue who had placed it there. Living on her own by a lake and 30 minutes from the nearest town, she felt sure that whoever was behind this mystery was known to her.
So, Kristina – who was in her fifties at the time – tucked the evidence away in her wardrobe for safekeeping and asked everyone she knew if they had any idea who could be behind this strange incident. But nobody seemed to know a thing.
Then, 18 months later, the mystery intensified.
Returning home on an April evening, Kristina discovered another strange present waiting for her on the veranda. This time, a small, classic suitcase containing a tiny pillow, a toiletries bag, a toothbrush, a Hawaiian shirt, a comic book, used but clean underpants, skin-coloured tights and a pair of vintage swimming goggles.
The evidence (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
The beautiful scene of the crime (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
Kristina was now scared that these two incidents were a sign of something more sinister. Given the remoteness of her location, she felt the culprit had to be watching her and waiting for her to leave.
So did she have a stalker? Or was this just a friend’s attempt as a silly prank?
Once again, Kristina quizzed everyone she knew in a desperate attempt to seek answers but no one seemed to know anything. She even threatened to go to the police in the hope it would scare the culprit into confessing.
However, after a year or so of interrogating her inner circle, she was still no closer to the truth. She felt sure the police wouldn’t take this case seriously either so decided to admit defeat and let things lie.
15 years on, Kristina might finally be close to finding out who left the strange collection of items on her veranda, as the case has been picked up by a true crime podcast team.
Well, sort of.
The team are back on another case (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
Four years on from the ‘poodunit’ hit comedy podcast, Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding, advertising exec turned amateur detective Lauren Kilby is back to solve the mystery of the tiny suit. Working with her are friends – and fellow stars of the 2020 podcast – Karen Whitehouse and Helen MacLaughlin.
The trio’s first case – which has since been downloaded 6 million times – was all about trying to find out which of their guests had left a very public poo behind at Karen and Helen’s wedding reception, and saw Lauren adopting some slightly unique investigative techniques.
With their second series, called The Case of The Tiny Suit/Case, centering around a brand new mystery, the gang insist the new investigation has left them feeling more cynical than ever.
Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding tried to crack a messy crime (Picture: Supplied)
‘This whole experience has made us realise that even your closest friends and family can have some seriously weird stuff going on behind closed doors,’ Karen explains to Metro. ‘This second season has proven no different. It’s been a real eye opener.’
And again, it’s a mystery close to home, as Kristina is Lauren’s mother in law.
‘The three of us were spending some time at my in-laws house to discuss the potential new mystery for season two when my mother in law started mentioning this case,’ Lauren explains. ‘The great thing is that she is so eager to solve it and wants to know who the culprit is before she dies. She kept the evidence too and that gave us a big incentive to start investigating.’
This season will see the sleuths employ their fan favourite techniques of hooking suspects up to lie-detector tests and asking forensic experts for their thoughts and theories.
Forensic extraction (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
Lauren says during one task, she even takes the coat hanger the suit was hanging on and attempts to raid people’s wardrobes to see if she can discover a match. Forensic Psychologist Professor Mike Berry also goes undercover at a party full of suspects as Karen’s ‘mad uncle’.
‘This time round, we got some real experts on the case,’ Karen explains. ‘Although we still embrace our inexperience and complete lack of ability.’
‘We’re very proud of our amateur sleuthing,’ Lauren adds. ‘But we have real evidence too this time. No one held on to the poo from Karen and Helen’s wedding. Clearly they weren’t thinking like detectives.’
Lauren and Karen admit they all felt under intense pressure to get answers after failing to solve the poo mystery from season one. But they assure fans that this season won’t disappoint.
The detectives (L-R): Helen, Lauren and Karen (Picture: Alexander Tengner)
‘We uncover something we weren’t expecting and there’s a twist at the end that’s really shocking,’ Karen says.
And the trio may already have their plot for season three, as Lauren admits she has recently fallen victim to a similar crime to her mother in law.
‘Someone has been sending me loads of mayonnaise,’ she says. ‘A mystery person. 15 litres of the stuff and I hate mayonnaise. These podcasts have taught me you can’t trust anyone. I’ve suspected my boyfriend. Who knows? Someone was capable of s***ting at Karen and Helen’s wedding so people are plain weird.’
‘You’ve even accused me of sending you the mayonnaise!’ Karen laughs.
‘It’s caused tension,”Lauren agrees, nodding. ‘You don’t know who to trust.’
Detective Lauren Kilby inspecting the scene of the crime (Picture: Supplied)
‘I trust no one now,’ she adds.
As for the original ‘poodunnit’ mystery, Karen and Lauren say that while the culprit remains at large, they do have new evidence that could lead to a bonus episode.
‘There have been updates,’ Karen teases. ‘There’s more interrogations to carry out. I think our friends and family worry they could be pulled into an episode at any moment.”
‘They’re all terrified of us now,’ Lauren adds. ‘Don’t put a foot wrong or we’ll launch a podcast on you.’