STV Productions and partner Tod Productions have signed up to make true crime drama The Jigsaw Murders.
The show will be based on a book by journalist and author Jeremy Craddock, due for release in 2021.
The Jigsaw Murders: The True Story of the Ruxton Killings and the Birth of Modern Forensics investigates the case of Dr Buck Ruxton. In September 1935, he murdered his wife and their nanny before disposing of their bodies in the Scottish borders. Edinburgh professors Sydney Smith and John Glaister used ground-breaking forensic techniques to identify the bodies in a case known as the Jigsaw Murders.
Craddock brings to life all of the main players, from the enigmatic and charismatic Ruxton, to his victims Isabella Ruxton and Mary Rogerson; and the first-rate police officers, lawyers and scientists who grappled with a landmark case that led to the birth of modern forensics.
In 2017, Tod Productions managing director Elaine Collins signed an exclusive deal with STV. She was previously executive producer of Shetland and Vera.
She said: “Jeremy Craddock is a hugely talented writer and journalist, who is not only determined to excavate this brutal story and the consequent scientific breakthroughs that still influence today’s forensics, but to give an unprecedented voice to Buxton’s female victims.
"I’m excited to develop this complex and multi-layered crime story for television, to give presence to the victims, and to dramatise the characteristically brilliant scientists at work in 1930s Scotland.”
Craddock, said: "I am absolutely thrilled that The Jigsaw Murders has been optioned for TV by Elaine Collins and Tod Productions. I am a huge fan of her work, especially Shetland and Vera, and I feel privileged that she has seen potential in my work.
"This is a story that has haunted me since I was a child, a landmark case that changed the way forensic pathologists help to solve murders. And yet it is a case that is largely forgotten today. Most previous accounts focus solely on the lurid aspects, ignoring the human drama behind it all. My book - and hopefully a TV drama - will tell the full story of the people behind the sensational headlines for the first time."
David Mortimer, managing director of STV Productions, said: “We’re thrilled to have Tod as part of the STV Productions family and The Jigsaw Murders is a fantastic addition to their already strong development slate of distinctive, high quality shows.
"There’s a real appetite for true crime based drama and we’re delighted Elaine Collins at Tod has seen the huge potential in this exciting new work, which we know will hold tremendous appeal.”
