Gone: ITV thriller is inspired by true story of a real detective who solved one of Bath's most tragic cold case murders
The real person even makes a cameo in the series!
Gone isn’t just a well-crafted ITV crime drama with a brilliant cast, it’s actually inspired by a fascinating true story.
In the new six-part thriller, Eve Myles stars as no-nonsense detective Annie Cassidy who takes on one of the most difficult cases of her life.
She investigates when a school teacher disappears. When the missing Sarah Polly later turns up dead, her headmaster husband Michael Polly becomes prime suspect. And, as Annie starts to question him, his “odd” behaviour raises Annie’s suspicions.
But is he really a killer? As Annie continues to dig deep and subsequently becomes the Family Liaison Officer, she falls into an unlikely friendship with the suspect that neither of them expect. It becomes a “really unique relationship”.
So what is the true story that inspired Gone on ITV? And who is Eve Myles’ character detective Annie Cassidy based on? Here’s everything you need to know.
Is Gone on ITV based on a true story?
Psychological thriller Gone on ITV is inspired by a real life true crime. The six-parter is loosely based on the true story of a detective who solved the cold case murder of a 17-year-old girl in the 80s.
During filming, actress Eve Myles was in constant conversations with the detective behind the story. In 2015, Det Supt Julie Mackay finally solved the murder of Melanie Road. The teenager had disappeared after walking home from a nightclub in Bath in 1984. Julie Mackay cracked the case after 31 years.
Mackay’s investigation led to “monster” Christopher Hampton being jailed for life. Christopher Hampton sexually assaulted and stabbed Melanie Road 26 times. Police eventually caught him when he was 64. They were able to link DNA from Melanie’s clothing to his daughter. She had been arrested aged 41 in 2014 for a “minor incident” and her DNA profile was taken.
Christopher Hampton, from Fishponds in Bristol, is currently serving a minimum term of 22 years. He will “very likely die in prison”.
The main story in Gone is about the disappearance of Sarah Polly. However, the side-plot sees Annie Cassidy silently worrying about a cold case she worked on without finding the culprit. Tina Bradley went missing after leaving a Bristol nightclub. Much like the real life case of Melanie Road.
Who is DS Julie Mackay?
Eve Myles’ character DS Annie Cassidy is inspired by the career of former detective Julie Mackay. The Detective Sergeant was a 41-year-old single mother of three who had been “overlooked for promotion for years” when she transferred to Avon and Somerset’s Cold Case Unit.
Once there, she unearthed a file from the original Melanie Road inquiry and became hooked by the details, including the rare blood type, and the investigative wrong turns. She doggedly pursued the case and, with the help of Melanie’s mum, worked tirelessly to rebuild it. It took her six years to extract more modern DNA samples. Thanks to Christopher Hampton’s daughter being arrested after a row with her boyfriend, her DNA was taken and – thanks to the work of Julie MacKay –a DNA match was triggered.
‘Gone is inspired by the true story of Julie Mackay’
Talking about DS Julie Mackay, actress Eve Myles said on ITV’s This Morning (Wednesday, March 04): “Julie Mackay is the most inspirational, wonderful woman that I’ve been honoured to meet. The story is inspired by her story, and she was on call for me 24/7. So, my first port of call was with Julie.
“George Kay, our amazing writer, and the team behind this, they did all the heavy lifting. It’s all there in script, it’s brilliant, and the direction from Richard [Laxton, the director]. But the finer details are what I’m really cued into, I think that’s what makes something different and authentic.”
She continued: “And [Julie] was on hand to help me with that. She’s also a supporting artist in it. She came on and she’s in the police station with us. We were all hyper-vigilant because she was there! She was so generous with her time and brutal with her advice, and I’m really pleased for her that this has come to fruition.”
However, the story of Michael Polly and his wife Sarah is fiction, not fact. At the end of each episode, it is made clear with a post-credit announcement. It reads: “The story, names, characters, places, and incidents portrayed in this series are entirely fictitious. Any resemblance between characters and places in the series and actual living individuals or real places is coincidental, not intended, and not should not be inferred.”
Gone on ITV true story: Is it based on a book?
Gone on ITV was “partly inspired” by the book To Hunt a Killer and the career and work of respected former Detective Superintendent for Gloucestershire Police, Julie Mackay. Written by ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, who focused on Det Supt Julie Mackay and the 2009 cold case she went on to solve.
Robert Murphy has reported on some of the UK’s most complex criminal cases. Both Julie Mackay and Robert Murphy served as consultants on the TV series, which looks at a fictional case. While the fictional story in ITV’s Gone is nothing like the Melanie Road case, the character of the strong female detective is based on the real-life Julie MacKay.
Creator George Kay said: “Inspired by real life research, Gone sees the excellent Eve Myles’ overlooked Detective Annie Cassidy go head-to-head with main suspect Michael Polly, played by the superb David Morrissey. In a story about privilege and prejudice, the truth is tantalisingly close. Or at least, that’s what Annie thinks…”
Where is Julie Mackay now?
Julie Mackey was Detective Superintendent (head of homicide teams) when she retired from policing after her distinguished 32 year career. However, she has “continued to work in arenas that strive for improvement”. She is now trained as an independent author and Chair for Domestic Homicide Reviews and works as an independent consultant conducting professional reviews.
She also has significant media experience as an in-house crime/homicide expert and advisor, as well as being the co-author of the best-selling book To Hunt a Killer.
Julie also does voluntary work abroad focusing on Violence Against Women and Girls and providing sustainable sanitary wear to enable continued education.
Read more: New true crime and documentaries on TV and streaming in March 2026
