The shocking true story behind Netflix's Should I Marry a Murderer?
It wasn’t until 27 December 2020 that Muirhead formally reported McKellar to the authorities. She has said she spent the intervening weeks gathering further information about him, including confirming details about where Parsons’ body had been disposed of.Following her report, both McKellar brothers were brought in for questioning, and acting on Muirhead’s information, Parsons’ body was recovered by police in January 2021.Three years later, the trial finally took place. Robert McKellar pleaded guilty to covering up the death and was sentenced to five years and three months in jail. Alexander McKellar also pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and was sentenced to 12 years.Why did Muirhead stay with McKellar after the incident?McKellar and his brother remained living with Muirhead after the initial police questioning, unaware that she had already reported them to the authorities. Even once this was revealed, the couple had a fierce argument, but Muirhead ultimately moved back in with him on the estate while police continued gathering evidence.This detail has clearly unsettled viewers, judging by reactions across Reddit threads and TikTok discussions. However, it is also difficult to fully comprehend what you might do in the same situation, given the intensity of the emotional and psychological conflict involved.“There is something deeply relatable about staying in a relationship that you know is bad for you, and Caroline was determined to own these mistakes as a lesson to others who might ever be caught in a similar situation,” Should I Marry a Murderer? director Josh Allott said in a press statement.What’s missing from Should I Marry a Murderer?The Netflix documentary is told largely from Muirhead’s perspective, meaning significant parts of the victims’ stories and wider context are not fully explored on screen. For those wanting a broader view, viewers are encouraged to watch the BBC documentary The Vanishing Cyclist, which aired in August 2025.Additionally, some critics have argued that the McKellars’ difficult upbringing is underexplored in the series. While the show does briefly allude to their past, including a specific incident in which their father was previously charged with weapons offences, alongside some contextual input from residents of their hometown, it doesn’t really delve much deeper into their background or formative experiences.Read MoreA cold case solved by a confession between fiancées.The production also notes that both Police Scotland and Victim Support Scotland declined to participate in the documentary, meaning their official responses to Caroline’s claims of investigative shortcomings and lack of support are largely absent from the narrative. As a result, viewers are left with limited insight into why she was not, at the time, reportedly offered more substantial victim support or mental health intervention. They maintain they gave her “appropriate support.”Furthermore, what is not included in the documentary, however, is that she was allegedly told at the last minute that cameras from an upcoming BBC documentary would be allowed in court, something which caused Muirhead to panic and leave without giving testimony.Watch Should I Marry a Murderer? on Netflix
