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Showjumper's Shocking Secrets: Rape and Murder Exposed After Years of Cover-Up
6 Sep
Summary
- Journalist Tanya Fowles refused to accept Katie Simpson's apparent suicide
- Showjumper-turned-trainer Jonathan Creswell arrested for Katie's rape and murder
- Creswell took his own life a day after his trial began in April 2024
In September 2025, a three-part Sky documentary series, "Death of a Showjumper," will shed light on the tragic death of 21-year-old equestrian star Katie Simpson. The documentary follows the relentless efforts of journalist Tanya Fowles to uncover the truth behind Katie's apparent suicide in August 2021.
Fowles, a close friend of Katie's, refused to accept the official narrative and began her own investigation. She discovered that Katie's brother-in-law, showjumper-turned-trainer Jonathan Creswell, had a history of violence against women and was the one who found Katie unconscious and claimed to have rushed her to the hospital. Creswell had previously been convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend.
Fowles' dogged pursuit of justice led to Creswell's arrest in March 2021 for Katie's rape and murder. However, Creswell took his own life in April 2024, the day after his trial began. Fowles was devastated, as she felt Creswell's death left many unanswered questions surrounding Katie's tragic demise.
The documentary also examines the failures of the police investigation, with the police ombudsman later recommending misconduct proceedings against six officers for not responding quickly enough to the concerns raised about Katie's death.
