A documentary shining a light on the investigation which helped snare a man for a double murder which rocked a rural community to its core has aired on national television.

Eastern Daily Press: Retired couple Peter and Sylvia Stuart who went missing from their home in Weybread in 2016 prompting a murder investigation. Picture: Archant LibraryRetired couple Peter and Sylvia Stuart who went missing from their home in Weybread in 2016 prompting a murder investigation. Picture: Archant Library (Image: Archant)

The Murderer Next Door, which has been shown on Channel 5 on Tuesday night tells the story of the murders of retired couple Peter and Sylvia Stuart at Weybread, near Diss, in June 2016.

The body of Peter Stuart, 75, who had been stabbed nine times, was found in a ditch in woodland close to his home in Mill Lane at Weybread, near Diss, in June 2016, although his 69-year-old wife Sylvia has never been found.

Ali Qazimaj, 45, from Tilbury, Essex, was jailed for a minimum of 35 years in 2017 after being found guilty of the murders in 2017.

In the past few days it has emerged that Qazimaj had failed in his bid to appeal his conviction.

Eastern Daily Press: Ali Qazimaj who was jailed in 2017 for a minimum of 35 years for the murders of Weybread couple Peter and Sylvia Stuart. Picture: Suffolk PoliceAli Qazimaj who was jailed in 2017 for a minimum of 35 years for the murders of Weybread couple Peter and Sylvia Stuart. Picture: Suffolk Police (Image: Suffolk Police)

The documentary featured interviews with detectives involved in the case, local people, and people who knew Qazimaj, although did not include contributions from the Stuart's family.

Sarah Rest, the series producer, said: 'The family were kept informed by the police but did not want to be involved. But they knew about it and said go ahead but we do not want to be interviewed.

'The police offered up this case as one that they had worked hard to solve and there is still a cold case review because Mrs Stuart's body has never been found.'

A number of people featured in the documentary, including Steve Pickess, who lived near to the Stuarts and Tony Carroll, a journalist at the EDP, said the one remaining question about the case was 'what's happened to Sylvia?'

Andy Guy, a former Detective Chief Inspector with Norfolk Police told the documentary he was 'absolutely convinced' there was 'absolutely no way' that Mrs Stuart was still alive.

Mr Guy, who is now the force's unsolved case review manager, said that about 950 proof of life enquiries were carried out but nothing was found to suggest Mrs Stuart was still alive.

He said there was just 'no evidence of her life at all'.

Qazimaj, a former asylum seeker who came to the UK in 1999, had insisted during the trial he was the victim of mistaken identity and claimed he had never been to the country before being extradited from Luxembourg.