For true crime enthusiasts and those drawn to the complexities of obsession and betrayal, ITV’s latest documentary, WhatsApp Obsession: The Murder of Stephanie Hansen, offers a chilling and deeply human account of a tragedy that unfolded behind the closed doors of a West London flat. Airing on March 24, 2026, at 9pm, the documentary unravels the harrowing story of Stephanie Hansen, a 39-year-old woman whose life was cut short by her flatmate and longtime friend, Sheldon Rodrigues—a man whose fixation would ultimately turn deadly.
According to ITV, the documentary is billed as a “powerful true crime documentary [that] tells the story of Stephanie Hansen, a young woman who was murdered at the hands of her fixated flatmate.” The program promises viewers a close look at the months leading up to Stephanie’s death, including the chilling 999 call made by Rodrigues as he attempted to conceal his guilt.
Stephanie and Sheldon’s story began in 2015, when the two met and developed what, on the surface, appeared to be a close friendship. By 2022, the pair decided to move in together in Hayes, West London—a practical decision driven by the city’s soaring cost of living. But for Rodrigues, the arrangement was far from platonic. Over seven years, his feelings for Stephanie grew into an unhealthy obsession, marked by jealousy, control, and a desperate need for reciprocation.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Rodrigues’s fixation reached new heights when he discovered that Stephanie had begun a new romantic relationship. Unable to accept her rejection—despite her clear response, “I do like you, but just not enough”—Rodrigues resorted to increasingly invasive and sinister behavior. He planted secret cameras and audio recorders throughout their home, including inside a television, in order to spy on her most private moments. The Crown Prosecution Service revealed that Rodrigues spent over 150 hours (some reports put the figure at 158 hours) eavesdropping on Stephanie and her new partner.
The obsession didn’t stop at surveillance. Rodrigues stalked Stephanie’s boyfriend, going so far as to pay someone £100 to follow him in their vehicle. He launched a campaign of intimidation, making violent threats from fake social media accounts and even contacting their employer twice, attempting to have both Stephanie and her boyfriend dismissed. These acts painted a picture of a man spiraling out of control, driven by unrequited love and a refusal to let go.
Everything came to a head on December 29, 2022. While at work near Heathrow airport, Rodrigues was caught on CCTV repeatedly checking his phone and adjusting his earphones—secretly listening to live audio from the devices he’d hidden at home. Through this illicit surveillance, he learned that Stephanie’s boyfriend had visited the flat. Consumed by jealousy and rage, Rodrigues left work in the early hours of December 30 and returned home, where he unleashed a brutal and fatal attack on Stephanie in her bedroom.
The violence of the assault was staggering. According to both ITV and the Daily Mail, Stephanie suffered 60 distinct injuries, including 20 knife wounds and 39 impact injuries caused by household objects such as a hairdryer and a large pan. The sheer ferocity of the attack left investigators and jurors alike shaken.
In a calculated attempt to evade suspicion, Rodrigues left Stephanie’s body in her bedroom for nearly 24 hours before calling emergency services. The documentary features the haunting 999 call in which Rodrigues feigns shock and pleads, “Can you help me please? I’ve just found my housemate dead.” However, police quickly noticed inconsistencies in his story. Rodrigues claimed that cuts on his hands and fingers were from carving a chicken on Christmas Day, but CCTV footage from his shift on December 29 showed his hands uninjured, casting further doubt on his account.
During the subsequent investigation and trial, Rodrigues denied the murder charges, trying to shift blame onto Stephanie’s boyfriend and insisting that the surveillance equipment was installed for Stephanie’s safety. But the evidence against him was overwhelming. Messages retrieved from Rodrigues’s phone dating back to 2015 revealed the depth of his obsession. In a particularly telling exchange from 2021, he confessed, “It hurts to see you every day knowing you’ll never like me.” Stephanie’s gentle but firm response did nothing to quell his fixation. In a further disturbing detail, just ten days before the murder, Rodrigues had searched online for “how to make a woman fall in love with me.”
Jurors were also told that Rodrigues had even offered to undergo surgery to alter his appearance in the hopes of winning Stephanie’s affection—a testament to his desperate and delusional state of mind. As ITV noted, behind his outwardly devastated facade “lay a chilling obsession.”
The trial concluded in March 2024 at the Old Bailey, where Rodrigues, then 30, was found guilty of Stephanie’s murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years. The sentence reflected not only the brutality of the crime but also the calculated and prolonged nature of Rodrigues’s campaign of control and intimidation.
The documentary, which aired on both ITV and ITVX, does not shy away from the disturbing realities of the case. By incorporating real audio from the 999 call and exploring the psychological torment Stephanie endured, the program aims to shed light on the dangers of unchecked obsession and the warning signs that can precede such tragedies.
While WhatsApp Obsession: The Murder of Stephanie Hansen is the latest in ITV’s growing catalogue of true crime productions, it stands out for its raw portrayal of the consequences of coercive control and emotional manipulation. The program comes on the heels of other high-profile ITV dramas, such as Believe Me, which examines the failures of the justice system in the case of serial sex offender John Worboys. These productions collectively highlight the urgent need for greater awareness, institutional accountability, and support for victims of stalking and abuse.
As viewers tune in to Stephanie’s story, they are confronted with uncomfortable questions: How can society better recognize and intervene in cases of obsession before they turn deadly? What more can be done to protect those at risk, especially when the danger comes from someone they once trusted?
Stephanie Hansen’s life was a tapestry of friendships, ambitions, and everyday struggles—tragically cut short by a man who refused to accept her autonomy. Her story, as told through ITV’s documentary, is a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of obsession and the importance of vigilance, compassion, and justice.