America’s First "Murder by Mail"
from Ricky's Historical Tidbits Podcast Hosted by Ricky Mortensen
In the summer of 1898, a beautiful box of chocolate creams arrived on a quiet porch in Dover, Delaware. What looked like a sweet gift turned into one of the most shocking crimes in American history. This is the unbelievable true story of Cordelia Botkin — the jealous mistress who turned the U.S. Postal Service into a murder weapon. From a steamy San Francisco affair to a deadly package that traveled 3,000 miles, this Gilded Age scandal is one of the first known cases of “murder by mail” in the United States. In this episode:• How a scorned woman carefully poisoned an entire box of chocolates• The ironclad evidence that caught her from across the country• The circus trial, the jailhouse scandal, and the shocking twist no one talks about A cold, calculated crime driven by jealousy that changed how American law handles cross-state murders forever. Subscribe to my email list:https://rickymortensen.substack.com/ Follow along:- Website & Articles: https://www.rickyshistoricaltidbits.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RickysHistoricaltidbits Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busy_ricky/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rickymortensen Support the show If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who loves history or true crime. Every share helps these forgotten stories reach more people. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickymortensen.substack.com
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