John George Haigh: The Acid Bath Killer

John George Haigh appeared polished, persuasive, and respectable—but beneath the tailored suits was a calculating fraudster willing to murder for money. Between 1944 and 1949, Haigh targeted at least six people, including William McSwan and his parents, Donald and Amy McSwan; Dr. Archibald Henderson and his wife, Rosalie; and wealthy widow Olive Durand-Deacon. After killing them, he dissolved their remains in sulphuric acid, forged documents, and took control of their money and property. Haigh believed he had discovered the secret to the perfect crime: without a body, there could be no murder conviction. But when Olive Durand-Deacon disappeared in February 1949, investigators began examining the smooth-talking businessman who had been among the last people to see her alive. At Haigh’s workshop, police uncovered human remains that the acid had failed to destroy, including part of a foot, teeth, gallstones, and human fat. Arrogant and convinced he had outsmarted the law, Haigh confessed to multiple murders and attempted to portray himself as a blood-drinking madman. A jury rejected his insanity defense, and on July 19, 1949, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was executed at Wandsworth Prison on August 10, 1949. This episode examines the crimes of John George Haigh, the victims whose trust he exploited, the forensic evidence that survived his attempts to destroy it, and the fatal legal misunderstanding that brought Britain’s infamous Acid Bath Killer to justice. sources used for this podcast Support the show JOIN THE  HITCHED 2 HOMICIDE IN-LAWS AND OUTLAWS START KRIS CALVERT'S BOOKS TODAY FOR FREE H2H WEBSITE H2H on TWITTER H2H on INSTA Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.