Historical True Crime

 In the summer of 1483, two boys disappeared inside the Tower of London. Edward V and his younger brother Richard were last seen in the months after their uncle, Richard III, took the throne. In this episode, we examine the Wars of theRoses, the political crisis surrounding the princes, and the centuries of suspicion and debate that followed their disappearance.SourceMaterialsMancini, Dominic. The Usurpation of Richard III. Translated by C. A. J. Armstrong.More, Sir Thomas. The History of King Richard the Third.Pollard, A. J. Richard III and the Princes in the Tower. Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1991.Weir, Alison. The Princes in the Tower. London: Jonathan Cape, 1992.Vergil, Polydore. Anglica Historia.Commines, Philippe de. Memoirs.Thornton, Tim. “More on a Murder: The Deaths of the Princes in the Tower, and Historiographical Implications for the Regimes of Henry VII and Henry VIII.” History.Historic Royal Palaces. “The Princes in the Tower.”The National Archives. “Extraordinary New Clue About the Princes in the Tower Found at The National Archives.” 2 December 2024

Louis Le Prince created some of the earliest motion pictures in the 1880s, years before Edison or the Lumière brothers. In 1890, just as he was preparing to present his work publicly, he boarded a train in France and disappeared. He was neverseen again.Source MaterialsPaul Fischer, The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession, Murder, and the MoviesNat Segnit, “Who Killed Louis Le Prince? On the Forgotten Father of Film,” Harper’s Magazine (April 2022)“100 Years Ago, the Father of Movies Disappeared,” The New York Times, September 16, 1990Christopher Rawlence, The Missing Reel: The Untold Story of the Lost Inventor of Moving PicturesStephen Herbert, “Louis Le Prince,” Who’s Who of Victorian CinemaNational Science and Media Museum (UK), archival materials on Louis Le PrinceLeeds City Council / Leeds Museums & Galleries, local historical materials on Roundhay Garden Scene and Leeds Bridge footagePaulFischer, The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures: A True Tale of Obsession,Murder, and the MoviesNat Segnit,“Who Killed Louis Le Prince? On the Forgotten Father of Film,” Harper’sMagazine (April 2022)“100 YearsAgo, the Father of Movies Disappeared,” The New York Times, September16, 1990ChristopherRawlence, The Missing Reel: The Untold Story of the Lost Inventor of MovingPicturesStephenHerbert, “Louis Le Prince,” Who’s Who of Victorian CinemaNationalScience and Media Museum (UK), archival materials on Louis Le PrinceLeeds CityCouncil / Leeds Museums & Galleries, local historical materials on RoundhayGarden Scene and Leeds Bridge footage

A routine Post Office investigation in 1889 led to the discovery of a male brothel on Cleveland Street, involving telegraph boys and high-profile clients linked to the royal household. As the case unfolded, key figures escaped prosecution—raising questions about power and accountability.Source MaterialsH. Montgomery Hyde, The Cleveland Street ScandalH. Montgomery Hyde, The Love That Dared Not Speak Its Name: A Candid History of Homosexuality in BritainKatie Hindmarch-Watson, “Male Prostitution and the London Telegraph Boys,”Theo Aronson, Prince Eddy and the Homosexual UnderworldBritish Newspaper Archive, “Unlock the Story of the Cleveland Street Scandal” https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2023/08/01/unlock-the-story-of-the-cleveland-street-scandal/Rictor Norton, “The Cleveland Street Scandal (1889)”https://rictornorton.co.uk/eighteen/1889clev.htmContemporary newspaper reports from The Times (1889–1890)Contemporary newspaper reports from The North London Press (1889–1890)

Anna Marie Hahn was a German immigrant living in Cincinnati in the 1930s. She cooked for people, spent time with them, and became part of their daily lives. And over time, the men she grew close to began to die.Source MaterialFranklin, Diana Britt. The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of America’s First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Electric Chair. Kent State University Press, 2006. Hunt, Amber. “Queen City Crime: How serial killer Anna Hahn rocked Cincinnati, made Ohio history.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 6, 2024. Contemporary newspaper coverage, including:The Cincinnati Enquirer (1937–1938) The Cincinnati Post (1937) The Pittsburgh Press (execution coverage, 1938) Telfer, Tori. Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History. HarperCollins, 2017. Vronsky, Peter. Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters. Berkley Books, 2007. Queen, Chelsea. “Anna Marie Hahn: The Deadly ‘Arsenic Widow.’” Medium, 2024

In 1893, Sicilian banker and former mayor Emanuele Notarbartolo was murdered on a train traveling along the northern coast of Sicily. What followed was a case that moved through multiple trials, convictions, and acquittals, raising questions about political influence, financial power, and the limits of the legal system.Source materialsJohn Dickie, Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)https://www.hodder.co.uk/titles/john-dickie/cosa nostra/9780340935262/ Salvatore Lupo, History of the Mafia (Columbia University Press, 2009) https://cup.columbia.edu/book/history-of-the mafia/9780231131346“Raffaele Palizzolo Describes the Mafia,” The New YorkTimes, July 12, 1908 https://www.nytimes.com/1908/07/12/archives/raffaele-palizzolo-describes-the-mafia-the-noted-sicilian.html“Emanuele Notarbartolo: Banker and Politician,” Italy OnThis Day https://www.italyonthisday.com/2023/02/emanuele-notarbartolo-banker-and.htmlChelsea Queen, “Emanuele Notarbartolo: The Sicilian Mafia’sFirst Victim in 1893,” Medium, December 31, 2024 https://medium.com/@chelseaqueen/emanuele-notarbartolo-the-sicilian-mafias-first-victim-in-1893

In December 1811, two households on London’s Ratcliffe Highway were brutally murdered within days of each other. As panic spread through the East End, investigators searched for a killer moving through the dockside streets. A sailor named John Williams soon became the prime suspect but his death would leave the truth uncertain.Source MaterialsP. D. James and T. A. Critchley. The Maul and the Pear Tree: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders, 1811. Faber & Faber, 1971.Judith Flanders. The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime. Thomas Dunne Books, 2011.John Fairburn. Fairburn’s Account of the Dreadful Murder of Mr. Marr and Family, Who Were Barbarously Murdered in Their House on Ratcliffe Highway. London, 1811.Peter Ackroyd. London: The Biography. Nan A. Talese / Doubleday, 2000.The Proceedings of the Coroner’s Inquest on the Marr and Williamson Murders, London, December 1811. The OldBailey Proceedings Online. https://www.oldbaileyonline.org Radzinowicz, L. “The Ratcliffe Murders.” The Cambridge Law Journal 14, no. 1 (1956): 39–66. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4504366

In October 1949, aspiring Hollywood actress Jean Spangler left her Los Angeles apartment and never returned. Despite a major police investigation and decades of speculation,Jean Spangler was never found. In this episode, we examine the evidence behind one of Hollywood’s most enduring unsolved disappearances.Source MaterialsLewis, Jon. Hard-Boiled Hollywood: Crime and Punishment in Postwar Los Angeles. University of California Press, 2017.Charles River Editors. The Disappearance of Jean Spangler: The History of One of Hollywood’s Most Enduring Mysteries. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.Gilmore, John. Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder. Amok Books, revised edition.Lyons, Arthur. “The Mysterious Disappearance of Jean Spangler.” Palm Springs Life.Patmore, Neil. “Inside The Haunting Hollywood Mystery Of Aspiring Actress Jean Spangler’s Disappearance.” All That’s Interesting.Contemporary reporting from the Los Angeles Times archive.

In 1922, six people were murdered at the remote Hinterkaifeck farm in rural Bavaria. Despite an extensive investigation, the killer was never identified. This episode examines the historical context, evidence, and enduring mystery behind one of Germany’s most famous unsolved crimes.Source MaterialsPeter Leuschner, Hinterkaifeck: Germany’s Most Mysterious Murder Case.Bill James & Rachel McCarthy James, The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery. Scribner, 2017.Jack Rosewood, True Crime Stories, Vol. 4 (2017).Katie Serena, “The Gruesome True Story Of The Unsolved Hinterkaifeck Murders,” All That’s Interesting, August 3, 2023 (updated October 20, 2023).https://allthatsinteresting.com/hinterkaifeck-murdersSonya Vatomsky, “The Chilling Story of the Hinterkaifeck Killings, Germany’s Most Famous Unsolved Crime,” Mental Floss, July 24, 2023.https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502044/chilling-story-hinterkaifeck-killings-germanys-most-famous-unsolved-crimeRob Shapiro, “How The Hinterkaifeck Tragedy Remains Germany’s Biggest Unsolved Case.”Tharun, “The Hinterkaifeck Murders: My Personal Theories as an Aspiring Forensic Investigator,” Medium.https://medium.com/@tharun318106/the-hinterkaifeck-murders-my-personal-theories-as-an-aspiring-forensic-investigator-5627395ce924If you’d like, I can also give you a shortened “mobile-friendly” version (many podcasters now use one optimized for Spotify’s collapsed show notes).Historical True Crime | Historical true crime podcast | Patreon

In 1857, a prominent New York dentist was found murdered in his Bond Street office. Suspicion fell on Emma Cunningham, the widow who ran the boardinghouse and claimed to be his wife — and heir. Her acquittal did not end the scandal. Adisputed marriage, a claimed pregnancy, and a staged birth kept the city riveted and raised new questions about truth, reputation, and inheritance in mid-19th-century New York.Source Materials:Duke, Franklin. Celebrated Criminal Cases of America. San Francisco: A. L. Bancroft & Company, 1910.Serratore, Angela. “The Murder of Dr. Harvey Burdell and the Scandal That Gripped 1857 New York.” Smithsonian Magazine.Roberts, Sam. “The Murder That Gripped Bond Street.” The New York Times.The New-York Daily Times (1857), contemporary coverage of the Burdell murder and Emma Cunningham trial.Contemporary inquest and trialreporting in New York newspapers, 1857.

In 1629, the Dutch merchant ship Batavia wrecked on a remote reef off Western Australia. What followed was not just a struggle for survival, but a calculated campaign of violence that left more than one hundred people dead. Drawing on survivor testimony and historical records, this episode examines one of the most disturbing episodes in maritime history.Source MaterialsPelsaert, Francisco. The Journal of Francisco Pelsaert. 1629.Dash, Mike. Batavia’s Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History’s Bloodiest Mutiny. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2002.Drake-Brockman, Henrietta. Voyage to Disaster. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1964.Edwards, Hugh. Islands of Angry Ghosts. New York: William Morrow, 1966.Western Australian Museum — Batavia Collectionhttps://museum.wa.gov.au/This episode was researched using both primary historical documents and modern scholarly works.

The 1612 Pendle witch trials remain among the most famous in English history. What began with a single accusation soon expanded into a prosecution that would send ten people to the gallows.Source MaterialsPotts, Thomas. The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster (1613)Almond, Philip C. The Lancashire Witches: A Chronicle of Sorcery and Death on Pendle Hill.Poole, Robert (ed.). The Lancashire Witches: Histories and Stories.Sharpe, James. Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in Early Modern England.Gibson, Marion. Witchcraft and Society in England and America, 1550–1750Gaskill, Malcolm. Witchfinders: A Seventeenth-Century English Tragedy.

In 1937, three girls left home for a day at the park and never returned. Their disappearance sparked a frantic search, a shocked community, and a murder case that moved with remarkable speed. This episode traces the investigation intothe deaths of Melba Everett, Madeline Everett, and Jeanette Stephens, the arrest of Albert Dyer, and a trial shaped almost entirely by his confessions.Everett, Pamela. Little Shoes: The Sensational Depression-Era Murders That BecameAmerica’s First Celebrity Crime. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2018.People v. Dyer, 9 Cal. 2d 317 (Cal. Sup. Ct. 1938).“Three Little Girls.” Time, July 12, 1937.Contemporary newspaper reporting, including coverage from the Daily Breeze and Los Angeles–area papers (1937).

In September 1907, Emily Dimmock was found murdered in her rented rooms in Camden Town, her throat cut while she slept. Known to some as “Phyllis,” she lived a double life in Edwardian London, moving between respectability and survival.This episode explores Emily’s final days, the trial that followed, andwhy the Camden Town Murder remains unsolved more than a century later.Source MaterialsNapley, Sir David. The Camden Town Murder. In Great Murder Trials of the Twentieth Century. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson / Orion.Barber, John. The Camden Town Murder. Barber, John. “The Camden Town Murder.” Ripperologist, no. 44 (December 2002). Reprinted at Casebook.org.Grant, Thomas. Court Number One: The Old Bailey, the Trials and Scandals. London: John Murray, 2019.Oates, Jonathan. Unsolved Murders in Victorian and Edwardian London. Barnsley: Wharncliffe, 2007.Melville, Elizabeth. “The Camden Town Murder.” Medium.com.Tilstra, Elizabeth. “A Killer in London: The Camden Town Murder.” The Line-Up.Contemporary newspaper coverage including The News of the World, Illustrated Police News, and The Penny Illustrated Paper (1907).

In 1799, Elma Sands vanished from a New York boardinghouse. Her body was later found in a well, and the trial that followed — defended by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr — left more questions than answers. This episode examines the Manhattan Well murder and the limits of justice in early America.Source MaterialsColeman, William. The Trial of Levi Weeks; or, The Manhattan Well Mystery. New York: Printed for the author, 1800.Kleiger, Estelle Fox. The Trial of Levi Weeks: Sex, Seduction, and Murder in the Early Republic. Chicago: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1989.American State Trials: Being a Collection of the Most Interesting Criminal Trials Which Have Ever Occurred in the United States. Vol. 1. New York: Printed andpublished by G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1849. Murder by Gaslight: A Victorian Anthology of True CrimeThe Paris Review —“The Well on Spring Street,” Angela Serratore“Death in the Manhattan Well.” Crime Magazine. https://www.crimemagazine.comNew York Gazette and General Advertiser. New York, various issues, 1799–1800.The New-York Daily Advertiser. New York, various issues, 1799–1800.

Three deaths. No obvious violence. No immediate suspicion.An 1886 poisoning case that unfolded quietly inside the home — until it didn’t.Source Materials:Berry,James. My Experiences as an Executioner.Berry, James. The Hangman’s Thoughts Above the Gallows.Shannon, Issy. Infamous Lancashire Women.Stratmann, Linda. The Secret Poisoner: A Century of MurderWatson, Katherine. Poisoned Lives: English Poisoners and Their Victims.Contemporary newspaper reports relating to the Britland case (1886).

In February 1567, an explosion destroyed a house in Edinburgh but the body of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was found outside the ruins, untouched by the blast. His murder was never solved. This episode examines Darnley’s death within thepolitical world of sixteenth-century Scotland and the pressures facing Mary, Queen of Scots. A story of power, perception, and suspicion without proof.Source Materials  Darnley: A Life of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley — Caroline Bingham. Constable & Robinson, 1995. Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley — Alison Weir. Vintage Books, 2008.Criminal Trials in Scotland, Volumes I–III — edited by Robert Pitcairn. Bannatyne Club, 1833.My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots — John Guy. Fourth Estate, 2004. “10 February 1567 – The Murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley” — Claire Ridgway, The Tudor Society.“Murder of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley of Scotland” — Historic Mysteries.Calendar of State Papers, Scotland, Volume 2 (1563–1569) — edited by Joseph Bain. London, 1900.

In 1924, bones emerging from the River Leine exposed the crimes of Fritz Haarmann—the “Butcher of Hanover”—who had been operating in plain sight. This episode traces the missing boys, the fractured systems that failed them, and how one city finally uncovered a killer hidden in its midst.Source MaterialsAlexander Gilbert — The Hanover Vampire: Fritz HaarmannMark Pulham — “The Monster of Hanover,” Crime MagazineMaria Tatar — Lustmord: Sexual Murder in Weimar GermanyCrime Stories, Criminalistic Fantasy, and the Culture of Crisis in Weimar GermanySexual Murder: Catathymic and Compulsive Homicide, Annals of Forensic ResearchMorgan Dunn — “Fritz Haarmann Was a Popular Butcher…” (All That’s Interesting)Hannover Police Records (as cited through secondary sources)Hannoverscher Kurier reporting (as cited through secondary sources)

A quiet border town, a sudden illness, and a solicitor accused of poisoning both his wife and a rival. This episode examines the Armstrong case and why, even 100 years later, it remains one of Britain’s most debated convictions.Sources & Further ReadingStephen Bates, The Poisonous Solicitor (2022)Martin Beales, The Hay Poisoner: Herbert Rowse Armstrong (2001)Robin Odell, Exhumation of a Murder (1975)“Herbert Rowse Armstrong,” The History Room (history-room.co.uk)Polly Botsford, “The incredible true story of the only solicitor ever to hang for murder,” Legal Cheek (legalcheek.com)Stephanie Almazan, “Herbert Armstrong,” The Line-Up (the-line-up.com)Nicola Bryan, “Fresh doubt cast on solicitor’s murder conviction 100 years on,” BBC News (bbc.com)

A 1932 Stockholm murder becomes one of Sweden’s strangest cold cases. When 32-year-old Lilly Lindeström is found dead in her apartment, unusual details spark rumorsof a “vampire” killer. What’s fact, what’s myth, and why was the case never solved?Source Materials https://gizmodo.com/swedens-most-bizarre-unsolved-murder-was-maybe-commit-1706115395https://londonpress.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/the-disturbing-unsolved-case-of-the-atlas-vampirehttps://medium.com/@marvelinemerab/she-was-killed-in-broad-daylight-and-drained-like-a-horror-story-de41701dd6bfhttps://www.ranker.com/list/atlas-vampire-murder/april-a-taylorhttps://strangeremains.com/2019/10/24/stockholms-unsolved-vampire-murderhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/201211/vampire-personality-disorderhttps://polismuseet.sehttps://stockholmskallan.stockholm.se

A woman posing as Andrew Carnegie’s secret daughter scammed banks out of today’s equivalent of $20 million—armed with nothing but forged notes and absolute confidence. This is the rise and unraveling of Cassie Chadwick, one of the boldest fraudsters of the Gilded Age.Source MaterialsCrosbie, John. The Incredible Mrs. Chadwick. 1975.Hazelgrove, William Elliott. Greed in the Gilded Age: TheBrilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick. Lyons Press, 2021.Wade, Carlson. Great Hoaxes & Famous Impostors. 1976.Hayek, Caroline C.; Gates, Sandra; Rankin, Robert J. “TheSocial Construction of Fraudulent Identity.”“Cassie Chadwick: The Female Wizard of Finance.” Ohio History Connection, June 22, 2022.“The High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance.” SmithsonianMagazine.Newspaper coverage quoted from: Cleveland Plain Dealer;Clinton Republican; Oberlin Review.

A young woman in rural Tipperary falls suddenly ill in 1895—and within days, fear, folklore, and family pressure spiral into one of Ireland’s most disturbing murder cases. This episode unravels the death of Bridget Cleary, the beliefs that shaped it, and the legacy she never asked for.Source Materials Bourke, Angela. The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story. Penguin, 2000.The Tipperary Witch Case (1895 court and newspaper reporting).McGrath, Thomas. “Fairy Faith and Changelings: The Burning of Bridget Cleary in 1895.” Ruxton, Dean. “The Story of the Last ‘Witch’ Burned Alive in Ireland.” The Irish Times, 2016.“The Charred Remains of Bridget Cleary Were Found in a Bog…” History Collection.“The Murder of Bridget Cleary: Ireland’s Last Witch and the Fire of Superstition.” Secret Ireland.National Archives of Ireland images and records related to the Cleary case.

In 1920s Los Angeles, prophecy, greed, and death collided in the hills of California. This episode unravels the story of the Blackburn Cult—a mother-daughter prophecy, a girl kept on ice, and a courtroom that tried to make sense of itall.Historical True Crime was named one of Feedspot’s Best 1920s Podcasts, coming in at #4. Feedspot highlights top podcasts across history, true crime, and culture — you can find their full 1920s list on their site. https://podcast.feedspot.com/1920s_podcastsSource MaterialsBlackburn, May Otis. The Origin of God. Los Angeles: DeVross & Co., 1936.Young, Paul. L.A. Exposed: Strange Myths and Curious Legends in the City of Angels. New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2002.Introvigne, Massimo. “Beth Sarim: Princes, Slander, and the Millennium.” The Journal of CESNUR 6, no. 6 (2022): 12–17. “Believe Child Sacrificed in Ritual of Cult.” Associated Press, October 7, 1929.“Los Angeles Authorities Probe Deaths of Cult Members.” Associated Press, October 9, 1929.“Mary Otis Blackburn Convicted in Grand Theft Case.” Associated Press, March 3, 1930.“Cult Leader Sentenced to San Quentin.” Associated Press, March 14, 1930.Divine Order's Tale Smacks of Cult Fiction - Los Angeles TimesTake It On Faith: A Press Photo of Members of the Divine Order of the Royal Arms of the Great Eleven, Los Angeles, 7 October 1929 -The Homestead BlogFemale Justice Recap: “Persons Believing They Have Divine Power are Entitled to Assert It”: Religious Freedom in the May Otis Blackburn Theft Trial -The Homestead BlogThe Blackburn Cult - HistoricalCrimeDetective.com

Between 1894 and 1897, a scarred drifter named Joseph Vacher wandered the French countryside, leaving a trail of murdered shepherds and farmhands in his wake. Dubbed “The French Ripper,” his crimes terrified rural France—and helped give birth to modern forensic science. This episode traces his life, his trial, and the work of Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the scientist who proved that evidence could speak louder than fear.Source Materials Starr, Douglas. The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science. (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010).Tracking a 19th-Century Serial Killer | BU Today | Boston UniversityJoseph Vacher: Serial Killer Known as "The French Ripper" - geriwalton.comThe 'French Ripper' Killed Dozens — So Why Don’t You Know His Name?Joseph Vacher: The French Ripper’s Brutal Killing Spree – True Crime ArchivesJoseph Vacher: The Killer of Little ShepherdsJoseph Vacher, the “French Ripper” - HeadStuff

In 1803, a ghost was said to haunt the lanes of Hammersmith.By the time the truth emerged, one man was dead—and another stood trial for murder. This is the story of the Hammersmith Ghost: where fear, rumor, and justice collided in the dark.Source MaterialsProceedings of the Old Bailey,11 January 1804 – Trial of Francis Smith for the murder of Thomas Millwood.Burton, Paul J. “The Hammersmith Ghost and the Rule of Law.” SSRN Scholarly Paper, 2015. Davies, Owen. The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.Westwood, Jennifer, and Jacqueline Simpson. The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England’s Legends, from Spring-Heeled Jack to the Witches of Warboys. Penguin Books, 2005.“The Newgate Calendar: The Trial and Execution of Francis Smith.” (Contemporary 19th-century account).A Deadly Scare? The Hammersmith Ghost Murder Case - Historic MysteriesThe Hammersmith Ghost and a Murdered ManThe Hammersmith Ghost and the Strange Death of Thomas Millwood Crime MagazineThe Case of a Ghost Haunted England for Over Two Hundred Years | In Custodia Legis

A nobleman’s drunken murder. A trial before the Irish House of Lords. And the scandal that gave rise to Ireland’s most infamous secret society — the Hellfire Club.Source Material  Neal Garnham, “The Trials of James Cotter and Henry, Baron Barry of Santry: Two Case Studies in the Administrationof Criminal Justice in Early Eighteenth-Century Ireland”, IrishHistorical Studies, Vol. 32, No. 128 (2001).Neal Garnham, “The Trials of James Cotter and Henry, Baron Barry of Santry”, Irish Historical Studies, 2001.F. Elrington Ball, The Judges in Ireland, 1221–1921 (London: John Murray, 1926).Geoffrey Ashe, The Hell-Fire Clubs: A History of Anti-Morality (The History Press, 2000).Evelyn Lord, TheHellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies (Yale University Press, 2008).Hellfire Clubs (Pamphlet / Irish National Library Collection, c. 18th century).Abarta Heritage, TheHellfire Club Archaeological Project – History and Folklore, Abarta Heritage (https://www.abartaheritage.ie/hellfire-club-archaeological-project/hellfire-club-history/hellfire-club/).John D’Alton, Historyof the County of Dublin (Dublin, 1838). “The Hell-Fire Club: Sex, Satanism andSecret Societies,” History Is Now Magazine, 2018.“The Hellfire Club Murders”, Dublin Penny Journal, archival reprint. 

In 1566, a widow from a quiet Essex village was accused of feeding her cat with drops of her own blood—and of using it to kill. This is the story of Agnes Waterhouse, the first woman in England whose witch trial was captured in print. A story offear, faith, and the birth of the English witch.Source Material:

In 1900, Texas millionaire William Marsh Rice was found dead in his New York apartment. Within hours, forged checks, a suspicious will, and a hasty cremation order set off one of the most sensational murder cases of the Gilded Age. This is thestory of greed, betrayal, and the crime that nearly derailed the founding of Rice University.Patreon - Historical True Crime | PatreonWebsite - Historical True Crime | podcastSource MaterialsRice's Attorney and Valet Face Criminal Charges, newsclipping - Rice University Digital CollectionsFace the Law Murder Conspiracy and Forgery newsclipping - Rice University Digital Collections"Confessed Murder Forgery" - Rice University Digital CollectionsScrapbook page of New York news clippings announcing the mysterious circumstances of the death of William MarshRice - Rice University Digital CollectionsEvidence of Guilt newsclipping - Rice University Digital CollectionsMurdered man's estate founds great university, newsclipping regarding Rice Institute - Rice University Digital CollectionsThe Murder of Millionaire William Rice by Albert Patrick, 1900 - HistoricalCrimeDetective.comWilliam Marsh Rice: A Story of Money, Poison, and Murder – Kathy M. SlaughterWilliam Marsh Rice and His Legacy — The Heritage Society Martin L. Friedland, The Death of Old Man Rice: A True Story of Criminal Justice in America (University of Toronto Press, 1996).Thomas Duke, Celebrated Criminal Cases of America (1910), Part III: “The Murder of Millionaire William Rice by Albert Patrick.”

Glamour, scandal, and an unsolved death. When torch singer Libby Holman married into the Reynolds tobacco dynasty, she stepped into a world of wealth and whispers. Whatfollowed was a mystery that would haunt her for the rest of her life.Source MaterialThe Notorious Libby Holman | Vanity Fair | March 1985This Month In Rockingham County History: August - 'Libby Holman Reynolds Turns Herself In at Rockingham County Courthouse' - Museum & Archives of Rockingham CountyLibby Holman | Jewish Women's ArchiveDaily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), 1932-10-20Daily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), 1932-10-25Carolina watchman (Salisbury, N.C.). 1932-12-16 [p ].Daily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), 1932-07-10Daily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), 1932-07-14Daily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), 1932-08-09Coroner's Report in the Matter of the Death of Z. Smith Reynolds – Works – Reynolda HouseDreams that money can buy : the tragic life of Libby Holman : Bradshaw, Jon : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchivePassing Strange: Radical Chic, Race, Sex, Song, and Dance in “Moanin’ Low” - Article (Preprint v1) by Thomas F. Connolly | Qeios

In July 1908, the body of 20-year-old Hazel Drew was discovered face-down in Teal’s Pond near Sand Lake, New York. Rumors of secret lovers, missing letters, and powerful suspects turned her death into both a ghost story and, decades later, the inspiration for Twin Peaks.Source MaterialsJerry Drake, Hazel Was a Good Girl (Clash Books, 2023).David Bushman & Mark Givens, Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks (Thomas & Mercer, 2022)Murder mystery haunts Rensselaer County 116 years later - WNYT.com NewsChannel 13Before the Black Dahlia: The Unsolved Murder of Hazel Drew — and What It Reveals About Race, Crime, and Memory | byLawson Brooks | Certifiable | Aug, 2025 | MediumWho Killed Hazel Drew? The 1908 Murder Case That Inspired Twin PeaksMurder that inspired ‘Twin Peaks’ solved 100 years later: BookA Pair Of Amateur Sleuths Believe They've Solved The Century-Old Murder That Inspired 'Twin Peaks'The murder victim who inspired Twin Peaks haunted me for years... and helped me expose her TRUE killer | Daily MailOnlineHazel’s brutal murder was all but forgotten. Until she inspired ‘Twin Peaks.’ - The Washington Post

For our 150th episode, we revisit one of history’s most infamous names: H. H. Holmes. Behind the myths of the ‘Murder Castle’ lies a story of fraud, fear, and fact stranger than legend. Step inside Chicago’s 1890s underworld—and separate truth from folklore.Source MaterialsThe Enduring Mystery of H.H. Holmes, America's 'First' Serial KillerThe Toronto link to America's bloodiest serial killer - Spacing Toronto | Spacing TorontoH.H. Holmes: Biography, Serial Killer, MurdererMurder Castle - H.H. Holmes, Chicago World's Fair & Layout | HISTORYH. H. Holmes: Master of Illusion — Swindler — Crime LibrarySelzer, Adam. H. H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017.Geyer, Frank P. The Holmes-Pitezel Case: A History of the Greatest Crime of the Century and of the Search for the Missing Pitezel Children. Philadelphia: Publishers’ Union, 1896.

On New Year’s Day, 1886, Edwin Bartlett was found dead in his Pimlico home — his stomach filled with chloroform, but with no sign of how it got there. Was it murder, suicide, or something science couldn’t yet explain? Step into thePimlico Poisoning Mystery, a case that baffled Victorian doctors, scandalized London, and left one woman forever in the shadows.Source Materials:nbtfacsimile.pdft18860405-466 | The Proceedings of the Old BaileyThe Trial of Adelaide Bartlett for Murder, Held at the Central Criminal Court from Monday, April 12, to Saturday, April 17, 1886bmj00471-0054.pdfAFP937923 35..46

Ambrose Bierce was a Civil War veteran, journalist, and master of the macabre whose razor-sharp pen made him both feared and admired. In 1913, at seventy-one yearsold, he left the United States for war-torn Mexico—and vanished. This episode traces Bierce’s journey from log cabin childhood to battlefield survivor, from satirical journalist to literary legend, before diving into one of the greatestmysteries in American history: what became of Ambrose Bierce?Source MaterialsIntroduction to A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography by Ambrose BierceWhy did brothers fight on opposite sides of the Civil War? | HowStuffWorksDisappearance of Ambrose Bierce - Historic MysteriesAmbrose Bierce, Hoosier author and Civil War vet, vanished in MexicoCarey McWilliams. Ambrose Bierce: A Biography. New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1929. S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz. Ambrose Bierce: The Devil’s Lexicographer. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2002.

In 1928, a Wineville chicken farm became the center of aharrowing investigation into missing boys. Gordon Stewart Northcott and his mother, Sarah Louise, were tied to the disappearances of Walter Collins, the Winslow brothers, and others. This episode follows the crimes, the investigation, and the trials that exposed what really happened on the ranch.Source Materials:Wineville Chicken Coop Murders: The Horrifying Crimes of Gordon Stewart Northcott – True Crime ArchivesDuring the 1920s, Boys Became the Prey of a Brutal Killer - Los Angeles TimesThe Wineville Chicken Coop Murders — Boomtown — Crime LibraryChild Killer: Gordon Northcott and the Wineville Chicken Coop MurdersWhat Really Happened When Walter Collins Disappeared In 1928 Nothing Is Strange with You: The Life and Crimes of Gordon Stewart Northcott

In 1935, the seaside calm of Bournemouth was shattered by scandal, betrayal, and murder. Alma Rattenbury — a once-celebrated musician — and her teenage lover GeorgeStoner stood accused in a case that gripped Britain with its mix of passion, tragedy, and sensational headlines. In this episode, we trace Alma’s extraordinary life, her ill-fated marriage to architect Francis Rattenbury, and the events that led to one of the most infamous trials of the 20th century.Source MaterialsThe Architect & the Lady - Canada's History2015.173615.Trial-Of-Alma-Victoria--Rattenbury-And George-Percy-Soner.pdfThe British Newspaper Archive Blog Murder of Francis Rattenbury | The British Newspaper Archive BlogAdultery, jealousy and murder: How the Rattenbury case gripped the nation | Bournemouth EchoJack Knox: Out of tragedy, Francis Rattenbury's son became a fine dad - Victoria Times ColonistThe femme fatale who scandalised Britain: Murder at the Villa Madeira that gripped the country | Daily Mail OnlineThis Week in History: 1935: Sex, drugs, murder and suicide — the Rattenbury case had it all | Vancouver SunThe Sensational High-Society Murder of Francis M. Rattenbury | The Canadian EncyclopediaMurder, suicide and the pain of a surviving sonThe Fatal Passion of Alma Rattenbury - Sean O'Connor - Google Books

In 1660, the quiet Cotswold town of Chipping Campden was shaken by the disappearance of its elderly steward, William Harrison. Within months, three members of the Perry family were convicted and hanged for his murder — without a body ever being found. Two years later, Harrison returned alive, with a tale of pirates, slavery, and improbable escape. Was it truth, invention, or something stranger still?Source MaterialsThe Story - The Campden WonderA true and perfect account of the examination, confession, trial, condemnation and execution of Joan Perry, and her two sons, John and Richard Perry, for the supposed murder of Will. Harrison, Gent Being one of the most remarkable occurrences which hath happened in the memory of man. Sent in a letter (by Sir Thomas Overbury, of Burton, in the county of Gloucester, Knt. and one of His Majesty's justices of the peace) to Thomas Shirly, Doctor of physick, in London. Also Mr. Harrison's own account how he was conveyed to Turky, and there made a slave above 2 years, when hismaster (who bought him there) dying, he return'd to England; in the mean while, supposed to be murdered by his man-servant, who falsly accused his own mother and brother as guilty of the same, and were all three executed for it on Broadway-Hills, in Gloucestershire. | Early English Books Online | University of Michigan Library Digital CollectionsThe Curious Case of the Campden WonderThe Campden Wonder | Chipping Campden OnlineThe Campden Wonder - abduction and witchcraft in 17th century Cotswolds | Great British LifeThe Campden Wonder; or, The Supposed Murder of William Harrison — Historical BlindnessThe Mystery of The Campden Wonder | Amusing Planet

In 1892 Memphis, a secret romance between two young women unraveled in tragedy. This episode traces the story of Alice Mitchell and Freda Ward — from their plannedelopement to a public murder and a sensational trial — and examines how their case shaped early conversations about same-sex love, gender norms, and mental health in America.Source Materials:The Trials of Alice Mitchell: Sensationalism, Sexology, and the Lesbian Subject in Turn-of the-Century America Author(s): Lisa Duggan. Source: Signs, Vol. 18, No. 4, Theorizing Lesbian Experience (Summer, 1993), pp. 791-814 Published by: TheUniversity of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174907 .Images of Alice: Gender, Deviancy, and a Love Murder in MemphisErotomania and Murder in Memphis | by Alexis Coe | The Awl | MediumGirl Slays Girl: An Excerpt From Alice + Freda ForeverA Love Gone South in 'Alice + Freda Forever' - Deep South MagazineAlice & Freda: In 1892, Memphis girls' young love ends tragically, creates national headlines | Focus LGBT+ MagazineMurder by Gaslight: "Girl Slays Girl."Alice Mitchell: Passion, Murder, and a Scandal That Shook America – True Crime ArchivesMitchell, Alice | Encyclopedia.com

When a young English aristocrat vanished at sea in 1854, his family mourned—except for his mother, who refused to believe he was dead. More than a decade later, a butcher from Australia claimed to be the long-lost heir. What followed was one of the most sensational legal battles of the Victorian era. This week on Historical True Crime, we unravel the strange and sprawling saga of the Tichborne Claimant.Source Materials:The Tichborne Trials Archive | Hampshire Cultural Trust Online CollectionsThe Tichborne case: a Victorian melodrama | State Library of New South WalesThe Mysterious Case of Tichborne and His Stolen Identity - Historic MysteriesThe Man Who Lost Himself: The Unbelievable Story of the Tichborne ClaimantThe Tichborne trialTHE TICHBORNE CASEThe Tichborne Case - a Case of Identity Fraud? - Brighton & Hove Museums

A charming jazz musician with a philosophical streak. A series of brutal, seemingly unrelated murders. In this episode, we uncover the disturbing double life of Melvin Rees—known to the press as "The Sex Beast"—and the investigation that nearly let him slip away.Source MaterialsThe encyclopedia of serial killers : Lane, Brian : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveMelvin Rees -- a little known but deadly sadist and rapist — Without a Trace — Crime LibraryTo Live and Die in Chicago: 7 Prohibition Era Gangsters Who Met a Violent End in the Windy CitySerial Killer Diaries | Psychology TodayFBI Records: The Vault — Melvin ReesMelvin Rees | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

In 1928, deep in Pennsylvania’s Hex Hollow, three men believed they were cursed by a local powwow doctor – a folk healer named Nelson Rehmeyer. What followed blurred the line between old-world magic and modern crime, ending in murder, a sensational trial, and a legacy that still haunts the region today. This is the story of superstition, fear, and the killing that made Hex Hollow infamous.Source Materials:Powwowing Among the Pennsylvania Dutch: A Traditional Medical Practice in ... - David W. Kriebel - Google BooksDark Magic: The 1928 Hex Hollow Murder of Nelson RehmeyerRehmeyer's Hollow, York County, Pa.: Pennsylvania Dutch Hex Murder — Top Ten Haunted Places — Crime LibraryTHE "HEX HOUSE" MURDER — American HauntingsWitchcraft and Murder in Hex Hollow – Uncharted LancasterThe Hex Murder Case: Witchcraft in PennsylvaniaRehmeyer's Hollow - Atlas Obscura

A Victorian cult of love, prophecy, and scandal. When Henry James Prince declared himself divine, he founded a religious sect that promised salvation—but delivered something far stranger. Decades later, a new messiah would rise. Thisis the story of the Agapemonites, from spiritual awakening to final collapse.SourceMaterials Henry Prince and John Smyth-Pigott, Agapemonite Messiahs - HeadStuffHenry James Prince and the AgapemonitesThe Agapemonites: Victorian Britain's premiere sex cultThe Agapemone – WRSPThe mid-1800s sex cult in the heart of Spaxton | Bridgwater MercuryAgapemonites Vicar's sex cult excites buyers' interest in rustic Abode of Love | The Independent | The Independent

 When William Morgan vanished in 1826, he left behind a manuscript—and a firestorm. This episode explores the man who took on the Freemasons, the mystery of his disappearance, and how his fate sparked America’s first third party.Source Materials:The Masonic Murder That Inspired the First Third Party in American PoliticsOne Man Exposed the Secrets of the Freemasons. His Disappearance Led to Their Downfall | HISTORYMasons and American history: The 1826 kidnapping, allegedly by freemasons, that changed American politics forever.Murder by Gaslight: William Morgan - Revenge of the FreemasonsKilled by the Freemasons? The Secrets of William Morgan - Historic Mysteries

In 1887, journalist Nellie Bly faked insanity to go undercover inside a New York asylum. What she witnessed—neglect, cruelty, and systemic abuse—became one of the most powerful exposés of the 19th century. This week, we dive into her daring investigation and the real conditions behind the walls of Blackwell’s Island.Source Materials:How Nellie Bly became a Victorian sensation and changed journalism forever | VoxThe woman who exposed 19th-century New York’s inhumane treatment of mental health patients | The Independent | The IndependentNellie Bly: The Journalist Who Pretended To Be Insane To Get Into A Mental AsylumRemembering Nellie Bly, Rabblerouser and Pioneer of Investigative JournalismTen Days in a Madhouse: The Woman Who Got Herself CommittedNellie Bly: The Journalist Who Traveled Around the World in 72 Days | TheCollectorNellie Bly - Story, Timeline & FactsBiography of Nellie Bly, Investigative JournalistTen Days in a Mad-House.Nellie Bly: Scourge of the Asylums and Globetrotter Extraordinaire - Historic Mysteries

George Chapman was a serial poisoner who murdered three of his wives — but some believe his crimes began years earlier as the infamous Jack the Ripper. In this episode, we explore Chapman's life, his shocking crimes, and the lingeringtheory that links him to the Ripper murders.Source Materials:Casebook: Jack the Ripper - George ChapmanWho Was Jack The Ripper? Meet Seven Possible SuspectsCould Victorian Serial Killer George Chapman Have Been Jack the Ripper?Severin Klosowski aka George Chapman, Victorian Murderer - HeadStuffGeorge Chapman — Jack the Ripper, the most famous serial killer of all time — Crime Library

When 20-year-old Georgette Bauerdorf was found murdered in her Los Angeles apartment in 1944, the city was left stunned—and full of questions. Was the killer a soldier she met at the Hollywood Canteen? A stranger lying in wait? Or someone she knew and trusted? Decades later, her case remains unsolved. In this episode, we unravel the clues and lingering theories behind one of Hollywood’s most haunting cold cases.Source Materials A Hollywood Crime - Georgette Bauerdorf • MorbidologyCalifornia heiress was strangled. Who got away with murder?Georgette Bauerdorf: Murder at El PalacioThe Unsolved Killing of Georgette BauerdorfSpell-Checking A Serial Killer: Reexamining LA's 1944 Georgette Bauerdorf "Bathtub Murder" Note Update 2016 - Steve Hodel

In 1929, occultist Netta Fornario was found dead on the sacred island of Iona under eerie and unexplained circumstances. Was her death the result of exposure, a psychic attack, or something even stranger? Join us as we unravel the haunting mystery of a woman who may have crossed a line between worlds—and never returned.Source Materials:http://www.welcometoiona.com/iona-heritage/early-christian-story/https://medium.com/@anncarney51/the-strange-death-of-netta-fornario-b4d6817d7e6fhttps://jasonrobertsonline.com/the-immortal-hour-of-netta-fornario-part-one/https://www.strangeoutdoors.com/historical-strangeness/netta-fornariohttps://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/occult/netta-fornario-ionas-occult-mystery/https://www.historicmysteries.com/unexplained-mysteries/netta-fornario/689/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/555841/strange-1920s-death-iona-scotland-nora-emily-fornariohttps://journalnews.com.ph/a-mystical-island-and-the-mysterious-death-of-the-occultist-netta-fornario/#gsc.tab=0

In 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera were found dead in a remote hunting lodge—an apparent lovers’ suicide that shocked the world. But was it really a tragic romance… or something far more sinister? In this episode, we unravel one of Europe’s most haunting royal mysteries, where politics, scandal, and empirecollide.

A teenager tortured to death. A mother who claimed insanity. Children who became accomplices. This episode tells the whole chilling story of Sylvia Likens—and what happened after the headlines faded.Source MaterialsDean, John (2008). House of Evil: The IndianaTorture Slaying. United States of America: St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-312-94699-9.https://allthatsinteresting.com/gertrude-baniszewskihttps://allthatsinteresting.com/sylvia-likens-gertrude-baniszewskihttps://harrisons.medium.com/the-story-of-the-torture-mother-also-known-as-gertrude-baniszewski-cd9e08cbc921https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/04/06/monster-mom-gertrude-baniszewski-and-teen-cohorts-torture-sylvia-likens-to-death-in-indiana-boarding-house-of-horror/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/iowa-teachers-aide-suspended-after-role-65-torture-death-revealed-flna1c6643498https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/longform/likens-looking-back-indianas-infamous-crime-50-years-later/https://time.com/archive/6629479/trials-avenging-sylvia/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2015/10/23/indianapolis-most-sadistic-act-sylvia-likens-gertrude-baniszewski-torture-slaying-indianapolis-news-indianapolis-crime-crime-horror-torture/74209878/https://law.justia.com/cases/indiana/supreme-court/1970/256-ind-1-1.html

In 1976, a young German woman died after nearly a year of exorcisms. What followed was one of the most controversialtrials in modern religious history. This episode explores the haunting case of Anneliese Michel—a tragic intersection of faith, mental illness, and the cost of belief.Source Materialshttps://allthatsinteresting.com/anneliese-michel-exorcismhttps://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/seized-by-the-spirit-temporal-lobe-epilepsy-and-the-exorcism-of-anneliese-michel/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/04/21/cries-of-a-woman-possessed/94bf2fd3-8e64-482d-869d-1f929851ca8f/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1504158/God-told-us-to-exorcise-my-daughters-demons.-I-dont-regret-her-death.html?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_firsthttps://www.thesun.co.uk/living/4303767/anneliese-michel-possessed-photo-emily-rose/https://time.com/archive/6852095/religion-a-phenomenon-of-fear/

In 1867, the quiet village of Alton, England was shattered by the horrific murder of eight-year-old Fanny Adams—an act so brutal it shocked Victorian society and left a disturbing legacy. In this episode, we explore the events of that summerday, the investigation and trial that followed, and how Fanny’s name became forever entangled in history, slang, and sorrow.Source Materials:Cansfield, Peter (2004). The True Story of Fanny Adams (Second ed.). Soldridge: Peter Cansfield Associates. . ISBN 978-0953634613.https://www.historicmysteries.com/history/fanny-adams/37234/https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/23143260.local-girl-fanny-adams-savagely-tragically-murdered/https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/sites/default/files/inline-files/FannyAdams.pdfhttps://murderpedia.org/male.B/b/baker-frederick.htmhttps://www.hgs-familyhistory.com/2014/10/sweet-fanny-adams/

In this episode, we dive into the mysterious case of Bella, whose body was discovered in a wych elm tree in Hagley Wood in 1941. With theories ranging from espionage to witchcraft, we explore the chilling details, the ongoingintrigue surrounding her identity, and the modern-day efforts to solve the case. Join us as we unravel the mystery of "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?" and take a closer look at the eerie theories that have persisted for over 70 years.Source Materials:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/541525/digital-reconstruction-reveals-face-murder-victim-bella-wych-elmhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.htmlhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/31-days-of-halloween-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elmhttps://www.the-sun.com/news/11083266/bella-wych-elm-identity-mystery-murder-cold-case/https://www.curiousarchive.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-espionage-witchcraft/https://www.ranker.com/list/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/patrick-thornton