Emily Patterson was the last victim of one of North America's first known serial killers. But she was also a loving mother to two small boys, a pillar of her local community in Canada, and the long lost ancestor of crime writer Denise Beddows.

It was Emily's bravery as she tried to fight off the evil killer Earle Nelson - known as the 'Gorilla Killer' due to his abnormally large hands - that led to his capture and execution in 1928.

While most books about serial killers are sensationalist accounts about monsters and their brutal crimes, Denise tells the story of each of Nelson's victims. They are the women history left behind. They are The Forgotten 44.

You can order Denise's book - The Forgotten 44 - from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Forty-Four-Victims-Survivors-Americas/dp/B0CGGC4QT8

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected].

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Tracks featured in this episode:

• Questionable Behavior by Sunshine Music
• Moving Heart by Firefly Music
• Crime of the Century by Flash Fluharty
• The Disappearance by Emmett Cooke
• Lamentations by Mark Fabian
• Castigan's Folly by Nathan King