*IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode follows on from WHO KILLED MRS HOOD? If you haven't listened to that one yet, please check it out first!

In this special Bonus Episode, we focus on the crucial piece of evidence that convicted Herbert Bennett of his wife Mary's murder in September 1900.

Her necklace was discovered in Herbert's lodgings after her death, helping to convince a jury that he was the man who killed her.

Now, that same necklace is framed on Paul Fitchett's wall - and is a daily reminder to him of why he must continue the fight to clear Herbert's name.

But how did the necklace get there?

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

In September 1900 a woman's body was discovered on the beach in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. She had been strangled with a bootlace. The police had no idea who she was, but they established she had been staying in the town at a boarding house with her infant daughter, Ruby. She had checked in under the name 'Mrs Hood'.

It took several weeks to work out her true identity. Her name was Mary Bennett, and her estranged husband, Herbert, was quickly arrested and charged with her murder. He was convicted in a trial at the Old Bailey, and hanged in March 1901.

Now, Ruby's grandson Paul Fitchett is on a mission to find out the truth about his great-grandparents and crack the tragic case that left Ruby an orphan. He strongly believes Herbert was innocent - but can he prove it?

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [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:

• A Mysterious Fairy by Adieu Adieu
• Still by Shaun Freerson
• The Ancient Mystery by Tom Olivier
• Seek the Solution by Cloud Revolution
• Open Seas by Liam Mansfield
• Glimpse of the Darkness by Emmett Cooke

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

In 1998, author and historian Susan Ronald was in a bank vault in Zurich, Switzerland checking the assets of an elusive billionnaire for a huge investment project. There she stumbled upon evidence of a huge stash of art looted by the Nazis.

Nobody took her story seriously until, more than 15 years later, the German authorities discovered thousands of priceless works of art - many stolen from Jews - secretly hoarded away by a man named Hildebrand Gurlitt - Hitler's personal art curator.

Susan Ronald's book Hitler's Art Thief is available to buy from her website or any online book store.

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:

• Pizzicato Mystery by Studio Le Bus
• Axed by Mojo Handful
• Warpath by Swan Productions
• Mystery at Midnight by Lee Miller
• Searching for Hope by Taizo Audio
• The Bells of Bavaria by The Commandeers

In this special bonus episode, Tom chats to Stuart Blues, host of the phenomenally successful podcast - British Murders.

With more than 500 episodes and 9 million downloads in the last five years it has captured the imagination of true crime fans everywhere. Stuart talks about how he selects the cases he covers in the show - and the effect that talking murder all day has had on his mental health.

Listen to British Murders With Stuart Blues wherever you get your podcasts, or visit https://www.britishmurders.com/

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

Just before 5pm on 27 November 2000, ten-year old Damilola Taylor was walking home from Peckham Library in Southeast London when he was attacked with a glass bottle. He was found in a stairwell at the North Peckham Estate and taken to Kings College Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In this episode, we are at the Old Bailey, speaking to a former juror from the first Damilola Taylor trial, where four young defendants were acquitted of his murder.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Jurors in the UK are never allowed to talk about what happens inside the jury room during deliberations — that's protected by law under the Contempt of Court Act. What you'll hear in this episode are one juror's memories of being in court for a trial at the Old Bailey: the atmosphere, the evidence as it was presented, and the emotions around such a high-profile case. These are his personal reflections only, and don't represent the views of any other jurors in the trial.

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:

• Analytical by Alex Norton
• Night Falls by Lost Harmonies
• Tango Light by Adieu Adieu
• Fallen Dynasty by Evan McDonald

For most of us, serving on a jury is the closest we will ever come to being Caught Up in Crime. For centuries, those accused of the most serious crimes have had the right to be heard by twelve ordinary citizens - their fates resting in the hands of their peers. But the system is creaking. Underfunded and undervalued, there are murmurings of discontent in the corridors of power. Might juries be on the way out? In this episode, 3 former jurors share their experiences: The pressure, the emotion and - more than anything - the sense of responsibility.

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:

• Reflections of the Everlasting by Young Presidents
• Rising Tide by Eskimotion
• Introspective Wondering by Swan Productions
• Ocean Poker 22 by Vinny Falcone
• Uneasy by Mocha Music
• Stepping Forward by Nicklaus Vogel

Nathan is both your typical, traditional private investigator, and its modern 21st Century equivalent rolled into one.

On the one hand he fits the mould perfectly: A former police detective with a gruff, no-nonsense approach to cheating spouses and petty crooks - but he's also embracing the new world too. Despite reservations from some within his industry, he's built an impressive social media following and his TikTok videos are helping him reach a new generation of customers.

You can listen to Nathan's podcast: 'Diary of a Private Investigator' wherever you get your podcasts. Or visit https://dolosinvestigations.co.uk/ to find out more about Nathan's services.

Nathan is a full member of The Association of British Investigators (ABI) www.theABI.org.uk "Upholding Professional Values"

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [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:

• No Stranger to Darkness by Emmett Cooke
• Fluteboy Slim by Johanze
• Flash in the Pan by Zillions
• Flickering Daylight by Taizo Audio

In 2018, Joanna Laiscell was fired from her position in the finance department at the Hartford Schools District after 24 years of service.

The official reason for her dismisaal was insurance fraud, but the truth ran far deeper, exposing a murky world of racism and collusion. Joanna didn't know it at the time, but one of her colleagues was making it his mission to ruin her reputation.

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

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Artwork by Spencer Wilson

Music by Premium Beat

Theme: Noir Guitar by Jonathan Boyle

Other tracks featured in this episode:

• Beyond Silence by Remember the Future
• Breezy Life by Sirus Music
• Pressing Matters by Mark Fabian
• Mountains by Jack Catfish
• Life is Golden by Young Presidents

Have you ever thought about the historical crimes in YOUR town?

Eleanor Phillips has lived in my home town of Chesham all her life, and in her retirement she has become one of its foremost historians and story-tellers. In this episode, she talks about four crimes spanning more than a century from the swahbuckling tale of highwaymen thwarted by a hero stagecoach driver, to the sinister 'Raincoat Man' who stalked his terrified victims in Chesham and Amersham in 1957.

To find out more about the stories we covered in this episode, read Eleanor's articles on the Chesham Museum website.

If you have any story ideas for future episodes of Caught Up in Crime - you can email them to [email protected] or contact me at [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:

• Another Piece of the Puzzle by Emmett Cooke
• The Latest Scandal by Shaun Frearson
• Elephant Crossing by Little Red Church
• Sorry Sea Dog by Porter Productions
• Dark Expanse by Sarah Chapman
• Ain't in Like a River by the Commandeers