Historical True Crime

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-/102171844

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/541525/digital-reconstruction-reveals-face-murder-victim-bella-wych-elm

https://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.html

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/31-days-of-halloween-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm

https://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

In 1931, a Liverpool insurance agent returned home to find his wife savagely murdered—and himself at the center of one of Britain’s most baffling murder mysteries. With an airtight alibi, a fake appointment, and no clear motive, the case of Herbert and Julia Wallace remains unsolved to this day.

SourceMaterials:

https://www.williamherbertwallace.com/general/the-murder-of-julia-wallace/

https://www.livpost.co.uk/chess-prank-calls-and-murder-who/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/551903/impossible-1930s-murder-still-fascinates-crime-writers

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpools-oldest-unsolved-murder-baffled-22804932

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/infamous-man-pru-murder-thats-29642600

https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/pd-james-unmasks-the-perfect-killer-r29xwkgdw0b?region=global

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/wallace.html

In 1930s Texas, Joe Ball was just another bootlegger-turned-barkeep—until the women around him started disappearing. With a backyard alligator pit, a string of missing waitresses, and a pistol always close at hand, Joe’s story blurs the line between fact and folklore. Step into the shadowy legend of the Alligator Man.

Source Materials

Joe Ball: The Butcher of Elmendorf — Introduction — Crime Library

Chilling story about the man known as “The Butcher of Elmendorf”

Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf – Texas Monthly

Suspected local serial killer who may have fed his victims to alligators killed himself 83 years ago

CRIME HUNTER: Bootlegger Joe Ball fed women to gators | Toronto Sun

In April 1836, 23-year-old courtesan Helen Jewett was found murdered in a New York City brothel. The prime suspect, Richard P. Robinson, was acquitted despite strong evidence. The case became a media sensation, highlighting the power of press coverage and exposing harsh 19th-century societal realities.

Source Materials

https://allthatsinteresting.com/helen-jewett

https://www.thoughtco.com/murder-of-helen-jewett-1773772

https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/helen_jewett/

https://www.grunge.com/1009628/the-murder-of-helen-jewett-americas-first-tabloid-murder-trial/

https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=sat3207#mode/1up

https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2009/10/girl-in-green.html

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cohen-jewett.html

On February 4, 1880, the quiet town of Biddulph, Ontario, erupted into chaos as a mob set fire to a farmhouse,slaughtering the notorious Donnelly family in a brutal act of frontier justice. In this episode, we uncover the truth behind one of Canada’s most infamous true crime cases—a tale of feuds, vengeance, and a massacre that still haunts history.

Source Materials:

https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/donnellys-legend-lives-on-in-thorold-1226182

https://www.donnellymuseum.com/history

https://www.wanderlustcanadian.com/post/canadian folklore-black-donnellys

https://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php/the-province-of-ontario/south-western/313-lucan-the-donnelly-homestead-?showall=1

https://canadianmysteries.ca/sites/donnellys/prelude/settlingin/indexen.html

In 1927, 12-year-old Marion Parker was kidnapped in Los Angeles by William Edward Hickman, who demanded ransom from her father. But even after he was paid, Hickman had no intention of letting her go. This shocking case gripped the nation and changed the way kidnappings were investigated.

Source Materials:

Fiend Captured at Echo, Or; Jailed; Confesses, Report". Albany Democrat-Herald. December 22, 1927. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020.

What Marion Parker's Ransom Note Really SaidGirl's Grisly Killing Had City Residents Up in Arms - Los Angeles Times

How Marion Parker Murder Case Inspired 'Perry Mason' | Crime News

HICKMAN HANGED AS HE COLLAPSES; Loses Nerve as He Pays the Penalty for the Murder of Marian Parker. TELLS GUARD OF CRIME Youth Declares He Was Not Grazy --Would Have Killed Best Friend to Gain Ends. - The New York Times

The brutal 1969 murder of 22-year-old Betsy Aardsma inside Penn State’s Library remains unsolved over 50 years later. With no witnesses, few clues, and a crime scene wiped clean, investigators were left with more questions than answers. Who killed Betsy, and why?

Source Materials:

The Unsolved: Betsy Aardsma – The Morbid Library

Unsolved murder of Penn State student Betsy Aardsma haunts community 52 years after she was stabbed in library stacks

Mystery over Thanksgiving murder of Betsy Aardsma who was stabbed to death in porn aisle of Penn State library | The US Sun

The oldest cold case from every state

The Murder of Betsy Aardsma at Penn State – Crime and Coffee Couple

Betsy Aardsma Murder: Mystery Still Surrounds Death Of Penn State Student | Crime News

Betsy Aardsma: Unsolved Penn State Library Murder - Historic Mysteries

A charming Hungarian bachelor lured women through lonely hearts ads—then made them disappear. When authorities uncovered his gruesome secret, Kiss had already vanished. Sightings spanned decades and continents, but he was nevercaught. Did he fake his death? Was he hiding in plain sight? Join us as we unravel the chilling mystery of Bela Kiss, the elusive murderer who slipped through history’s fingers.

Source Materials:

The Terrifying Story of Bela Kiss, Hungary’s Most Murderous Bachelor

The Crimes of Bela Kiss — The Tinsmith Cometh — Crime Library

Kiss of Death: The Bloody Case of Béla Kiss

The Bizarre But True Story Of Béla Kiss, Hungary's "Vampire" Serial Killer

Not Quite Human? Bela Kiss, The Hungarian Vampire - Historic Mysteries

A tragic love affair ends in murder at Big Moose Lake. The case of Chester Gillette and Grace Brown inspired one of America’s greatest novels, An American Tragedy, and multiple film adaptations. But what really happened that fateful night? Dive into the true story behind the fiction.

SourceMaterials:

https://www.adirondack.net/history/grace-brown/

https://mail.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/chester_gillette/9.html

https://crimereads.com/chester-gillette-theodore-dreiser-and-the-origins-of-americas-fascination-with-true-crime/

https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/environment/2008/01/13/the-diary-chester-gillette/44882987007/

When billionaire gold magnate Sir Harry Oakes was foundmurdered in his Bahamas estate in 1943, the crime shocked the world. With ties to high society, organized crime, and political power, his brutal death remains one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Source Materials:

Unraveling The Mysterious Death of Sir Harry Oakes in the Bahamas - DuJour

Fortune's End: The Mysterious Murder of Sir Harry Oakes — Discovery — Crime Library

The Unsolved Murder Of Sir Harry Oakes

The Dramatic Death of Harry Oakes: A Millionaire’s Murder Unsolved

Cold case murder: Who killed rich Palm Beacher 75 years ago?

The cold case murder of Sir Harry Oakes | Letters to the Editor | thenassauguardian.com

Great unsolved crimes: The ex-King, the conman and a millionaire's murder | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk