Murder in the Mourning

In London in 1811, two families were brutally murdered within two weeks. Just before Christmas, seven people were slain only blocks from each other in the district of Wapping. The Marr and Williamson families were attacked in the early morning hours as they unknowingly slept. 

As one of the most gruesome and bloody attacks in Britain’s history, investigators were determined to punish someone...anyone. 

Let’s Mourn.

Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). John Williams: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. John Williams | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. https://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/williams-john.htm

Broin, A. O. (2024, January 3). Gruesome Georgians: Crime and punishment. The Historic England Blog. https://heritagecalling.com/2016/09/26/gruesome-georgians-crime-and-punishment/

Jeffries, B. (n.d.). Thames Police - history page: The Ratcliffe Highway Murders of December 1811. http://www.thamespolicemuseum.org.uk/h_ratcliffehighwaymurders_1.html

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, November 21). Ratcliff Highway murders. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratcliff_Highway_murders

The Victorian Era is notorious for its fascination with death. The Queen herself mourned the loss of her husband for nearly four decades. No one was safe from the Reaper. 

Lord William Russell survived decades as a politician throughout a bloody era, avoiding trouble as it arose. However, no amount of preparation nor caution could have prevented his gruesome murder.  

Let’s Mourn.

Sources:

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). William Russell, lord Russell. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Russell-Lord-Russell

Redd, W. (2022, April 29). Meet the twisted con man who passed himself off as a Rockefeller and got away with murder for 28 years. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/clark-rockefeller

Walton, G. (2020, August 6). Lord William Russell: Murdered by François Benjamin Courvoisier. geriwalton.com. https://www.geriwalton.com/murder-of-lord-william-russe/

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, February 14). William Russell, lord Russell. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Russell,_Lord_Russell

The Kent family found themselves at the center of the most notorious murder case of the Victorian Era. Their youngest child, Francis, had been abducted from his nursey while he slept.

The whole of England was stunned when detectives released their suspect list–the entire family.

Let’s Mourn.

Blanco, J. I. (n.d.). Constance Kent: Murderpedia, the Encyclopedia of Murderers. Constance Kent | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers. https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/kent-constance.htm

Carlton, G. (2023, July 28). How one of Victorian England’s grisliest murders was committed by a 16-year-old girl. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/constance-kent

Eberhart, C. (2024, February 8). Virginia Cop’s murder and arson “catfishing” scheme should never have happened, $50m lawsuit says. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/virginia-cops-murder-arson-catfishing-scheme-should-never-have-happened-50m-lawsuit-says

MacRitchie, J. J. (2022, March 2). The curious case of Constance Kent. Strathfield Council. https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/blog-post/the-curious-case-of-constance-kent/

Does death frighten you? Or maybe it’s how you’ll die that conjures fear? But what if you couldn’t be killed…?

Michael Malloy, aka the Bronx Rasputin, survived numerous assassination attempts! He was fed shrapnel, poisoned fish, denatured alcohol, endured being run over by a car, and much more! 

Oh, and he was drunk the entire time! 

Let’s Mourn.

Karen, A. (2012, February 7). The man who wouldn’t die. Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wouldnt-die-89417903/

Stelloh, T. (n.d.). A decades-old killing and two murder trials divided juries - and a family. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sherri-malarik-murder-trials-justice-family-divided-rcna136680

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, November 25). Michael Malloy. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Malloy

When a young girl disappeared the morning before Valentine's Day, 1917, police shrugged their shoulders. Provided with clear and definitive leads, they did nothing. Frustrated, her father enlisted the help of the "Female Sherlock Holmes."

Grace Humiston attacked this case head-on, soon putting the NYPD to shame when she solved it right under their noses. 

Plus a bonus story!

Let’s Mourn.

Sources:

Abbott, K. (2024, January 30). America’s “Mrs Holmes”: How one woman took on the cases the NYPD couldn’t solve. HistoryExtra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/what-happened-mrs-sherlock-holmes-mystery-ruth-cruger-disappearance-murder-grace-humiston/

Detective Ellis Parker and the Pickled Corpse Case Part 1. (n.d.-a). https://trivia-library.com/c/detective-ellis-parker-and-the-pickled-corpse-case-part-1.htm

Detective Ellis Parker and the Pickled Corpse Case Part 2. (n.d.-b). https://trivia-library.com/c/detective-ellis-parker-and-the-pickled-corpse-case-part-2.htm

HistoryExtra. (2024, January 30). America’s “Mrs Holmes”: How one woman took on the cases the NYPD couldn’t solve. https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/what-happened-mrs-sherlock-holmes-mystery-ruth-cruger-disappearance-murder-grace-humiston/

Varady, C. (2023, February 5). Mrs. Sherlock Holmes and the murder of Ruth Creuger. Medium. https://cynthiavarady.medium.com/mrs-sherlock-holmes-and-the-murder-of-ruth-creuger-132789c176f9

When a young girl died from typhoid in 1910, most people chalked it up to her lifestyle and moved on.

Not Alice Clement. The first female detective of Chicago perceived what others didn't–A murder.

Let's Mourn.

Sources:

Alice Clement: The detective wore pearls. Chicago Magazine. (n.d.). https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2003/the-detective-wore-pearls/

Dunn, L. T. (n.d.). Roxanne Wood murder case timeline. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roxanne-wood-murder-timeline-48-hours/

Varady, C. (2022, July 27). Detective Alice Clement and the dulcimer murder. Medium. https://cynthiavarady.medium.com/detective-alice-clement-and-the-dulcimer-murder-2446f3ab219f

In January of 1965 near Sydney, Australia, the bodies of two 15-year-old girls were found partially buried in the dunes of Wanda Beach. They had been slashed, stabbed, and left to die by a monster.

The cruelty of this crime led to the largest investigation in Australia's history. Popular suspects have surfaced over the years including the infamous Beauty Queen Killer, and more recently an alleged confession came to light!

Let's Mourn.

Sources:

Fihlani, P. (2018, June 7). Henri van Breda trial: The man who killed his family with an axe. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44359696

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, November 28). Wanda Beach murders. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Beach_Murders

Zoe Zaczek For Daily Mail Australia. (2020, September 25). Could the wanda beach murders finally be solved? paedophile who abused his own daughter and sister “confessed” to a girlfriend that he killed two schoolgirls. Daily Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8773013/Could-Wanda-Beach-Murders-finally-SOLVED.html

What happens when a suspected murderer flies halfway across the world to Thailand? Why you hire the real-life Sherlock Holmes of course!

Jay J. Armes is one of the most successful and unconventional private investigators ever to crack a case. When Lynda Singshinsuk was killed in her dorm room, nothing stopped this man from bringing her killer to justice.

Let's Mourn.

Sources:

A college romance goes from love to death. Chicago Tribune. (2024, January 24). https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-02-10-9101130041-story.html

Kapp, S. (2021, February 18). A look back on Jay J. Armes’ favorite investigations of all time. KTSM 9 News. https://www.ktsm.com/local/el-paso-news/a-look-back-on-jay-j-armes-favorite-investigations-of-all-time/

Magazine, S. (2022, March 29). How Kate Warne, America’s first woman detective, foiled a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-kate-warne-americas-first-woman-detective-foiled-a-plot-to-assassinate-abraham-lincoln-180979829/

Wilson, T. (1992, February 25). NU student`s killer: `I told her I was sorry`. Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-02-25-9201180152-story.html

Marc Dutroux's name still haunts the country of Belgium. Convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault in the 1980s, he was released after only three years.

Le Monstre, as the media dubbed him, went on to commit much more heinous crimes–including but not limited to building a soundproof torture dungeon in his basement.

Plus we cover a breaking news story involving Scott Peterson! The L.A. Innocence Project takes on his case, citing new evidence.

Let's Mourn.

Baker, K. (2024, January 19). The L.A. Innocence Project believes Scott Peterson may be innocent: What to know about wife Laci’s murder. Peoplemag. https://people.com/scott-peterson-innocence-project-what-to-know-about-case-8546461

Donahue, M. (2023, October 13). Inside the disturbing story of Marc Dutroux, the rapist and killer who built a “house of Horror” in Belgium. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/marc-dutroux

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Marc Dutroux. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marc-Dutroux

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, January 20). Marc Dutroux. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Dutroux

If I were to believe in curses, I'd be certain the Stayner family held one. In the 1970s, Steven Stayner was kidnapped off the street at age 7, held captive for years, and sexually abused countless times.

His older brother Cary, never dealt well with the loss of his brother. Two decades later, he would become known as the Yosemite Killer.

Plus an update about the recent Becky Bliefnick murder.

Let's Mourn.

Sources:

Brown, M. (2023, October 1). Murder victim Becky Bliefnick voiced fear of her estranged husband prior to her death. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/becky-bliefnick-murder-evidence-voiced-fear-of-estranged-husband-prior-to-her-death/

Chesanek, C. (2022, October 3). His little brother was kidnapped as a child - then he went on to kidnap and murder four people himself. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/cary-stayner

Going home: The story of Steven Stayner. Crime + Investigation UK. (n.d.). https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/going-home-the-story-of-steven-stayner

Rasmussen, A. (2023, May 19). Heroism and horror: One brother was kidnapped, the other became a serial killer. Investigation Discovery. https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/serial-killer/heroism-and-horror-one-brother-was-kidnapped-the-other-became-a-serial-killer