Scotland Yard Confidential

The Deptford Mask Murders

07.21.2022 - By Spotify StudiosPlay

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

The Fingerprint Department at Scotland Yard was established in 1901, growing out of a system of detailing body measurements to validate evidence at crime scenes. Despite early enthusiasm for the ground-breaking technique and some good support from leading detectives, by 1905, the department had still only managed to secure one conviction using the technique — for a burglary that took place in 1902. So when police find a clear thumbprint at the scene of a double murder, they throw their best men at solving the case and getting their first-ever murder conviction using fingerprint technology. Three Scotland Yard heavyweights — Detective Chief Inspector Fox, a leading detective at the Yard; Inspector Charles Stockley Collins, head of the fingerprint department; and none other than Assistant Commissioner for Crime, Sir Melville Macnaghten — are about to make history.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More episodes from Scotland Yard Confidential