Historical True Crime

Lizzie
  • 4.8 (34)
  • True Crime
  • Updated Weekly

Step into the shadows of the past with "Historical True Crime," the podcast that takes you on a gripping journey through some of history's most captivating and chilling criminal stories. Each episode is a meticulously researched exploration into the depths of history, where true crime meets the intriguing backdrop of different eras. From legendary criminals and unsolved mysteries to the groundbreaking investigations that shaped the course of justice, our narratives paint a vivid picture of the darker side of humanity throughout time.

  1. 4d ago

    Clara Ford and the Murder of Frank Westwood

    In 1894, eighteen-year-old Frank Westwood was shot at the door of his Toronto home. Weeks later, Clara Ford confessed, then recanted. Her sensational trial raised questions about police interrogation, race, gender and the reliability of theevidence. The murder remains unsolved. Check out our Patreon at patreon.com/historicaltruecrime Source Materials  Patrick Brode, Death in the Queen City: Clara Ford on Trial, 1895  Carolyn Whitzman, Clara at the Door with a Revolver Carolyn Strange, “Wounded Womanhood and Dead Men: Chivalry and the Trials of Clara Ford and Carrie Davies” Barrington Walker, Race on Trial: Black Defendants in Ontario’s Criminal Courts, 1858–1958 Barrington Walker’s review of Death in the Queen City Contemporary coverage from Toronto newspapers including the Globe, Toronto Mail, Toronto World, Toronto Telegram, Evening Star and News Archival court and police material cited in the above works, including Chancellor John Alexander Boyd’s benchbooks, Toronto Police records and the 1871 Canadian census Interviews and published commentary by Carolyn Whitzman discussing her research into Clara Ford’s life and the later mythology surrounding the case

    Clara Ford and the Murder of Frank Westwood

  2. Aug 10

    Buck Ruxton: The Jigsaw Murders of 1935

    In 1935, two mutilated bodies were discovered beneath a bridge near Moffat, Scotland. The victims had been deliberately made difficult to identify, but an extraordinary forensic investigation using anatomy, dental records, photographic superimposition, fingerprints and blood evidence slowly led police back to Dr. Buck Ruxton and his home in Lancaster. Check out our Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive content and more ways to support Historical True Crime: Patreon.com/HistoricalTrueCrime Source Materials Jeremy Craddock, The Jigsaw Murders R. H. Blundell and G. Haswell Wilson, eds., Trial of Buck Ruxton (Notable British Trials, 1937) John Glaister and James Couper Brash, Medico-Legal Aspects of the Ruxton Case (1937) Bertie James Hammond, “Finger Prints and the Ruxton Murders,” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vol. 43, No. 6 (1953) “Medico-Legal Aspects of the Ruxton Case,” contemporary medical journal review (1938) Capital Punishment UK, “Dr. Buck Ruxton – The ‘Jigsaw Murders’ of 1935” Glasgow Police Museum, “The Ruxton Murders – 1935” Vickie Scullard, “The chilling story of Jigsaw Killer Dr Buck Ruxton – and the Manchester trial that made history,” Manchester Evening News, July 19, 2020 U.S. National Library of Medicine, Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body — Buck Ruxton / Jigsaw Murders case materials

    Buck Ruxton: The Jigsaw Murders of 1935

  3. Aug 3

    Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray: The Double Indemnity Murder

    In 1927, Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray were accused of murdering Ruth’s husband, Albert, after months of planning, an affair and a life insurance scheme. Their trial became a tabloid spectacle, but it was the forbidden photograph taken during Ruth’s execution that would define how the case was remembered. A huge thank you to everyone supporting Historical True Crime on Patreon. Your support helps me continue researching and producing the show. You can find bonus episodes and support the podcast at patreon.com/historicaltruecrime.Source Materials Landis MacKellar, The “Double Indemnity” Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, and New York’s Crime of the Century Stevie Simkin, Cultural Constructions of the Femme Fatale: From Pandora’s Box to Basic Instinct People v. Snyder, New York Court of Appeals decision, November 22, 1927 The New York Times, “Mrs. Snyder and Gray Die in Chair,” January 13, 1928 The Washington Times, contemporary coverage of the investigation, trial, appeals, clemency requests and executions Smithsonian Magazine, “The First and Last Time a Photographer Was Allowed in the Electric Chair” TIME magazine archive coverage of the Snyder–Gray case History.com, coverage of Ruth Snyder’s execution and the hidden-camera photograph JSTOR Daily, historical analysis of Ruth Snyder, the tabloid press and the execution photograph Contemporary reporting from the New York Daily News, including the January 13, 1928 front page featuring Tom Howard’s photograph James M. Cain, Double Indemnity, for the case’s later influence on crime fiction and popular culture

    Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray: The Double Indemnity Murder

  4. Jul 27

    The Shark Arm Case: Two Unsolved Murders in Sydney

    In 1935, a tiger shark on display at Sydney’s Coogee Aquarium regurgitated a human arm. The victim was identified as missing man Jim Smith, but the discovery only opened a far more complicated investigation involving insurance fraud, harbour smuggling, conflicting statements, a second murder and several suspects who were ultimately acquitted. Nearly a century later, both deaths remain unsolved. Support Historical True Crime on Patreon at patreon.com/historicaltruecrime. Members get access to bonus episodes and additional historical cases not released on the main feed.Source Materials Phillip Roope and Kevin Meagher, Shark Arm: A Shark, a Tattooed Arm and Two Unsolved Murders Alan J. Whiticker, Twelve Crimes That Shocked the Nation Alex Castles, The Shark Arm Murders Dictionary of Sydney, “Shark Arm Murder 1935” ABC Radio National, “The Shark Arm Case,” featuring Alex Castles Contemporary Australian newspaper coverage of the discovery of the arm, the investigation, the inquest, Patrick Brady’s trial and the murder of Reginald Holmes New South Wales police records, witness statements and court material as reproduced and discussed in the works above

    The Shark Arm Case: Two Unsolved Murders in Sydney

  5. Jul 20

    The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Ramesses III

    A conspiracy inside the royal household ended with the murder of Pharaoh Ramesses III. This episode follows the struggle over Egypt’s throne, the trials that followed, and the modern forensic evidence that  revealed how the king died more than three thousand years later. Love Historical True Crime? Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Your support helps cover the time and costs involved in researching, writing, and producing the show—and you’ll also get access to exclusive Patreon episodes. Join at patreon.com/historicaltruecrime Source Materials A. de Buck, “The Judicial Papyrus of Turin,” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1937, pp. 152–164. Susan Redford, The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Ramesses III, Northern Illinois University Press, 2002. Eric H. Cline and David O’Connor, editors, Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt’s Last Hero, University of Michigan Press, 2012. Zahi Hawass, Somaia Ismail, Ashraf Selim, Sahar N. Saleem, Dina Fathalla, Sally Wasef, Ahmed Z. Gad, Rama Saad, Suzan Fares, Hany Amer, Paul Gostner, Yehia Z. Gad, Carsten M. Pusch and Albert R. Zink, “Revisiting the Harem Conspiracy and Death of Ramesses III: Anthropological, Forensic, Radiological, and Genetic Study,” British Medical Journal, Vol. 345, 2012. Alexandre Loktionov, “Convicting ‘Great Criminals’: A New Look at Punishment in the Turin Judicial Papyrus.” Hans Goedicke, “Was Magic Used in the Harem Conspiracy Against Ramesses III? (P. Rollin and P. Lee),” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 49, 1963, pp. 71–92. Mark Collier, Aidan Dodson and Gottfried Hamernik, “P. BM EA 10052, Anthony Harris, and Queen Tyti,” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 96, 2010, pp. 242–247. Erin Blakemore, “Who Killed Ramesses III? How Science Solved an Ancient Egyptian Murder Mystery,” National Geographic, August 2, 2024.

  6. Jul 13

    The Affair of the Poisons, Part 2: Scandal at Versailles

    As accusations from La Voisin’s circle reached Versailles, Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV’s former favourite was drawn into claims of love powders, forbidden rituals, and poison plots. But the evidence was shaped by rumour, torture,fear, and politics, leaving one question at the centre of the scandal: what was real, and what was too dangerous for the monarchy to expose?Support the show on Patreon: If you enjoy Historical True Crime and want to help support the research, writing, hosting, and production that goes into each episode, you can join my Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Patrons get access to extra episodes and bonus content, including cases that are not in the regular feed. Patreon.com/historicaltruecrime Source Materials Anne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV Holly Tucker, City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris Antonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King Nancy Mitford, The Sun King: Louis XIV at Versailles Benedetta Faedi Duramy, “Women and Poisons in 17th Century France,” Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 87, No. 2, 2012 Erika Carroll, “Potions, Poisons and ‘Inheritance Powders’: How Chemical Discourses Entangled 17th Century France in the Brinvilliers Trial and the Poison Affair,” Voces Novae, 2012

  7. Jul 6

    The Affair of the Poisons - Part 1

    In 1670s Paris, the deaths of a noblewoman’s father and brothers sparked fears of a hidden poison network. As police investigated, they were drawn into a world of fortune-tellers, love powders, secret remedies, and La Voisin , setting the stage for a scandal that would reach Louis XIV’s court. Source Materials Anne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV Holly Tucker, City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris Antonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King Nancy Mitford, The Sun King: Louis XIV at Versailles Benedetta Faedi Duramy, “Women and Poisons in 17th Century France,” Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 87, No. 2, 2012 Erika Carroll, “Potions, Poisons and ‘Inheritance Powders’: How Chemical Discourses Entangled 17th Century France in the Brinvilliers Trial and the Poison Affair,” Voces Novae, 2012

  8. Jun 29

    A Shot Through the Window: Who Killed Louise Bailey?

    When Louise Bailey was shot through the window of a Long Island doctor's office in 1914, suspicion quickly fell on the physician's wife, Florence Carman. But with no eyewitness, no confession, and a case built largely on circumstantial evidence, two juries were left to decide whether suspicion was enough. More than a century later, Louise Bailey's murder remains unsolved. Source Materials The New York Times (1914–1915 coverage of the Florence Carman trials) Chicago Day Book (1914 coverage) Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1914–1915 coverage) The Evening World (1914–1915 coverage) New York Tribune (1914–1915 coverage) The Sun (New York) (1914–1915 coverage) The Buffalo Times (1914–1915 coverage) The Washington Times (1914–1915 coverage) The Tacoma Times (1914–1915 coverage) The Freeport Memorial Library Local History Collection Murderpedia: Florence Carman Historic newspaper archives accessed through Newspapers.com and Library of Congress Chronicling America

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4.8
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

Step into the shadows of the past with "Historical True Crime," the podcast that takes you on a gripping journey through some of history's most captivating and chilling criminal stories. Each episode is a meticulously researched exploration into the depths of history, where true crime meets the intriguing backdrop of different eras. From legendary criminals and unsolved mysteries to the groundbreaking investigations that shaped the course of justice, our narratives paint a vivid picture of the darker side of humanity throughout time.

Information

  • Creator
    Lizzie
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    192
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Lizzie
  • Show Website
    Historical True Crime

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