Murder Most British

Rachel & Zach

A British-American couple unearths haunting murders from across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and neighbouring islands — one file at a time. Deep dives, dark humour, and cases that linger long after the verdict. Welcome to Murder Most British.

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep 36 - The Angel of Bristol - The Murder of Becky Watts

    “In a quiet Bristol suburb, a fourteen-year-old girl vanished from her own home.” In February 2015, Becky Watts was reported missing after she failed to turn up at school. Her bedroom door stood open. Her phone was gone. There were no obvious signs of forced entry. At first, it was treated as a missing-person case. Posters went up. Appeals were broadcast. Volunteers searched nearby parks and streets. But within days, investigators began to suspect something far more deliberate — something that had not come from outside the house at all. What followed was a case that unsettled the country: one built on planning, deception, and a betrayal that felt almost impossible to comprehend. This week, the Archive traces the timeline — from disappearance to discovery — and examines how a family home became the centre of one of the most disturbing crimes in modern British memory. Some doors do not need to be forced to hide something terrible. Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast Links to Socials and Discord https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish    SOURCES Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). (2016). R v Matthews & Hoare [2016] EWCA Crim 886. BAILII. https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2016/886.html&query=(Matthews)+AND+(Hoare) BBC News. (2015, February 28). Two arrested over missing teenager Becky Watts. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-31684017 BBC News. (2015, October 9). Becky Watts murder trial: Evidence presented in court. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-34464909 BBC News. (2015, November 11). Becky Watts murder: Nathan Matthews guilty, Shauna Hoare guilty of manslaughter. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34790804 BBC News. (2015, November 13). Becky Watts killers sentenced. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34812317 BBC News. (2015, April 17). Becky Watts funeral ‘celebration of her life’. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-32335353 The Guardian. (2015, March 2). Becky Watts: timeline of the 16-year-old’s disappearance. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/02/becky-watts-disappearance-timeline-16-year-old-bristol The Guardian. (2015, October 7). Becky Watts was killed in sexually motivated attack, jury told. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/07/becky-watts-was-killed-in-sexually-motivated-attack-jury-told The Guardian. (2015, October 12). Becky Watts accused giggled during interrogation, court told. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/12/becky-watts-accused-giggled-during-interrogation-court-told The Guardian. (2015, November 11). Nathan Matthews and Shauna Hoare turned dark fantasies into reality. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/11/nathan-matthews-shauna-hoare-becky-watts-dark-fantasies-reality The Guardian. (2015, November 13). Becky Watts trial: Judge cries as killers sentenced. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/13/becky-watts-trial-judge-cries-nathan-matthews-shauna-hoare The Guardian. (2015, April 17). Becky Watts funeral: relatives pay tribute to “angel of Bristol”. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/17/becky-watts-funeral-bristol The Guardian. (2016, June 23). Becky Watts killers lose conviction and sentence appeals. https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jun/23/becky-watts-killers-lose-conviction-and-sentence-appeals The Guardian. (2018, January 29). Becky Watts case review finds eight services failed murdered teenager. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jan/29/becky-watts-case-review-finds-eight-services-failed-murdered-teenager Daily Mirror. (2015). Becky Watts murder trial: Read full transcript of stepbrother’s confession to police. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/becky-watts-murder-trial-read-6677073 Sky News. (2015). Two held over missing teen Becky Watts. https://news.sky.com/story/two-held-over-missing-teen-becky-watts-10369645 ITV News. (2023, September 1). Becky Watts’ mum’s anger as daughter’s killer Shauna Hoare is released from prison. https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2023-09-01/mums-anger-as-evil-woman-who-killed-becky-watts-released-from-prison ITV News West Country. (2015). Becky Watts trial coverage (Day 1–21). https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2015-10-06/becky-watts-trial-day-1/   Channel 4. (2019). Becky Watts: Police Tapes  Book - Darren Galsworthy - Becky: The heartbreaking story of Becky Watts.  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Becky_Watts

    53 min

  2. MAR 25

    Ep 35 - A Killing in Queen’s Park - The Murder of Moira Jones

    “In the fading light beside Queen’s Park, a short walk home slipped quietly out of sight.” On 28 May 2008, Moira Jones left her boyfriend’s flat in Glasgow’s southside and began the familiar walk along Queen’s Drive. The route was ordinary. The park beside it was well known. It was late, but not unusually so. Before midnight, she was seen walking near the edge of the park. By morning, police cordons stretched between trees and hedgerows. A major investigation began almost immediately — one that would move quickly, draw intense public attention, and stretch beyond Scotland’s borders. The case that followed would test timelines, trace movements, and force investigators to reconstruct a night that had slipped out of sight in a place people crossed every day. This week, the Archive walks the perimeter of Queen’s Park — examining the night itself, and the enquiry that followed. Some routes feel routine — until they aren’t. Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast Links to our socials and Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish SOURCES BBC News — Moira Jones murder investigation http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7990261.stm BBC News — Offender 'admitted' Moira murder http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/mobile/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7946897.stm BBC News — Moira accused agreed extradition http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7941774.stm BBC News — Court hears of 'agitated' Moira http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7948620.stm BBC News — CCTV shown in murder trial (2009) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7972347.stm BBC News — Man found guilty of Moira murder http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7989422.stm BBC News — 'Terrible evil' in dear green place http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7986386.stm BBC News — Moira witness jailed for attack http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7990123.stm BBC News — HMA v Marek Harcar (Sentencing summary PDF) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/08_04_09_marek_harcar.pdf The Guardian — Slovakian man jailed for murder of Glasgow businesswoman Moira Jones https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/apr/08/slovakian-jailed-murder-glasgow The Herald — Moira Jones killer to serve rest of his sentence in native homeland https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16222642.moira-jones-killer-serve-rest-sentence-native-homeland/ BBC News — Catching the park killer who vanished 'like a ghost' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-44209631 STV News — Moira Jones: Brutal murder that stunned a city ten years on (2018) https://archive.news.stv.tv/archive/1416294-moira-jones-legacy-of-2008-murder-that-stunned-glasgow.html BBC News — The diary of my daughter's murder: 'We were in hell on earth' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-53909462 BBC News — The park murder victim's family helping others grieve https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65675797

    48 min

  3. MAR 18

    Ep 34 - The Soham Murders - Ian Huntley

    “They left the house for a short walk — and a quiet town began searching for two girls who never came home.” In the Cambridgeshire market town of Soham, the evening of the 4th of August 2002 began like countless summer nights before it. Two ten-year-old best friends stepped out of a house for what should have been a short walk through familiar streets. Within hours, families and neighbours were searching the town. Within days, the entire country knew their names. As investigators retraced the girls’ final movements, a picture slowly emerged — one that would reveal betrayal, expose failures in the systems meant to protect children, and lead to reforms that reshaped safeguarding across Britain. This week, the Archive revisits a case that shocked the nation and forever changed the small town where it began. Some crimes shatter communities. The Archive preserves the moments when trust is broken — and the lessons that follow.   Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast Links to our socials and Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish  Sources Official Reports & Government Documents   The Bichard Inquiry Report (2004) https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/6394/1/report.pdf    The Bichard Inquiry – Final Report (2005 Follow-up) https://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2005/03/15/Bichardfinalreport.pdf    HM Inspectorate of Constabulary – Investigation by Cambridgeshire Constabulary (Operation Fincham Review) https://assets-hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/uploads/investigation-by-cambridgeshire-constabulary-20040530.pdf    UK Parliament – Hansard Statement on the Bichard Inquiry Parliamentary discussion following publication of the inquiry report. https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2004-06-22/debates/3637ce59-cd9a-462c-8b69-a29dc01e93a2/BichardInquiryReport    UK Government – Safeguarding & Vetting Reforms following the Bichard Inquiry https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scrutiny-of-vetting-and-barring-scheme-gets-underway    Major News Coverage   The Guardian – Police trace moment girls vanished https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/aug/09/childprotection.society    The Guardian – Holly and Jessica: timetable https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/06/soham.ukcrime    The Guardian – Express offers £1m for information on missing girls https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/aug/08/pressandpublishing.childprotection    BBC News – Soham trial timeline                http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3232051.stm     The Guardian – Huntley gives evidence https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/10/soham.ukcrime    The Guardian – Huntley admits burning bodies https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/28/soham.ukcrime     The Guardian – Soham trial hears forensic evidence https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/24/soham.ukcrime    The Guardian – Maxine Carr Granted Lifetime Anonymity https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/feb/25/soham.ukcrime    The Guardian – Huntley 'driven by sexual motive' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/11/soham.ukcrime3    The Guardian – Holly, Jessica and the unravelling of a dark and terrible mystery https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/07/ukcrime.soham    The Guardian – Huntley: I did not intend to kill girls https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/01/soham.ukcrime    The Guardian – Soham girls 'likely to have been asphyxiated' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/nov/07/soham.ukcrime7    The Guardian – Huntley given two life sentences https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/dec/17/soham.ukcrime7    The Guardian – Soham killer must serve 40 years https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/sep/29/soham.uknews    Sky News – Coverage of Ian Huntley prison assault (2026) https://news.sky.com/story/soham-murderer-ian-huntley-in-serious-condition-after-workshop-prison-attack-as-assault-suspect-identified-13512440    BBC NEWS - Soham murderer Ian Huntley taken off life support, BBC understands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62d410y4qko    THe Guardian - Soham murderer Ian Huntley dies after HMP Frankland prison attack https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/07/soham-murderer-ian-huntley-dies-after-hmp-frankland-prison-attack#:~:text=Jamie%20Grierson,Friday%20after%20his%20condition%20deteriorated.  LBC - Soham monster Ian Huntley 'wears Man Utd-style top' in apparent sick reference to 10-year-old victims https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/soham-monster-ian-huntley-wears-man-utd-style-top-in-sick-reference-5Hjd7XN_2/

    1h 4m

  4. MAR 11

    Ep 33 - The Bullseye Killer - John William Cooper

    “In a quiet corner of west Wales, the countryside kept its secrets for years.” In the 1980s and 1990s, Pembrokeshire was a place of farms, coastal paths, and roads that emptied after dark. Movement was familiar. Faces were known. A man who looked like he belonged rarely drew attention. Then, across two decades, violence struck in isolated places — a farmhouse set back from the lane, a stretch of coastal path below the cliffs, an open field near a housing estate. The investigations ran separately. The answers never came. Years later, items preserved for decades were examined again. What had once been silent began to speak — and old assumptions shifted. This week, the Archive traces a case that unfolded slowly — where ordinary familiarity masked something far darker, and where time itself became part of the story. Join our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast Links to our socials and Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish    Sources Court of Appeal (BAILII) — Appeal refusal judgment Cooper, Re Application for leave to appeal [2012] EWCA Crim 2240 https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2012/2240.html Wilkins, Steve & Hill, Jonathan — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer (2013) First-hand account by the Senior Investigating Officer and ITV journalist https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/steve-wilkins/the-pembrokeshire-murders/9781841884509/ Conviction & sentencing report https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13538545 Background profile — Spot-the-Ball win, burglary history, lifestyle https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13409516 Son’s testimony — “shotgun walks”, hidden possessions, photographs, gun barrel https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13077287 CCRC review request (recent status) https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-65374137 The Guardian — early court coverage https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/may/15/double-murders-accused-court The Guardian — convictions overview (technology breakthrough angle) https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/may/26/john-cooper-murders-finally-solved ITV News — True story explainer / timeline https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-01-11/the-pembrokeshire-murders-the-true-story-behind-the-notorious-double-murders-that-shook-west-wales ITV News — appeal/review coverage https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-04-24/bullseye-killer-john-cooper-to-appeal-sentence Forensic Access — Angela Gallop / forensic involvement https://www.forensic-access.co.uk/cold-cases/pembrokeshire-murders/ Western Telegraph — trial archive hub https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/9063258.western-telegraph-murder-trail-25-years/  Western Telegraph — conviction review application https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/23476698.serial-killer-john-cooper-applies-conviction-review Crime and Investigation https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/article/john-william-cooper-the-bullseye-murderer  Royal Television Society — Bullseye history & viewership https://rts.org.uk/article/comfort-classic-bullseye UK Game Shows — Bullseye format details https://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Bullseye Huffington Post — case explainer tied to ITV drama https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-pembrokeshire-murders-real-story-itv-drama-cast-luke-evans-keith-allen-john-cooper-killer_uk_5ffc3f1bc5b63642b6fd68ef The Independent — The Pembrokeshire Murders: Where are John Cooper and his family now? https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pembrokeshire-murders-john-cooper-wife-b1786770.html  Wikipedia                                                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cooper_(serial_killer)

    1h 2m

  5. MAR 4

    Ep 32 - The Black Widow of Jack White’s Inn - Catherine Nevin

    “In a roadside inn on the Wicklow coast, routine was everything — until one night it wasn’t.” This week, the Archive crosses the Irish Sea for a case that gripped the neighbouring island. On March 19th, 1996, Tom Nevin was finishing the accounts at Jack White’s Inn, as he had done countless times before. By morning, he was dead in his own premises, and a robbery was reported in the early hours. His wife, Catherine, told police a masked intruder had entered their home above the pub. Money was missing. A car had vanished. The alarm had been triggered before dawn. What followed became one of the most closely watched cases in modern Irish history — built on reconstruction, credibility, and the story that unfolded as investigators tried to make sense of what had happened inside a place built on routine. This week, the Archive examines a killing that began in the ordinary — and ended somewhere far more complicated.   This case takes place in the Republic of Ireland — part of our wider ‘these islands’ coverage. Links to our socials and Discord: https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish Sources Court & Legal Record Court of Criminal Appeal — Catherine Nevin v. Director of Public Prosecutions (Judgment, 22 Nov 2010) https://ww2.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/696ba620-fbc7-473d-a924-8700355437cd/2010_IECCA_106_1.pdf/pdf#view=fitH  Investigation & Charges RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin charged with murder (14 Apr 1997) https://www.rte.ie/archives/2022/0330/1289316-catherine-nevin-faces-murder-charge/  The Irish Times — Widow of publican granted bail on murder charge (19 Apr 1997) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/widow-of-publican-granted-bail-on-murder-charge-1.63887  Trial Coverage (2000) Irish Independent — ‘Big game’ cartridge used to kill publican https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/big-game-cartridge-used-to-kill-publican/26126556.html  Irish Independent — Wife `wanted Tom to die in her arms' https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wife-wanted-tom-to-die-in-her-arms/26121225.html  RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin denies affairs with retired Garda and judge https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0315/6063-nevin/  RTÉ News — New jury sworn in to hear retrial of Catherine Nevin https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0207/5478-nevin/  RTÉ News — Witness gives evidence of Nevin murder plot https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0301/5841-nevin/  RTÉ News — Third man claims Nevin asked him to murder husband https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0302/5861-nevin/  RTÉ News — Nevin trial prosecution ends closing speech to jury https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0331/6313-nevin/  RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin begins life sentence https://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0411/6465-nevin/  BBC News — Wife jailed after marathon trial http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/709839.stm   The Irish Times — Nevin gets 7 years on each soliciting count https://www.irishtimes.com/news/nevin-gets-7-years-on-each-soliciting-count-1.279599  The Post.IE - Tom Nevin knew of murder plot https://web.archive.org/web/20090714231955/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2000/09/10/story656559038.asp  Appeals & Later Proceedings RTÉ News — Nevin loses appeal against convictions (2003) https://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0314/36208-nevin01/  RTÉ News — Court rules murder conviction can be used in inheritance case (2013) https://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0301/370254-catherine-nevin-court/  RTÉ News — Catherine Nevin loses bid for Supreme Court appeal (2014) https://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0707/629146-catherine-nevin/  Retrospectives & Analysis The Irish Times — The trial and conviction of the “Black Widow” (2018) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/catherine-nevin-the-trial-and-conviction-of-the-black-widow-1.3399075  The Journal — A murder, the IRA, and the Black Widow: Catherine Nevin and the trial that gripped the nation                https://www.thejournal.ie/catherine-nevin-murder-3861901-Feb2018/ The Irish Independent — Story of greed, lies and lust that made the 'black widow' a household name https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/story-of-greed-lies-and-lust-that-made-the-black-widow-a-household-name/36638383.html  Irish Independent — Inside the Garda’s Black Widow probe (2018) https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/inside-the-gardas-black-widow-probe/36640380.html  The Journal — A murder, the IRA, and the Black Widow: the trial that gripped the nation https://www.thejournal.ie/catherine-nevin-murder-3861901-Feb2018  Death RTÉ News — Convicted murderer Catherine Nevin dies aged 67 (2018) https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0220/942127-catherine-nevin-death/  Background Reference Wikipedia — Catherine Nevin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Nevin

    58 min

  6. FEB 25

    Ep 31 - The Man in the Glass Box - Robert Maudsley

    “Hidden from sight, contained by design — a man the system decided could never be released.” In the 1970s, a series of violent crimes forced British authorities to confront a question they rarely ask aloud: what happens when someone is deemed too dangerous to exist among others? The answer would not be found in a courtroom alone — but behind reinforced walls, under constant observation. At the centre of this case is Robert Maudsley, a prisoner whose actions reshaped how the state manages extreme violence. His name became synonymous not just with murder, but with confinement itself — and with a form of imprisonment unlike any seen before or since. This week, the Archive examines a case defined by containment rather than escape — and the uneasy line between punishment, protection, and permanent isolation. Join our Patreon!  https://www.patreon.com/MurderMostBritishPodcast Links to our socials and Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish  Sources Crime + Investigation https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/shows/making-a-monster/abused-as-a-child-robert-maudsley-killed-abusers-as-an-adult  The independent - Visiting time: Charles Bronson invites us into his cell Talks about Maudsley and Bronson interactions. https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/crime/visiting-time-charles-bronson-invites-us-into-his-cell-6262619.html  The Guardian - The caged misery of Britain's real 'Hannibal the Cannibal' https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/apr/27/ukcrime  Manchester Evening News - The notorious serial killer locked inside 'Monster Mansion' in tiny bulletproof glass box underground https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/nostalgia/notorious-serial-killer-locked-inside-27970514 Manchester Evening News. Manchester Evening News - Life of Britain's 'most dangerous prisoner' who spends 23 hours a day locked inside a glass box https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/life-britains-most-dangerous-prisoner-22197596  Liverpool Echo -  'Brain-Eater' killer Robert Maudsley is now 40 YEARS into solitary confinement stretch https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/brain-eater-killer-robert-maudsley-14888774   Liverpool Echo - Tragic life that led to Hannibal killings https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/tragic-life-led-hannibal-killings-3554260  BBC News - Killer begs for budgie or suicide http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/687659.stm  The Guardian 7 October 1977 -  https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-robert-maudsley/21154786/  Robert Maudsley | Making A Monster: The Tapes. Directly from Dr Bob Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxpDGWoO_E  The Mirror - 'My serial killer brother's so polite - but he's on hunger strike after new accusation'  https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/my-serial-killer-brothers-polite-34815758  Yahoo News - UK's 'most dangerous prisoner’ transferred to new jail after 46 years in a glass box underground https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uks-most-dangerous-prisoner-transferred-100954419.html?guccounter=1  Yahoo News - Liverpool serial killer to spend Christmas underground in a glass box https://uk.news.yahoo.com/liverpool-serial-killer-spend-christmas-000728911.html IOL - Killer creature comforts: pet or poison https://iol.co.za/news/eish/2000-03-23-killer-creature-comforts-pet-or-poison/  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Maudsley  Murderpedia https://murderpedia.org/male.M/m/maudsley-robert.htm#google_vignette

    1h 6m

  7. FEB 18

    Ep 30 - The Lover, the Letters, and the Poison - Madeleine Smith

    “Behind closed doors, a secret relationship unfolded — and when it was exposed, it shook an entire city.” In 1857, the sudden death of a young clerk seemed, at first, like another quiet tragedy in a crowded industrial city. But when arsenic was discovered in his body, investigators were forced to look beyond illness — and toward a hidden world of letters, secrecy, and forbidden intimacy. At the centre of the case stood Madeleine Smith, a young woman from one of Glasgow’s most respectable families. Her private correspondence, never meant to be seen, became the centrepiece of a sensational trial that asked how far suspicion could go when proof remained elusive. This week, the Archive revisits Scotland’s most infamous courtroom drama — a case that defined the verdict of Not Proven, exposed the cost of reputation, and left questions that still refuse to settle. https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish Sources Background & Overview Wikipedia – Madeleine Smith (overview of the case) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Smith Primary Trial Records & Historical Documents Archive.org – Full text of The Trial of Madeleine Smith (digitised 1857 trial transcript) https://archive.org/stream/trialmadeleines00smitgoog/trialmadeleines00smitgoog_djvu.txt 19th-Century press coverage Precognition and investigation coverage from the Glasgow Herald, Stirling Observer, Inverness Advertiser — reporting from April 1857 on the suspected poisoning and legal process. https://randomscottishhistory.com/2022/06/09/madeleine-smith-pre-trial-podcast/ Historical blogs & museum/heritage context National Records of Scotland blog (“Madeleine Hamilton Smith (1835–1928) – The Accused”) — summary of the case with legal and cultural framing. https://blog.nrscotland.gov.uk/2017/07/18/madeleine-hamilton-smith-1835-1928-the-accused/ Scottish Legal Podcast/article on how the Not Proven verdict still resonates in Scotland’s legal heritage. https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/our-legal-heritage-new-forensic-science-podcast-puts-not-proven-madeleine-smith-case-under-the-microscope  Crime Chronicles https://vocal.media/criminal/crime-chronicles-madeleine-smith

    51 min

  8. FEB 11

    Ep 29 - A Night in Butetown - The Murder of Lynette White

    On Valentine’s Day 1988, in Cardiff’s dockside district of Butetown, Lynette White was murdered inside a flat above a betting shop. The killing shocked the neighbourhood and placed detectives under immediate pressure to make arrests. Within days, five local men were taken in for questioning. Three would become known as the Cardiff Three. But as the case moved forward, doubts began to surface — about the investigation, the evidence, and whether the right people had been accused at all. This week, The Archivist reopens the Butetown file: a murder that unsettled a community and a prosecution that would come to define one of the most controversial chapters in Welsh criminal history. Links to where to follow and join our Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish   SOURCES Official reports & judgments  Mouncher Investigation Report (Horwell QC, 2017) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82d6cd40f0b6230269cfa0/mouncher_report_web_accessible_july_2017.pdf Court of Appeal / High Court Judgment — Mouncher & Others v Chief Constable of South Wales Police https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Moucher-v-SWP-full-judgment.pdf Contemporary and retrospective media reporting  BBC News Killing led to miscarriage of justice http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3038672.stm Lynette White case: Police officers’ trial collapses https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15981541 Lynette White: Corruption inquiry review after civil case https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-33718653 The Guardian Murder appeal in prostitute case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1991/jun/21/cardiff-three-wales Cardiff murder appeal man ‘beaten over head verbally’ https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1992/dec/10/cardiff-three-wales Security guard admits 1988 prostitute murder https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jul/04/ukcrime1 Policemen face charges over Cardiff Three case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/mar/03/cardiff-three-police-charges Cardiff Three are completely innocent, says convicted killer https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/13/cardiff-three-innocent-lynette-white Eight former police officers accused of fabricating Lynette White murder case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/06/lynette-white-case-eight-policemen-accused The Cardiff Three: the long wait for justice https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/sep/17/cardiff-three-five-wait-justice Police were within rights to investigate Cardiff Three officers, judge rules https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/14/judge-rejects-wrongful-prosecution-claims-of-cardiff-three-ex-officers Trial of Cardiff Three police collapsed due to human error, inquiry finds https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/18/trial-of-cardiff-three-police-collapsed-due-to-human-error-inquiry-finds The Independent Police in court over framing of Cardiff Three https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-in-court-over-framing-of-cardiff-three-2308189.html An injustice that won’t go away https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/an-injustice-that-won-t-go-away-8034860.html       Wales Online Lynette White vanished for five days before body found, corruption trial told https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/lynette-white-vanished-five-days-1820989 Urgent review ordered as £30m Lynette White police corruption trial collapses https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/urgent-review-ordered-30m-lynette-1798844 Wikipedia — Murder of Lynette White https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_White

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About

A British-American couple unearths haunting murders from across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and neighbouring islands — one file at a time. Deep dives, dark humour, and cases that linger long after the verdict. Welcome to Murder Most British.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel & Zach
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Murder Most British

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