News of the Times - Unlocking the vaults of historical crime

Murder, Matrimony & Misfortune: The Curious Case of Mrs Portbury News of the Times Episode 499 | 1872 In 1871 London, scandal brews as the respectable widow of a beloved doctor, Amelia Muldola, shocks society by marrying her 17-year-old groom, Henry Portbury. What begins as a salacious romance spirals into a Victorian nightmare: theft, kidnapping, and ultimately—matricide. When Amelia’s fortun...

Hidden Wealth, Brutal Death: The Murder That Rocked Blaw Wearie News of the Times Episode 53 | 1840 When greed turns deadly in the Scottish hills In today’s episode, we travel back to 1844, to the windswept isolation of Blaw Wearie, near West Calder, Scotland. A remote and quiet community is shaken to its core by the brutal murder of 60-year-old John Geddes — a solitary man, whispered to be sittin...

The Blood-Covered Publican: David Owen’s Rampage in 1818 London News of the Times Episode 497 | 1818 Step back in time to the year 1818, in the quiet suburb of Edmonton, North London—where a shocking and violent event gripped the local community. David Owen, a 50-year-old widower and well-known publican, was regarded as a mild and peaceful man. But one day, in a fit of apparent madness, he arrives...

The Mysterious Tragic Affair at Kidwelly News of the Times Episode 53 | 1840 Southwest Wales, 1881. Eleven-year-old John Thomas sets off on a simple errand — to deliver a pair of shoes made by his father, a local shoemaker. He completes his task, collects ten shillings, and begins the short walk home. But he never arrives. Along the way, John encounters two local boys — David Mazey, aged 12, and h...

The Case of the Frightful Outrage Near Norwich News of the Times Episode 494 | 1873 1873. A quiet hamlet just six miles south of Norwich, where the silence of the night is shattered by cries of murder. An 11-year-old girl, Lucy Goodrum, barefoot and in her nightdress, desperately pounds on the door of the village washerwoman, begging for help. Inside the house she fled from lies a horrifying scene...

Was It Suicide—or Murder by His Own Brother? | True Crime Case of Dr. William Lyddon News of the Times Episode 493 | 1891 When Dr. William Lyddon is found lifeless on the floor of his stepmother’s bedroom, all signs initially point to a tragic overdose. But as investigators dig deeper, the story begins to unravel—revealing a twisted web of jealousy, greed, and long-standing family tensions. What b...

The Curious Case of the Perryman Affair News of the Times Episode 53 | 1840 In a modest lodging house, tensions run high between a mother and her son—Frances and Thomas Perryman—both known for their frequent clashes over money and mutual struggles with alcohol. But one February day, something much darker unfolds. Lodgers hear disturbing sounds from the Perrymans' room. Thomas is seen frantica...

Poisoner in the Family: The Dark Tale of Ellen Heesom News of the Times Episode 491 | 1878 In today’s story we’re going back to Cheshire in the year 1878, where beneath the quiet surface of Warrington, a dark and deadly secret is about to be revealed. It begins in late November 1877 with the sudden and tragic death of Lydia Sykes, aged 59, while visiting her daughter Ellen Heesom and her family. I...

The Matricide in Chisenhale Street News of the Times Episode 490 | 1873 ***A warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions, quoted from original 19th-century newspaper accounts*** Today, we journey back to Liverpool, 1873, where a crime of unspeakable brutality shocked Victorian society — a son accused of the cold-blooded murder of his own mother. There were no pleas of insanity. No haze of...

The Case of The Vengeful Grandmother News of the Times Episode 489 | 1874 Frances Stewart, 42, lives with her daughter, son-in-law, and their one-year-old child. But life under one roof has become tense. Frances, whispered to have a drinking problem, has worn out her welcome. The young family makes a decision: they’re moving to new lodgings—and Frances is not coming with them. What happens next is...

Murder at Plummers Plain House News of the Times Episode 488 | 1927 In today’s episode, we journey to 1927 Sussex—where autumn’s quiet beauty masks something far more sinister. At a peaceful country home, a brutal attack leaves a young woman fighting for her life... and her brother accused of an unthinkable crime. James Gillon, a gardener from Scotland, allegedly turned on his sister with a knife...

The Case of Backstabbing Henry Bevan News of the Times Episode 487 | 1887 In today’s episode, we journey back to the year 1887—Crewe, Cheshire. A modest labourer, Henry Griffiths, returns home for a quiet midday meal… only to stumble upon a scene of unimaginable horror. His wife lies savagely beaten, ribs shattered and torn from her spine—as though someone had trampled her with brutal intent. Besi...

Murderous Mary Brophy News of the Times Episode 486 | 1886 In today’s episode, we journey back to 1886 Ireland, where a bitter sibling rivalry within the struggling Brophy family takes a shockingly violent turn. The Brophys are a large, impoverished family—two older sons, two younger boys, a daughter, and 23-year-old Mary Brophy, the eldest. But it’s Mary’s turbulent relationship with her 18-year-...

A Derby Poisoning Case Whodunit News of the Times Episode 485 | 1881 Today’s episode brings something a little different for our fantastic subscribers and curious newcomers. We’re heading back to Derby, 1881, where a landlady makes a chilling accusation: she believes one of her lodgers is being poisoned—by her own husband. So, what truly happened? Was the wife truly being poisoned? Is the husband...

The Sinister Mr Salmon News of the Times Episode 484 | 1900 Today, we take you back to East London in the year 1900, to the working-class district of Bow—a modest but respectable community. At the heart of our story is Lucy Smith, her husband, and their young daughter, living a seemingly peaceful and content life. In a gesture of generosity, the couple invites Lucy’s down-on-his-luck cousin, Samps...

The Killing in Couty Mayo News of the Times Episode 482 | 1881 n today’s episode, we journey to Balla, County Mayo, in the year 1881 — a quiet Irish village soon to be rocked by a brutal and deeply disturbing crime. The body of Edward Lavelle, a local laborer recently returned from England, is discovered — his lifeless form bearing the marks of savage blows and multiple stab wounds, believed to be...

Tragic Love Story Unfolds at Blackburn Mill in 1912 News of the Times Episode 481 | 1912 Welcome to today’s episode. We’re going back to the year 1912, in the bustling industrial town of Blackburn, Lancashire — a place known for its weaving mills and working-class spirit. Our story centers on 18-year-old Alice, a young mill worker who has been seeing 22-year-old Arthur, her co-worker, for just ove...

The Grimsby Murder of 1887 News of the Times Episode 480 | 1887 In today’s episode, we travel back to 1887 in Grimsby — a quiet, murder-free port town... or at least it was. The last known murder here took place in 1831 Sarah Ann and her husband Richard, a fish trade worker, were no strangers to conflict. Their relationship was turbulent. Six months prior, Richard had been taken to court and convi...

Investigating the Mysterious Death of Mary Jenkins News of the Times Episode 479 | 1920 Welcome to today’s episode—set in 1920s Wales. At the quiet Cross Hands Inn, nestled about ten miles from Carmarthen and run by married couple Mary and Griffith Jenkins, tragedy strikes. In the early morning hours, 33-year-old Mary Jenkins is found fully clothed, lying lifeless on a bed. The scene sends shockwa...

The Chilling Story Of The 1920 Ipswich Murder Trial News of the Times Episode 478 | 1920 In this episode, we delve into the harrowing and heart-breaking case of Mrs Howard — a woman in her 30s, mother to a four-year-old child, and working as a housekeeper — whose life was violently cut short. Her body was found discarded beneath a railway fence near Ipswich, brutally murdered, her skull crushed by...

What Really Happened In The Clonbrook Murder Case? News of the Times Episode 477 | 1902 In 1902 Ireland, a chilling crime captured international headlines and left one haunting question hanging in the air—who was truly guilty? Mary Taylor, a 40-year-old mother of two, was trapped in a loveless marriage with her husband John, a coal carter. She was open about her hatred for him. But what began as w...

A Case of Family Obsession and Murder News of the Times Episode 476 | 1920 In today's episode we dive back in time to 1920 Plymouth where a courting couple of two years is having relationship issues.  But, the relationship in question is between cousins, one a young orphan of 17 years.  Wishing to break off her 2 year relationship, she finds that her cousin violently forbids it. And in today&...

Joseph Auerman's Descent Into Debt And Murder News of the Times Episode 475 | 1806 In today’s episode, we dive into a gripping tale from the year 1806—a story of mounting debt, quiet desperation, and a man pushed to his limits. Once a respected family man and a diligent baker, he’s now hunted by a relentless bill collector who seems to take pleasure in his downfall. When tragedy strikes, the...

Uncovering the Haunting Truth Behind the Walsoken Tragedy Case News of the Times Episode 474 | 1885 Welcome to today’s episode — where we go back to the year 1885, deep in the countryside of Norfolk, England... Bathsheba Goodale bursts from her home in a panic, pleading for help — her husband, Robert, is threatening to kill her. The village, all too familiar with the couple’s long-standing and vol...

Uncovering The Shocking Truth Behind Edinburgh's 1818 Murder News of the Times Episode 473 | 1818 In today’s episode, we travel back to Edinburgh in 1818, where the chilling case of a missing 8-year-old boy unfolds. When his body is finally discovered, the gruesome truth is undeniable—he has been in the hands of surgeons, used for dissection. Regular viewers will know that the Hollywood versi...