Prash's Murder Map: True Crime Podcast

Here's another collection of short but gruesome vintage true crime cases from the 1800s. Let’s go back in time for a whistle-stop tour of three Victorian crimes that are intriguing, shocking, and little known, including a spate of unidentified body parts which appeared all over Norwich, a sinister servant who bludgeoned his employer with a rolling pin, and the first murder case ever to be solved b...

It was inevitable that George Joseph Smith would end up in jail one day. The only question was, how long would it take for his cunning crimes to be uncovered? George was a master of deception who swindled a string of lovers out of their life savings and ensured he was named as the beneficiary in the wills of his many wives. He had a curious obsession with the sea, and it was only fitting that his...

When Shelly Walsh dropped her kids off at her dad’s on the evening of 30th June 2008, she had no idea it would be the last time she would ever see her son, daughter, and mother alive. What made an ordinary, loving grandfather in New South Wales, Australia, turn into a mass murderer overnight, killing his entire family without warning? Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comm...

What happened to 14-year-old Thora Chamberlain, who was abducted on the way to watch a school football game one Friday afternoon? The main suspect, who had a cunning ruse and a bold disguise, went on the run across America with the FBI hot on his trail. Even after he was captured, he continued to protest his innocence until the end. For news about my books and free true crime blog posts, check out...

In 1984, a serial burglar and rapist was at large in England, his crimes spanning several Home Counties as well as the northeast of the country. He was armed, masked and dangerous, and he had an unusual calling card – in every house he broke into, he built himself a blanket fort in the living room and made himself at home, watching television and drinking cups of tea. His habit of den-building and...

In this episode, I examine three lesser-known nineteenth-century murder cases which are too brief to cover individually, but nevertheless offer fascinating insights into crime and justice in Victorian Britain. These stories include a murder involving deception, a businessman responsible for the deaths of an entire family, an execution by guillotine, a mysterious letter, and the curious death of a...

When a pair of legs washed up in Clifford Pier Harbour in Singapore, the police knew something was very wrong. That same week, a South African tourist who had travelled to the country to buy the latest electronics was reported missing. He would never make it home. Somehow, in a country with one of the lowest crime rates in the world and a draconian criminal justice system, he fell prey to British...

What kind of killer could chisel out the panel of a door and creep inside without waking a soul? How was he so light on his feet that nobody heard him coming on the dark, moonless nights on which he struck? That’s what the people of New Orleans were asking themselves when their city was terrorised by a mysterious Axeman who targeted Italian grocers, leaving nothing behind but blood, fear, and a di...

Anjette Donovan Lyles ran a popular diner in downtown Macon, Georgia and she oozed Southern charm, wowing customers with her lemon pie and banana pudding. But behind the home-cooked meals and the bright red lipstick-smile, lurked a dangerous killer from whom none of her family members were safe… Thanks for listening! Here's how to get in touch with comments and suggestions: My Website Twitter/X Fa...

Ronald Ruse was a happy, easy-going young man who enjoyed surfing and softball in his home state of sunny California. But when he met girlfriend Linda Ricchio, everything changed for the worse. This is a sad and alarming story of obsession and stalking that culminated in disaster and ruined more than one life. Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions: My...

When a family man desperate for excitement in his mundane life created a fake online persona and swiped right on a beautiful young woman on Tinder, he intended to take advantage of her naivety and hook up with her for casual sex. But neither of them knew it would be a match made in hell...and it was only a matter of time before deception escalated to murder. 💡 Support me on Patreon to get ad-free...

When a WWII veteran was approached in Philadelphia by a man in a distinctive alpine hat, the two seemed to hit it off. But by the next morning, one of them would be dead and the other would become the object of a manhunt after a grisly discovery was made inside an abandoned footlocker. But was the case as clear cut as it seemed? Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments a...

Why did it take so long for the killer of 16-year-old Lynn Siddons to be brought to justice? This case involved a man who was obsessed with Jack the Ripper and blamed his crimes on his stepson, and a police force who were woefully inefficient in tackling the case. Lynn’s tenacious grandmother was forced to fight for the truth, in an 18-year legal battle that no bereaved family should ever have to...

It should have been obvious that for school cleaner Vincent Stanford, spying on girls in the bathroom was just the beginning. When he began stalking a 12-year-old pupil and amassed hundreds of photos of her, it was only a matter of time before he escalated to rape and murder. His victim was dedicated teacher Stephanie Scott, whose life he cut short just days before her wedding, in a case that shoc...

In the Peak District in 1977, the ‘Year of the Knife’ continued with a robbery that shocked a quiet village, culminating in the murder of a bank clerk and the kidnap of his colleague. Could the police find her in time before the cold night drew in across the freezing Gunn Hill moorland? Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions: My Website Twitter/X Facebo...

A birdwatching getaway in the Peak District that should have been uneventful was the inspiration for this episode, with my wife and I accidentally choosing to stay just a few hundred yards from the scene of a notorious set of murders, which we learned about by chance. It seems that true crime follows me everywhere… (my wife still doesn’t believe that I really didn’t know when we booked it!) The li...

In this episode, we look at the tragic case of young mother Denise Amber Lee who was abducted from her own home in broad daylight, and the advanced forensics that led to the successful conviction of her captor. Could Denise have been saved if the police had responded more quickly to information provided by a witness? Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestio...

When Laura Black landed her dream job in Silicon Valley, she had no idea that she would become the object of a co-worker’s obsessive desires. Everywhere she went, Richard Farley seemed to be there. Everything she did, Richard Farley was watching. Finally, the sustained stalking episode culminated in a violent showdown that became one of California’s most notorious mass murders. Thanks for listenin...

It was Christmas of 1970, and Charles King and Christopher Lowery were watching a motorcycle race at Mack Park in Hamilton, Australia. Most 18-year-olds at the race that day were innocently chatting about bikes and beer. But Lowery and King were not most 18-year-olds, and they were talking about what it would be like to kill a girl. It was only a matter of time before they turned their thoughts in...

In this episode, we’ll be tackling a cross-border killer who sparked an investigation on both sides of the English Channel, involving both the British and French police. This case includes science experiments, missing bodies, bin bags, chickens and frogs…not to mention the clever forensics that put this quirky perpetrator behind bars. Here’s how you can get in touch with comments , suggestions and...

We’ve made it to the end of a gruelling, terrifying, emotional journey through London’s East End in the Autumn of Terror of 1888. Thank you so much for joining me as we explored each of the Jack the Ripper murders and the historical context of the time. Now, we conclude by reviewing some of the key suspects in this mini-series wrap-up. Can we ever uncover who the perplexing, outrageous, shadowy fi...

Join me for the penultimate episode of this mini-series where we’ll examine the death of the final canonical victim, in a bloodbath so unimaginable that it has become one of the most memorable Ripper murders, symbolic of his spiralling descent closer and closer to hell. We’ll look at Mary Jane Kelly’s life and try to understand the strange testimony of the witnesses as we encounter a visitor dress...

Let’s look at the second part of the so-called Double Event that chilled the people of Whitechapel to the bone on 30th September 1888. Catherine Eddowes was arrested for her own safety after being found drunk in the street, and ironically met her demise just 400 yards from the police station minutes after her release, her corpse mutilated in the most vicious and disgusting way that had yet been se...

In this fourth instalment of my Jack the Ripper miniseries, we’ll look at the murder of Liz Stride in Berner Street on 30th September 1888. What made her death different from the other victims, and can we really count her amongst the canonical 5? ***Don’t forget to rate and review on your favourite Podcatcher*** Thanks for listening! Here’s how you can get in touch with comments and suggestions: T...

We’re back for part 3 of this miniseries, so buckle up for a hair-raising, spine-chilling ride as the most famous serial killer of all time claims his second canonical victim… and for the first time, claims his name – Jack The Ripper. We’ll learn about Annie Chapman and tell her story, as we try to piece together the events of the Autumn of Terror. It’s not for the faint-hearted. ***Please don’t f...