Britain's worst ever serial killer:

[Commander CMG]

She was dubbed the 'Angel Maker', a prolific serial killer responsible for the murders of around 400 babies, horrific crimes that sent a shock wave through 19th century Britain.

Amelia Dyer preyed on the down-on-their-luck, desperate unmarried mothers who paid her to have their children adopted in the naive belief she would find them a better life.

But there would be no fairytale endings, instead this despicable woman simply took the money before strangling the helpless infants with dressmaking tape and dumping their bodies in the River Thames.

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[schizoidwoman]

An interesting read about a lady I've encountered a few times in my reading. If you're interested in crime and punishment, I can hugely recommend the Old Bailey Online, I've lost many hours browsing there!

www.oldbaileyonline.org

Edited February 23, 2013 by schizoidwoman

[Antilles]

Thanks. I've just added that site to my faves.

Different time, different social structure I understand. But I still find it difficult to believe that no-one cottoned on to her earlier.

Just like Mary Ann Cotton.

Excuse the segway.

Cotton was knocking off her own family (and her husbands and lovers and their kids) and everyone went oh dear, gastric influenza or whatever and she got the insurance and moved on.

Go back a bit further and there's Billy Palmer of Rugeley, knocking off his kids and his relatives and his friends with arsenic and collecting the insurance.

Insurance was a big deal in the 19th century.....

[pallidin]

Dang, that's shocking.