Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling

Listener Simon sends Laura to Croydon for a trio of tales: unsolved family poisonings, a 1930s airport gold heist, and a fly‑tipper with a skip-load of nerve. Plus, cardboard box–loving cats, a recovering Jack Russell-Corgi cross and an avocado bathroom renovation?Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura revisits the shocking case of The Cameo Cinema Murders, a deadly robbery that shook Liverpool in 1949. When a cinema manager and his assistant are shot dead, police rely on the testimony of questionable witnesses to build their case. But with strong alibis, conflicting accounts, and physical evidence that doesn't quite fit, doubts begin to mount. What follows is one of the most controversial murder trials in British legal history,Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Got a case for us? Email lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain dives into the wild story of Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, a tale packed with betrayal, dramatic beheadings, and the mystery of his missing remains. Meanwhile, Laura explores the curious world of Loch Ness Monster insurance. Plus, listeners from Inverness send in their own local stories (and plenty of pet pics, of course!).Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Got a case for us? Email lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura takes us to 1993, when a routine breakfast in a New York diner spirals into a nightmare for tuxedo tycoon Harvey Weinstein. Snatched in broad daylight, he vanishes without a trace.With only cryptic ransom demands, unsettling polaroids, and a chilling tape to go on, detectives launch a desperate race against time to bring him home. But nothing about this case is straightforward, and the clock is ticking.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura and Iain dive into the inbox for another unhinged mailbag episode. From dogs with mohawks and a pup in a cup to a goat in trousers to a fake lord who fooled everyone for over two decades - you've sent in some absolute gems. If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

| Laura takes us to 1942, where a body is found near a military base. A secret relationship, a hidden woodland hut and missing weapon point to one man… but nothing in this case is straightforward.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk |

Listener Sarah sends Laura to Hartlepool, where a shipwreck, a monkey in uniform and a case of mistaken identity lead to one of the UK's strangest legends – and its weirdest “trial”.Meanwhile, Iain dives into modern-day monkey business of his own, featuring a quad bike heist gone wrong and a flying kick that lands someone in jail (for a day).Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain takes us to 1908 Glasgow, where 83-year-old Marion Gilchrist is found murdered in her Glasgow flat. A missing brooch and a fleeing spark a transatlantic manhunt, and decades of fighting for justice.But this isn't just a story of a manhunt. What unfolds is one of Scotland's most controversial trials, where prejudice, weak evidence, and a famous detective novelist collide.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Listener Chris sends Iain to 1980s Aberdeen, where a simple game of bridge between two secret lovers sparks one of the boldest fraud plots in Scottish history. What follows is a wild £23 million scheme involving fake passports, forged identities, and an international chase stretching from Aberdeen to Abu Dhabi to the United States. Meanwhile, Laura investigates the case of a sketchy seagull causing havoc in the shops!Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura takes us back to Australia in the 1800s, where a group of outlaws known as the Kelly Gang are becoming folk heroes. But as their legend grows, tensions rise and a betrayal from within sets the wheels in motion for a dramatic downfall.If you want to see a picture of Ned Kelly, click here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ned-Kelly-Australian-banditMurder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They wrote inbox and read out some of their favourite emails.If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain takes us to the coast of Devon where two fishermen haul in the body of a well dressed man, with a head injury. At first police assume it's a simple case of a drowning, until a Rolex reveals something far more sinister.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.ukDetails of help and support with domestic abuse, suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

A Galway fish shop hides a chilling secret – a body in the freezer. Listener Jess sends Laura to Ireland to investigate. Meanwhile, Iain recounts a bizarre egg ambush!Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura takes us to 1929, where two men find the decomposing body of a man hidden behind some boxes in a garage in Southampton. The victim, oil agent Vivian Messiter, had been missing for nine weeks. Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain looks at a local case sent in by listeners about a man who miraculously survives the gallows. Plus, the story of a smuggler who faked his own death to transport his loot.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain explores the case of a missing Shakespeare folio that resurfaces in Washington DC in the hands off a flamboyant Englishman. A story so extraordinary, it could have been written by William Shakespeare himself.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They wrote inbox and read out some of their favourite emails.If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura looks into a mysterious explosion at a dance hall in Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland in 1972 and an infamous local figure called ‘Dancing Nancy'.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

This week, Laura and Iain are looking at cases sent in from Nottingham – including a murder case that explains how Ghost House Lane in Chilwell got its name.If you want to see the picture of Damien Hammond, who carried out crimes dressed as The Joker, click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-55954819Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain looks at a famous Scottish case from the 1780s that served as inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' novel.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain looks at a local case sent in by listener Theresa. In January 1909, two Tottenham men steal a bag of money before leading police on a wild tram chase that's straight out of the movies.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura explores the nuanced case of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain. In April 1955, Ruth shot her lover David Blakely outside a pub in North London. The case itself was open-and-shut, but the motivations behind it were far more complicated. Ruth paid for the crime with her life. But could things have worked out differently if the police had properly investigated the complexities of her relationship with not only David but her other lover Desmond Cussen?Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura dives into a case sent in by listener Emily, who works at Compton Verney in Warwickshire. This beautiful, historic manor was once the scene of a grisly murder involving two young lovers. Plus Iain has unearthed an unusual e-fit and a robbery involving 20,000 bees.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain digs into the mystery of D.B. Cooper's famous 1971 plane hijacking and unravels some of the theories around his identity.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They wrote inbox and read out some of their favourite emails.If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

When Daisy Keeton goes missing from her home in Laurel, Mississippi, the last person anyone suspects is her daughter. Her golden child. But little do they know that, beneath her perfect exterior, Ouida Keeton is harbouring a deep, dark secret.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Iain dives into a Glaswegian case involving some very curious love letters. Plus, Laura looks at two ‘crime' cases involving oblong-shaped food!

Iain looks at the crimes of Claude Dallas, a folkloric figure from southwest Idaho known as the “last mountain man”. In January 1981, Claude found himself in a deadly skirmish with two officers from the state's Fishing and Game Department, named Bill Pogue and Conley Elms. Hear how Claude evaded the authorities for months on end and lived off the land as an outlaw in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

This week, Laura looks at the chilling story of cinema owner and serial killer Peter Howard Moore, which was sent in as a case suggestion from three separate listeners in North Wales. For much of the 1990s, Peter operated with impunity, carrying out vicious – and, eventually, deadly – attacks across LGBTQ nightclubs and hang-out spots while the authorities looked the other way. Alongside this case, Iain will lighten the mood with some other North Wales true crime stories and a lovely email from listener Will, who's a secret CBBC fan!Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura looks at a 1930s kidnapping case that's been retroactively fitted with the ‘Stockholm Syndrome' label. This case – involving the daughter of a wealthy City Manager in Missouri – appears to turn the narrative of ‘victim and perpetrator' on its head.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk Details of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Kim from Durham has sent in the legendary local case of Mary Ann Cotton. Iain takes us through Mary's many poisonings and explores the origins of THAT nursery rhyme.If you want to see the massive hole that the Rathkeale Rover thieves drilled into the side of Durham University Oriental Museum, click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-35667130And for the picture of the crime-fighting cat, click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-35934206Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

In May, 1934, an anonymous letter arrives at Horncastle Police Station in Lincolnshire. The letter tells detectives that they need to investigate the death of Arthur Major, a local lorry driver who was reported to have died of natural causes. “In the name of the law, I beg you to analyse the contents of his stomach,” it says.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk Details of help and support with domestic abuse, suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

In the first ever episode of Murder YOU Wrote, we visit Hull to have a look at a particularly shocking case sent in by a listener. Plus, we explore some other true crimes from the area, and go through some lovely listener emails.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

A seven-year-old cold case is blown wide open after a grisly discovery is made on the remote, tropical atoll of Palmyra.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Continue your Christmas celebrations with a festive true crime game and an encore of one of Iain's most popular episodes, ‘A Murder in the Mearns'.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.ukDetails of help and support with domestic abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Kick off your Christmas celebrations with a festive true crime game and an encore of our of Laura's most popular episodes, ‘The French Impressionist'.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.ukDetails of help and support with addiction and child abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Iain is kicking off the festive period with a distinctly UNfestive case: the 1960 kidnapping case of a wealthy beer mogul, Adolph Coors III – or Ad, as he's known. When Ad's car is left abandoned in the middle of a snowy road, the police immediately suspect foul play. Little do they know that the case is about to get darker than they had ever expected…Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.ukDetails of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Laura takes a look at the 1994 theft of Edvard Munch's most famous painting – ‘The Scream' – from Norway's National Gallery. It took two thieves less than fifty seconds to break in through a window and grab the priceless artwork. In response, crime agencies from across the globe came together to organise an elaborate sting operation and return the painting before it was lost forever.You can see the picture from the 2004 theft of ‘The Scream' here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3588282.stmMurder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

This week, Iain looks at the unbelievable true story of Juan Catalan, who was falsely accused of murder in August 2003. Iain takes us through the journey that Juan's hardworking lawyer, Todd Melnik, went on to see his client freed, which involved tracking down some TV footage that would blow the case wide open.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura looks back at a murder that took place on Bonfire Night, 1930. Alfred Rouse is a philandering playboy, with multiple girlfriends on the go. After a few years, he decides his relationships are costing him too much money. So he hatches a plan to fake his own death and disappear into the night. Check out this article to see a picture of Alfred Rouse (but be warned that it contains details about the case): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-35165038Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

This week, Iain looks at a Parisian prison escape with more flair than Celine Dion singing on the Eiffel Tower.In 1986, Michel Vaujour made one of the most daring prison escapes in French history. One that he and his wife Nadine had been carefully planning for almost three years. But can this couple (and their two children!) stay hidden? Or will their penchant for outlandish criminal escapades come back to bite them?Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

This week, Laura looks at a 180-year-old murder mystery that served as inspiration for Margaret Atwood's novel ‘Alias Grace'. When Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery (his housekeeper and mistress) are found dead in the basement of Thomas' grand mansion, suspicion immediately falls on his two young servants, Grace Marks and James McDermott. But when Grace and James are caught crossing the border from Canada to America, their conflicting confessions leave the authorities completely confused. Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

In September, 1935, two tourists make a gruesome discovery on the banks of a Scottish stream. When the police arrive, they know immediately that there's been a brutal murder. But catching the killer won't be easy, as they have used meticulous, surgical-like precision to hide their victims' identities and cover their tracks.Iain takes a look at a case that came to be known as The Jigsaw Murders – and delves into the pioneering forensic techniques that helped bring the killer to justice.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.Details of help and support with domestic abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.A warning that this episode contains some violent scenes and scenes that some listeners may find upsetting.

With Halloween just around the corner, Laura looks at a 1920s murder case involving high-society parties, heartbreak… and hauntings. This is the story of William Francis Rattenbury, a well-respected (but pretty unpopular) architect who found himself in the middle of a deadly love triangle.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.ukDetails of help and support with addiction, suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Find out the real life story before the 2015 movie ‘Masterminds'. When $17 million goes missing from a Loomis Fargo vault in October 1997, the FBI are tasked with unravelling a complex case that culminates in a murder-for-hire plot.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura is travelling to Germany this week to look at a 1906 murder case involving love, betrayal, family tensions… and a couple of very mysterious telegrams!Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.Details of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

This week, Iain takes a look at a movie-esque showdown in a New York diner. It's December, 1927, when two men hold up an establishment on Kossuth Place in Brooklyn. Hear how one police officer manages to save the day – even after being fatally wounded on the job.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Laura looks at the 170-year-old mystery of Maria Kirwan's death, which took place on an uninhabited island off the coast of Dublin.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk

Iain looks at a kidnapping case involving one of Aldi's co-founders. Learn what happened when Theo Albrecht was snatched by two men – and how he managed to get a bargain for his own ransom fee.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

Laura looks at the case of Vere Thomas Goold, an Irish tennis champion who experienced a dramatic fall from grace. After losing an important match at the Irish National Championships, Vere gave up on his tennis career. He turned to a life of drink, drugs, gambling and – eventually – murder.Details of help and support with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

This week, Laura looks at a 1922 murder case involving a married couple – Percy and Edith Thompson – and the man Edith was having an affair with, Freddy Bywaters. When Percy is fatally stabbed by his wife's lover on a dark October evening, it doesn't take long for the public to exonerate Freddy – and blame Edith instead. But did Edith really play a part in her husband's murder? Or was she simply punished for being a woman living outside the cultural norms?Details of help and support with domestic abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.