Landmark Cases
Crippen Case
Also Known As The London Cellar Murderer
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The 1910 case of Hawley Harvey Crippen, convicted of poisoning his wife in London. Recognized aboard the SS Montrose by its captain, Crippen became the first criminal captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy, which enabled his arrest before the ship reached Canada.
Facts
Case YearSourced to the subject's own account LocationSourced to the subject's own accountLondon, England, and the North Atlantic 1 Investigative or Reform SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountThe first criminal captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy, and an early instance of forensic toxicology informing a criminal prosecution. 1 Case StatusSourced to the subject's own accountClosed; convicted and executed 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Spilsbury testified at trial about the identification of the cellar remains, an early career-making case for him.
Investigated By
Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard (the Metropolitan Police Service) led the investigation and pursuit of Crippen.
Used In
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
Lead sectionQuote, Lead section
He was the first criminal to be captured with the aid of wireless telegraphy.
1. Wikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
Transatlantic arrest section, Kendall telegramQuote, Transatlantic arrest section, Kendall telegram
Have strong suspicions that Crippen London cellar murderer and accomplice are among saloon passengers.
1. Wikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
1. Wikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
Associated With: Bernard Spilsbury, Trial section, Spilsbury testimonyView the Source 1. Wikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
Investigated By: Metropolitan Police Service, Investigation sectionQuote, Investigated By: Metropolitan Police Service, Investigation section
Good morning, Dr. Crippen. Do you know me? I'm Chief Inspector Dew from Scotland Yard.
Open Questions (1 open question)
Were the cellar remains really Cora Crippen's?
Hawley Harvey Crippen was convicted and executed in 1910 for murdering his wife based on remains found in his cellar, but in October 2007 Michigan State University forensic scientist David Foran published mitochondrial DNA analysis concluding the remains were not those of Cora Crippen, raising doubt about whether they were even female. In December 2009 the UK Criminal Cases Review Commission nonetheless decided not to refer the case to the Court of Appeal for a posthumous pardon, so the conviction stands legally while the scientific doubt remains unresolved.
What would resolve this A definitive identification of the cellar remains, whether by further DNA comparison against a confirmed maternal-line relative of Cora Crippen or a fresh forensic anthropological reassessment accepted by a reviewing court, would settle whether the remains were hers at all.
Forensic genetics and forensic anthropologyWikipedia: Hawley Harvey Crippen
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Crippen actually guilty?
The conviction stands legally, but doubt persists among historians and scientists. Modern mitochondrial DNA analysis, published in 2007, raised questions about whether the remains found in the cellar were even female, let alone Cora Crippen's, and the Criminal Cases Review Commission declined in 2009 to refer the case for a posthumous pardon.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
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