Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling

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.uk

Details 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.

Iain looks at one of the most legendary escapes in Alcatraz history. An escape that involved DIY drills, papier-mâché heads and even a raft made out of raincoats. It’s a case that inspired Clint Eastwood’s ‘Escape From Alcatraz’ (as well as one of Iain’s favourite video games) and still manages to mystify investigators, historians and true crime aficionados to this day.

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.

A special episode to celebrate the Bank Holiday. Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They Wrote inbox and share some of their favourite emails.

Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk.

This week, Laura looks at how a 30-year-old cold case was solved thanks to some impressive detective work, a few exciting advances in DNA technology, and… a piece of chewing gum.

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 addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

In October 1969, Raffaele Minichiello boarded a flight in LA with an M1 rifle disguised as a fishing rod. He told the pilot that they weren’t going to San Francisco, as planned. They were going to Italy. What followed was one of the longest and most elaborate plane hijackings in history.

Check out this article for photos of Raffaele Minichiello and more information about the case: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-48069272

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 the second of this two-part special, Laura looks at the details surrounding the Tate–LaBianca murders, the downfall of the Manson family, the infamous court case, and the lasting impact that Charles Manson and his followers had on LA – and the world.

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 the first of a two-part special, Laura takes us back to the very beginning of the Charles Manson story. This week’s episode starts by looking at Charles Manson’s mother, Kathleen, before unravelling the details of Charles’ childhood, his troubled teenage years, his time in and out of prison, and what led him to establish his ‘family’, which would later become a murderous cult.

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, Iain looks at the unbelievable true story of a bank heist that was inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Red Headed League’. This story includes an outlandish break-in, an intercepted radio frequency, and even a potential royal scandal.

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, Iain tells the story of Gregor MacGregor, a 19th-century trickster who took con artistry to a whole new level. In 1820, Gregor invented his own country – complete with a national flag and even a currency – and managed to convince hundreds of British people to uproot their lives and move thousands of miles away, under the false pretence of a prosperous new life in South America.

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 perhaps one of the most unbelievable cases we’ve covered yet. When a missing boy from Texas turns up halfway around the world, no one can quite understand what happened to him. But, once the story starts to unravel, the answer is more shocking than we could have ever imagined…

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 addiction and child abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

This week, we’re in Boston, where Iain is digging into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the Isabella Gardner heist.

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 crimes of ‘Jolly’ Jane Toppan, the woman believed to be America’s first female serial killer.

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, Iain looks at an extortion plot involving a homemade bomb, a confusing ransom note and an unusual father-son dynamic.

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, gambling addiction and some other issues raised in today’s episode are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

This week, Laura looks at a murder case involving a possessive lover, a diabolical brotherly pact, and a mysterious cooler box bobbing in the Atlantic ocean.

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.

Here at Murder They Wrote, we think there’s no better way to celebrate the bank holiday than hearing about some good old fashioned bank robberies. This week, Laura dives deep into the case file of one of history’s most prolific bank robbers – a man who earned himself a spot on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Expect high-stakes heists, unbelievable prison escapes – and a lot of laughter from Iain when he learns that the criminal in question is called Willie.

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.

When businessman Maxwell Garvie goes missing from his home in May, 1968, the last place police expect to find him is in an underground tunnel beneath one of Aberdeenshire’s most picturesque tourist attractions. But, as the circumstances around his murder begin to unravel, investigators are plunged into a murky underworld of sex, scandal… and deadly secrets.

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 tracks the rise and (spectacularly dramatic) fall of a famous 18th-century courtesan. Sally Salisbury’s client list runs the gamut of London’s rich and famous (think secretaries of state, future kings, and so on). In other words, she’s living the high life. That is until one fateful night in December 1721 when she flies into a jealous rage over one of her lovers – and stabs him in the chest.

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.

It’s December, 1968, and Frank Sinatra Jr. has just been kidnapped by two strangers in the night. But these aren’t your regular kidnappers. In fact, they’re total amateurs. What follows are bungled ransom negotiations, a confusing money drop, and a very controversial statement made on the stand.

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 is visiting a diamond shop in Paris that was robbed not once but TWICE by a shady international jewel thief group. Learn how the group got its name – The Pink Panthers – and how it pulled off two such audacious heists in the space of just 15 months.

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, Iain looks at a case that was blown wide open by an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. When a man named Elmer DeBoer is found dead in a field near Waterford, Michigan, police are pretty sure that a local couple – an ex-convict and his teenage runaway girlfriend – are responsible. But, for ten months, they struggle to find any leads. That is until the case is featured on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Suddenly, the phone lines begin ringing off the hook.

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 is diving into a grisly murder case that took place on a remote island off the coast of New Hampshire. Smuttynose Island is a picture-perfect – albeit rugged – landscape. On the evening of March 6th, 1873, a small boat arrives on its shores. By the morning, the boat is gone. And two of the island’s resident are dead.

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.

The Mona Lisa might just be the most recognisable painting in the world. But did you know that, in 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s priceless portrait was stolen from the Louvre? Find out how a humble house painter pulled off this incredible theft – and why police brought Picasso in for questioning – in Iain’s episode this week.

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 this bitesize Easter special, Iain covers the case of the Cadbury Creme Egg theft. Find out what happened when, in February 2023, a Leeds man broke into a warehouse and made off with 200,000 of the chocolatey treats.

The picture discussed in this episode can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-66254085.

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.

How far would you go for your favourite teacher? This week, Laura is travelling to 1990s Wisconsin to find out how a group of teenagers got landed with a very deadly homework assignment.

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.

The Brinks-MAT robbery is one of the most famous in British history. This week, Iain takes an in-depth look at the heist and asks: how did a group of gangsters manage to break into a high-security warehouse and walk away with solid gold worth £26 million? Plus, he digs into the complex police operation that took investigators from London to Bristol to Tenerife and back again.

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.

If you'd like to find out more about John Palmer, one of the Brinks-MAT masterminds, check out Gangster on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0dwnc59

This week, Laura is digging into a very famous case from Irish history: Bridget Cleary. In 1895, Bridget’s body was found buried in a shallow grave near the town of Ballyvadlea in County Tipperary. And as police begin to dig into Bridget’s backstory, they learn that she had recently been accused of being a “fairy changeling” – a dark, mythical creature that was believed to wreak havoc on human lives.

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, Iain digs into a 1992 murder case that took place in Lincoln. When two people are found dead having been attacked with an axe, police begin an unusual investigation to catch the killer. An investigation that involves paint fragments, an infrared light machine, and a 3,000-mile trip around Europe.

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.

Patty Hearst was the heiress to a multi-million-dollar media company. In 1974, when reports emerged saying she’d been captured by the Symbionese Liberation Army, the world held its breath. But no one could have expected what happened next. This week, Laura digs into the details of the case, analysing what exactly happened to Patty during her time with the SLA and whether her decision to join their “fight against the capitalist state” was a true reinvention of herself or simply a bid for survival.

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.

After a two-week break, Iain is back in the driving seat this week. His case takes place in St. Louis, Missouri, during the 1930s. When William Kappen is found dead on the day he is due to get married, police are immediately suspicious of his estranged sister Marie. Find out how a patch of poison ivy helps break open the case and lead investigators to track down William’s killer – or killers, should we say.

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 taking over again this week to tell the story of the Rue Montaigne murders. When a triple murder takes place in 19th-century Paris, police are led on an Agatha Christie-style chase to hunt down the killer. Expect LOTS of twists and turns!

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’s case – set in 1950s Cincinnati – involves a complicated love triangle between ex navy man Bill Bergen, his wife Louise and his mistress Edythe Klumpp. When Louise’s body is found in a park, police must figure out whether Bill and Edythe had anything to do with her death. But the deeper they dig, the more confusing the story becomes.

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, Iain’s case has all the trappings of a true crime extravaganza: old-school gangsters, wealthy oil tycoons, elaborate money drops, and even a trip to Alcatraz.

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.

It’s January 1915 when Detective Inspector Arthur Neil receives a strange letter in the post with a couple of newspaper clippings attached. The clippings describe two seemingly unconnected incidents of women drowning in their own bathtubs. The letter writer asks Detective Inspector Neil to dig a little deeper. And when he does, he unravels a case far darker than he ever imagined.

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, Iain is looking at a famous case that took place in 1930 in Arizona. When Winnie Ruth Judd falls out with her two best friends, things turn from bad to worse… to deadly. And what happens next will send shockwaves around America.

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 the unbelievable case of the Millennium Dome diamond heist, a true story that has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. Expect speedboats, explosions, smoke bombs… and steak and kidney pies. Trust us – you won’t want to miss this.

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.

We’re in the countdown to Christmas – a time to overindulge on sweet treats and sugary goodness. With that in mind, Iain has a maple-syrup-themed story he’s diving into this week. Get ready to hear all about an outlandish, multi-million-dollar heist that comes to a particularly sticky end.

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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

This week, we’re in Victorian England as Laura dives into the case of Frederick and Maria Manning. This is a story of duplicitous desperation and deadly dinner invites. And it even has an appearance from a world-famous author.

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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

This week Iain looks at the case of Caroline Grills, an elderly lady with a killer instinct when it comes to making tea. It’s 1947 in Sydney, Australia, when members of Caroline’s family begin to fall ill with a sudden and mysterious ailment. No one can understand what’s going on – until Caroline’s nephew reads a newspaper article that blows 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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

This week, Laura is looking at the case of Dr Hazzard, a so-called wellness practitioner with some seriously suspicious methods. When two wealthy sisters fall prey to Dr Hazzard’s persuasive spiel, it’s up to their former nanny, Margaret Conway, to spring them out of the remote sanatorium.

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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

This week, Iain dives into the case of Glennon Engleman – aka ‘The Hitman Dentist’. It’s 1958 in St Louis, Missouri, when Glennon finds himself drowning in debt. His solution? A murder-for-profit scheme that flies under the radar from police for more than two decades. Along the way, Glennon leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. That is until he makes a crucial error that leads investigators straight to his door.

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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

It’s Laura’s turn this week and she’s looking at the 1992 kidnapping of Stephanie Slater, an estate agent in Birmingham. Stephanie was abducted by a man posing as a prospective house buyer wanting to look around a property. She was driven to a remote location and, once there, things became even more terrifying. But, along with the chilling details of this case, is a story of true resilience, with Stephanie fighting for her freedom every step of the way.

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 and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.

Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling are almost ready to open up the criminal case files for their brand-new True Crime podcast! Starting with one of their own… Well, kind of.

Listen and laugh along as Laura and Iain discuss how they would pull off an imaginary high-stakes heist and disappear under all new identities.

Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.

Laura and Iain dive into their first ever case. For the premiere episode of Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling, Iain is leading – and he’s taking us to location very close to his heart: Edinburgh!

When Ernest Domoulin and Helga Konrad elope to the Scottish capital, it looks like they have a bright future ahead of them. That is, until the night of their wedding. When the newlyweds decide to take a honeymoon stroll up the Salisbury Crags, only one of them makes it back alive.

Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available weekly on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode!

If you would like to send us a message, email lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk and join the conversation using the hashtag #lauraiainpodcast.