Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley Folgen

Join Lucy Worsley and her all-female team as she delves into the Hampstead Tragedy, one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era. When the horrifically mutilated body of a young mother called Phoebe Hogg is found dumped by the side of a street in north London in October 1890, the press erupts into a frenzy of speculation that Jack the Ripper has struck again. But it soon becomes clear to the police that the suspected killer is not a man, but a young woman called Mary Pearcey, a friend of Phoebe’s. This is when forensic science is in its infancy, but it is already featuring in the first Sherlock Holmes stories, and the public is gripped by this case. Lucy is joined by one of the UK’s leading forensic scientists, Dr Angela Gallop CBE, to find out what light modern forensic techniques can shine on this case. They discuss how forensic science and true crime have captured the public imagination, and the pressure on forensic scientists working on high profile cases today from the press and the public. Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the street in north London where Phoebe Hogg’s body was discovered. They discuss the media frenzy around the case, including the ‘Hampstead Tragedy’ exhibit at Madam Tussauds which broke all visitor records. Lucy wants to know what this story tells us about the public’s passion for forensic science and true crime in 1890s Britain - and our passion for them today. And has the notoriety of this particular case distorted our view of women who kill? Producer: Jane Greenwood Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers Sound design: Chris Maclean Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

Lucy Worsley meets Jessie McLachlan, a woman accused of murdering one of her friends in Glasgow in 1862. There’s no obvious motive, but if she didn’t do it, who did?To investigate this infamous case, Lucy is joined by stellar barrister Jennifer Robinson, co-author of Silenced Women: Why the Law Fails Women and How to Fight Back, who has represented actor Amber Heard and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, working on cases that span media, public and international law. The victim in this distressing story is a live-in domestic servant, who works for three generations of men in a respectable Glaswegian home. When her mutilated body is found in a locked room, the police are quick to arrest her elderly employer, the most obvious suspect. However, blame soon shifts to Jessie McLachlan, once a servant in the same house, who maintains her innocence throughout. Who will the jury believe? Will Jessie ever get to tell her side of the story? Even if she does, will anyone bother to listen?Together, Lucy and Jennifer discuss the difficulties women still face in speaking out about their experiences of gender-based violence and how the law is often weaponised against them. They are joined by in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone from The Open University to look at the role of the media in this case. They discover that today, media coverage continues to have a powerful impact, either in entrenching negative stereotypes or, more hopefully, shining a light on women’s stories and bringing perpetrators to justice.With thanks to Glasgow Police Museum for assistance with research.Producer: Sarah Goodman Readers: Clare Corbett, Bill Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers Sound design: Chris Maclean Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

This time, Lucy is exploring the story of Elvira Barney, a rich socialite in 1930s London, living a life of fast cars, cocktail parties and nightclubs. When her boyfriend Michael dies of a gunshot wound during a drunken row with Elvira, she finds herself in the dock at the Old Bailey, accused of his murder. Can her barrister convince the court it was a tragic accident? With Lucy to find out more about the case of Elvira Barney is the journalist and novelist Rachel Johnson. Together they explore Elvira’s drug and drink-fuelled lifestyle and discover how this case gave ordinary people struggling with the economic depression of the 1930s an insight into the lives of the richest and most privileged in society. Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the Knightsbridge Mews where Elvira lived with Michael to find out more about her racy party-going set known as ‘the Bright Young Things’.It was the scene of the fateful shooting and epicentre of the police investigation.Next they head to nearby Belgrave Square where Elvira’s extremely wealthy parents lived.Lucy wants to know what Elvira’s story can tell us about the lives of women across the class divide in the mid 20th century. And how might Elvira’s story play out differently today? For further reading see Thomas Grant: Court No. 1 The Old Bailey, Chapter 4. Producer: Jane Greenwood Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers Sound design: Chris Maclean Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4