Listen to Historical True Crime

In this episode, we dive into the mysterious case of Bella, whose body was discovered in a wych elm tree in Hagley Wood in 1941. With theories ranging from espionage to witchcraft, we explore the chilling details, the ongoingintrigue surrounding her identity, and the modern-day efforts to solve the case. Join us as we unravel the mystery of "Who put Bella in the Wych Elm?" and take a closer look at the eerie theories that have persisted for over 70 years. Source Materials: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844 [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-07/mystery-over-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm-/102171844] https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/541525/digital-reconstruction-reveals-face-murder-victim-bella-wych-elm [https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/541525/digital-reconstruction-reveals-face-murder-victim-bella-wych-elm] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.html [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/is-this-the-bella-in-the-wych-elm-unravelling-the-mystery-of-the-skull-found-in-a-tree-trunk-8546497.html] https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/31-days-of-halloween-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm [https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/31-days-of-halloween-who-put-bella-down-the-wych-elm] https://www.the-sun.com/news/11083266/bella-wych-elm-identity-mystery-murder-cold-case/ [https://www.the-sun.com/news/11083266/bella-wych-elm-identity-mystery-murder-cold-case/] https://www.curiousarchive.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-espionage-witchcraft/ [https://www.curiousarchive.com/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm-espionage-witchcraft/] https://www.ranker.com/list/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/patrick-thornton [https://www.ranker.com/list/who-put-bella-in-the-wych-elm/patrick-thornton]

In 1931, a Liverpool insurance agent returned home to find his wife savagely murdered—and himself at the center of one of Britain’s most baffling murder mysteries. With an airtight alibi, a fake appointment, and no clear motive, the case of Herbert and Julia Wallace remains unsolved to this day. SourceMaterials: https://www.williamherbertwallace.com/general/the-murder-of-julia-wallace/ [https://www.williamherbertwallace.com/general/the-murder-of-julia-wallace/] https://www.livpost.co.uk/chess-prank-calls-and-murder-who/ [https://www.livpost.co.uk/chess-prank-calls-and-murder-who/] https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/551903/impossible-1930s-murder-still-fascinates-crime-writers [https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/551903/impossible-1930s-murder-still-fascinates-crime-writers] https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpools-oldest-unsolved-murder-baffled-22804932 [https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpools-oldest-unsolved-murder-baffled-22804932] https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/infamous-man-pru-murder-thats-29642600 [https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/infamous-man-pru-murder-thats-29642600] https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/pd-james-unmasks-the-perfect-killer-r29xwkgdw0b?region=global [https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/pd-james-unmasks-the-perfect-killer-r29xwkgdw0b?region=global] https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/wallace.html [https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/wallace.html]

In 1930s Texas, Joe Ball was just another bootlegger-turned-barkeep—until the women around him started disappearing. With a backyard alligator pit, a string of missing waitresses, and a pistol always close at hand, Joe’s story blurs the line between fact and folklore. Step into the shadowy legend of the Alligator Man. Source Materials Joe Ball: The Butcher of Elmendorf — Introduction — Crime Library [https://crimelibrary.org/serial_killers/history/joe_ball/index.html] Chilling story about the man known as “The Butcher of Elmendorf” [https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/07/02/chilling-story-about-the-man-known-as-the-butcher-of-elmendorf/] Two Barmaids, Five Alligators, and the Butcher of Elmendorf – Texas Monthly [https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/butcher-of-elmendorf-alligators/] Suspected local serial killer who may have fed his victims to alligators killed himself 83 years ago [https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/Butcher-of-Elmendorf-serial-killer-joseph-ball-16485565.php] CRIME HUNTER: Bootlegger Joe Ball fed women to gators | Toronto Sun [https://torontosun.com/news/world/crime-hunter-bootlegger-joe-ball-fed-women-to-gators]

In April 1836, 23-year-old courtesan Helen Jewett was found murdered in a New York City brothel. The prime suspect, Richard P. Robinson, was acquitted despite strong evidence. The case became a media sensation, highlighting the power of press coverage and exposing harsh 19th-century societal realities. Source Materials https://allthatsinteresting.com/helen-jewett [https://allthatsinteresting.com/helen-jewett] https://www.thoughtco.com/murder-of-helen-jewett-1773772 [https://www.thoughtco.com/murder-of-helen-jewett-1773772] https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/helen_jewett/ [https://www.crimelibrary.org/notorious_murders/classics/helen_jewett/] https://www.grunge.com/1009628/the-murder-of-helen-jewett-americas-first-tabloid-murder-trial/ [https://www.grunge.com/1009628/the-murder-of-helen-jewett-americas-first-tabloid-murder-trial/] https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=sat3207#mode/1up [https://reader.library.cornell.edu/docviewer/digital?id=sat3207#mode/1up] https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2009/10/girl-in-green.html [https://www.murderbygaslight.com/2009/10/girl-in-green.html] https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cohen-jewett.html [https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cohen-jewett.html]

On February 4, 1880, the quiet town of Biddulph, Ontario, erupted into chaos as a mob set fire to a farmhouse,slaughtering the notorious Donnelly family in a brutal act of frontier justice. In this episode, we uncover the truth behind one of Canada’s most infamous true crime cases—a tale of feuds, vengeance, and a massacre that still haunts history. Source Materials: https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/donnellys-legend-lives-on-in-thorold-1226182 [https://www.thoroldtoday.ca/local-news/donnellys-legend-lives-on-in-thorold-1226182] https://www.donnellymuseum.com/history [https://www.donnellymuseum.com/history] https://www.wanderlustcanadian.com/post/canadian folklore-black-donnellys https://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php/the-province-of-ontario/south-western/313-lucan-the-donnelly-homestead-?showall=1 [https://www.torontoghosts.org/index.php/the-province-of-ontario/south-western/313-lucan-the-donnelly-homestead-?showall=1] https://canadianmysteries.ca/sites/donnellys/prelude/settlingin/indexen.html [https://canadianmysteries.ca/sites/donnellys/prelude/settlingin/indexen.html]