The case of Dr. Crippen is often hailed as the first modern murder due to how he was ultimately apprehended, rather than the crime itself. In January 1910, Crippen poisoned his wife to be with his secretary and they attempted to flee to Canada. Their disguise as father and son failed to convince the keen-eyed captain of their ship, who alerted authorities. Public intrigue surged as the details unfolded in newspapers, reminiscent of historical media spectacles. Author Hallie Rubenhold re-examines this case, particularly focusing on the often-misrepresented victim, Cora Crippen.
It wasn't that there was anything particularly original about the doctor's motives or methods: in January 1910 he slipped poison into his wife's bedtime drink so that he could marry his secretary instead.
This was despite their unconvincing cover story of being father and son (the hand-holding and kissing gave the game away).
Hallie Rubenhold has form when it comes to interrogating the cliches of classic true crime. Here she does something similar with Cora Crippen, who has been repeatedly written off as a silly, slatternly floozy.
To a fascinated public, following the unfolding drama in the newspapers, it was as if time travel were being invented before their very eyes.
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