Compact Murder

In 1016, England’s King Edmund Ironside fought fiercely to defend his crown against Danish invaders, earning his reputation as a warrior king. But just weeks after dividing the kingdom with his rival, Cnut, Edmund was dead. Some say illness claimed him. Others insist it was a gruesome assassination, carried out in the most humiliating way possible. In this episode, we uncover the mystery behind one...

Simonetta Vespucci was the face that defined beauty in Renaissance Florence. Admired by the powerful Medici family and immortalised in Botticelli’s paintings, she seemed untouchable. But in 1476, at just 22 years old, Simonetta died suddenly. Officially, it was illness, but rumours of jealousy, poison, and political plots have surrounded her death ever since. In this episode, we explore the mystery...

Dubbed the “Butcher of Rostov,” Andrei Chikatilo was one of the Soviet Union’s most prolific and terrifying serial killers. Between 1978 and 1990, he preyed on the vulnerable, leaving a trail of horror across Russia. In this episode, we explore how Chikatilo evaded capture for years—and how his monstrous crimes finally caught up with him.

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On December 27, 2007, Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and a symbol of hope for many, was assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi. Her death shook the world, throwing a fragile democracy into chaos. Was it a lone act of terror, or part of a deeper conspiracy? In this episode, we unravel the final moments of one of the most significant political figures of the 21st century.

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In 1678, the suspicious death of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey sent shockwaves through London. A respected magistrate, Godfrey was found dead under mysterious circumstances, fueling hysteria at the height of the Popish Plot. Was it political murder, religious conspiracy, or something even more sinister? In this episode, we dive into a 17th-century mystery filled with intrigue, fear, and unanswered quest...

On June 27, 1924, nine-year-old Rosa Armstrong vanished after leaving her Sutton-in-Ashfield home to return to school. Her disappearance alarmed the community, and by the early hours of the next morning, a man approached a policeman in Mansfield Market Place, confessing to her murder. The man was Arthur Simms, Rosa's brother-in-law. He led police to a field near St. Mark’s Mission Chapel, where Ro...

In Episode 31 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we investigate the brutal murder of Mary Ann Nichols, the first confirmed victim of Jack the Ripper. On 31 August 1888, Nichols' body was discovered in the dark streets of Whitechapel, London, marking the beginning of one of history’s most infamous unsolved murder sprees. Her death sent shockwaves through Victorian society and sparked a frenzied hunt fo...

In Episode 30 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into the disturbing case of John Wayne Gacy, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. Known as the Killer Clown, Gacy was a seemingly respectable businessman and entertainer who led a horrifying double life. Between 1972 and 1978, he lured and murdered at least 33 young men and boys, burying many of his victims beneath his s...

In Episode 29 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we examine the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a moment that shook the world and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement. On 4 April 1968, King was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked grief, outrage, and widespread unrest across the United States. Officiall...

In Episode 28 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we examine the chilling case of Bridget Cleary, a woman whose brutal murder in 1895 became one of Ireland’s most infamous crimes. Believed by her husband and family to be a changeling, Bridget was subjected to a horrific ritual intended to drive out what they claimed was a fairy imposter. Her tragic death, fuelled by superstition and paranoia, shocked t...

Episode 27 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast examines the baffling and still-unsolved murder of Julia Wallace in 1931. Found brutally beaten in her Liverpool home, her death became one of Britain’s most perplexing mysteries. Her husband, William Herbert Wallace, was arrested, convicted, and later acquitted in a rare legal reversal, leaving the case shrouded in doubt. With a mysterious telephone call, c...

5 Minute Murder returns with Episode 26, uncovering the tragic murder of Jane McCrea, a young woman whose brutal death in 1777 became a powerful symbol of the American Revolution. Killed during the conflict between British Loyalist forces and Patriot militias, her murder at the hands of Native American warriors allied with the British sparked outrage and intensified anti-British sentiment across the...

In episode 25 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into the chilling case of Pedro Alonso López, one of history’s most prolific serial killers. Known as The Monster of the Andes, López confessed to the brutal murders of over 300 young girls across Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru during the 1970s and early 1980s. His crimes, marked by deception and cruelty, went undetected for years, and despite ...

In episode 24 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into one of the most infamous and tragic events in modern history: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In just five minutes, we recount the fateful day in Dallas, Texas, when the 35th President of the United States was fatally shot while travelling in a motorcade, an event that shocked the world and forever changed the course of history. From the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald t...

In episode 23 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we unravel the scandalous and shocking case of the murder of Stanford White, one of America’s most renowned architects. In just five minutes, we delve into the events of 1906, when White was fatally shot during a performance at Madison Square Garden by Harry Kendall Thaw, the jealous husband of Evelyn Nesbit, a former model and White’s one-time lover. This sensational crime captivated t...

In episode 22 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we uncover the mysterious and scandalous murder of Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. In just five minutes, we delve into the explosive events of 1567, from the suspicious circumstances surrounding Darnley’s death at Kirk o’ Field to the political intrigue and betrayal that followed. Was it a crime of passion, political necessity, or a carefully orchestrated plot?...

In the twenty-first episode of 5 Minute Murder, we uncover the mysterious and gruesome murder of King Edward II, a monarch whose turbulent reign ended in betrayal and tragedy. In just five minutes, we explore the events leading up to his imprisonment and death in Berkeley Castle in 1327, following his forced abdication. Edward’s controversial relationships, political failures, and the conspiracy involving his estranged wife, Queen ...

In the twentieth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the chilling legend of Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman infamously dubbed the "Blood Countess." In just five minutes, we explore the dark tales surrounding her life, including accusations of torturing and murdering hundreds of young women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Though some details remain shrouded in myth, her trial and imprisonment shocked Europ...

In the nineteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we examine the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, a towering figure in the fight for India’s independence and a global symbol of non-violence. In just five minutes, we recount the tragic events of 30 January 1948, when Gandhi was shot at point-blank range by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist opposed to Gandhi’s vision of unity and peace. The episode explores the motives behind the assas...