This Halloween, we dig deep — literally — into one of the most disturbing true crime tales in medical history.
Step into 1820s Edinburgh, where cobblestone streets echoed with the footsteps of scholars by day… and the shovels of grave robbers by night. This episode uncovers the chilling story of William Burke and William Hare, two men who didn’t just rob graves — they skipped the digging and began murdering for fresh corpses, selling the dead to fuel the booming anatomy lectures of Dr. Robert Knox.
From the shadowy world of the Resurrection Men to the public execution and dissection that shocked a nation, we explore how science, desperation, and greed collided in a city that called itself enlightened.
Featuring:
The rise of grave robbing in Britain and beyond
Real 19th-century news quotes, nursery rhymes, and courtroom drama
The chilling legacy of Burke & Hare — and how it reshaped medical ethics forever
So light a candle, lock your door, and settle in. Because tonight…
the dead don’t stay buried.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com