Beyond Recognition: The First Modern Murder
From the creators of Small Town Dicks comes a story about the first modern murder investigation... It was a crime like no other, unleashing horrors not seen since Jack the Ripper. On a crisp autumn morning in 1935, a brother and sister out for a walk in the Scottish countryside stumbled upon dozens of packages containing dissected human remains. Who - or what - could have done this? Now largely forgotten, the Ruxton case grabbed worldwide attention. A real-life Agatha Christie mystery, the gruesome details of the murders would shock the public and test the ability of police to keep the public safe. The case was also the birthplace of modern forensic science. It would alter the course of how murders are investigated. Hosted by Yeardley Smith of Small Town Dicks, “Beyond Recognition” is a 6-part series that delves into one of the most important murder cases of the early 20th century. Inspired by a book from famed Scottish police detective Tom Wood, it features the insights of Paul Holes, Dame Sue Black, and other leading experts who not only recount the grisly crime but examine the psychological and forensic aspects of the case. **************** Credits: Beyond Recognition was written and produced by Peter Gilstrap. I’m your host, Yeardley Smith. Thanks to our story editors, Barbara Bogaev and Sasha Khokha. Logan Heftel was our sound supervisor with editing and sound design from Soren Begin, Sarah Ma, Cristina Bracamontes, and Erin Phelps. Field recordings in Moffat and Lancaster were captured by Sean Kerwin and Kit Cummings. Original music was composed by Logan Heftel with additional music from Epidemic Sound. The series was produced by Audio 99 under the direction of executive producer Gary Scott. Our social media is handled by Monika Scott. Beyond Recognition was inspired by the book Ruxton: The First Modern Murder written by Tom Wood. Among our many other sources are The Jigsaw Murders by Jeremy Craddock, Written in Bone by Sue Black and The Trial of Buck Ruxton edited by R.H. Blundell and G.H. Wilson, as well as original interviews and period news accounts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
From the creators of Small Town Dicks comes a story about the first modern murder investigation...
It was a crime like no other, unleashing horrors not seen since Jack the Ripper.
On a crisp autumn morning in 1935, a brother and sister out for a walk in the Scottish countryside stumbled upon dozens of packages containing dissected human remains. Who - or what - could have done this?
Now largely forgotten, the Ruxton...
It’s a crisp autumn morning in a serene Scottish town called Moffatt. A brother and sister have gone out for a stroll through the woods. As they cross an old stone bridge, they see something in the dry stream bed below. It appears to be a severed arm, the hand reaching up from the dirt. It looks like it’s waving at them. To their horror, they learn the hand is just one of dozens of pieces of human remains scattered across the rav...
The leading forensic scientists from Scotland have traveled to the tiny village of Moffatt to examine the body parts discovered in a ravine by a sister and brother out hiking. Authorities do not yet know how many people were killed, or by what method, or where or when; they certainly do not know who the victims are.
Whoever carried out this act of evil took great care to hide the victims’ identities, dissecting them until t...
Content Warning: This episode contains dramatic recreations of historical scenes and depictions of violence that some listeners may find disturbing. Please take care when listening. The words spoken by the actors are taken from letters, diary entries, legal transcripts, and period newspaper interviews.
In the early morning of September 15, 1935, Agnes Oxley, a housekeeper at the home of Dr. Buck Ruxton, is roused from her slee...
Content Warning: This episode contains dramatic recreations of historical scenes and depictions of violence that some listeners may find disturbing. Please take care when listening. The words spoken by the actors are taken from letters, diary entries, legal transcripts, and period newspaper interviews.
Peter Rogerson is desperate and furious. His sister Mary, the Ruxton family’s nanny, has been missing for nearly two weeks. Pe...
John Milligan, a reporter from the UK's biggest tabloid, News of the World, finds himself in the home of Dr. Buck Ruxton, now the prime suspect in the disappearance—and likely murder—of his wife Isabella and their nanny Mary Rogerson. Since the women vanished nearly a month ago, Ruxton has spun a web of lies, claiming they ran away to Scotland - or was it Blackpool? But with the discovery of the mutilated body parts found in Moffat...
Lead prosecutor Joseph Cooksey Jackson sits with his right-hand man, Maxwell Fyfe, discussing their mounting concerns about the forensic evidence. Jackson knows the stakes are high. The success of their case hinges on presenting complex forensic evidence in a way that a jury of laymen can understand. They don’t want any doubts, reasonable or otherwise, sneaking in. Despite the damning evidence against Ruxton, the case is entirely c...
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