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Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

19 - The Brighton Trunk Murders: Unsolved Crimes

Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

GoLoud

True Crime, Society & Culture

4.71.4K Ratings

🗓️ 8 July 2018

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, we take another trip back in time and have a look at three vintage murders. First, we crack open the 1832 autobiographical account of John Holloway, who murdered his first wife Celia and buried her body, hidden in a trunk, down a lovers lane. Over 100 years later, two more trunks filled with murder victims' bodies were found again in Brighton. One of these cases remains unsolved to this day, while the culprit for the other Toni Mancini, was never punished for his crime.  Podcast Promo this week is from the lovely Pernilla over at True Crime Sweden. Don’t forget to check out this excellent and unique podcast! Find us on Facebook or Twitter! With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! If you would like to support the podcast, head on over to Patreon.com.  Theme Music:  Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Sources:  Paul Williams, “The Brighton Trunk Murders” in Real Life Crimes...and how they were solved Volum3 3 Part 39 (Eaglemoss Press: London, 1993) pp 845 – 855  Lucy Pearce, “Nostalgia: A murder case which was the making of a barrister,” in The Argus http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14883861.NOSTALGIA__A_murder_case_which_was_the_making_of_a_barrister/ 12 November 2016  Peter Crowhurst, “Trunk Murders” from Brightonandhove.org http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__6817.aspx 28 July 2005  David Rowland, “Death in Donkey Row: Perhaps Brighton's first murder” Oldpolicecellmuseum.org.uk http://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.org.uk/content/history/sussex_murders/death_in_donkey_row 12 November 2012  John William Holloway, An Authentic and Faithful History of the Atrocious Murder of Celia Holloway: With an Accurate Account of All the Mysterious and Extraordinary Circumstances....including, Also, the Trial for the Murder, and the Extraordinary Confessions of John William Holloway...written by Himself, and Published by His Own Desire, for the Benefit of Young People (London: W. Nute, 1832)

Transcript

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0:00.0

You're listening to the Men's Raya Podcast, and this is the story of the Brighton Trunk Murders. Oh, Originally a tiny fishing village called Bright Helmston, the city of Brighton first became fashionable in the late 18th century as a place to take beneficial waters from the sea, and the place began to draw crowds of visitors.

0:56.5

In 1783, King George IV moved to Brighton, and the popularity of the area grew exponentially.

1:06.3

It became what we think of as a quintessential seaside town with peers and and Seaside Entertainments.

1:14.0

Along with the gorgeous Regency buildings of the Palace Pier and the notorious Royal Pavilion,

1:20.0

other Posh buildings began to follow as money flooded into the town, and it grew

1:25.9

into a popular seaside resort.

1:29.1

As the 19th century came about, the city was further developed into splendid Georgian accommodations for those wishing to rent apartments.

1:37.0

But behind all this tourism of wealthy visitors down to take the waters, the accompanying development and

1:43.4

splendour lurked tenements and hordes of the poor as the population grew quickly.

1:50.0

Many of the traditional occupations like fishing were pushed out by the development.

1:55.0

Railings were erected along the seafront which stopped fishermen drying out their nets there.

2:00.0

A number of peers were built and steamships began bringing passengers from Brighton to northern France.

2:07.0

In 1841, the railway from London opened and visitors streamed into the town. And soon other modern developments followed,

2:17.0

electricity and museums and libraries and hospitals,

2:26.0

So the 19th century was one of development in Brighton, and with its influx of money and people and poverty and tenements,

2:30.0

crime came too.

2:36.4

Throughout most of British history nothing was more entertaining than a good scandalous crime. In 1831 the people of of Brighton would be provided with one.

2:45.9

That would include everything from affairs, to finding God, to murder most foul.

2:51.6

And the public and press would be riveted as the whole thing played out in front of them.

2:58.3

The 13th of August 1831 was a rainy day in Brighton. On Lover's Walk, a footpath leading towards Preston Manor, the heavy rain had washed some of the topsoil away from the slopes lining the path. A passing fisherman noticed a trunk that was now only partially

3:17.2

covered by the earth of the bank. There was bloodstained clothing lying nearby. When he took a closer look and opened the trunk,

3:26.0

he found the partial remains of a young woman. Not quite a body as the head and arms were

...

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