74. The Brown Palace Murders

Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling

BBC

Comedy, True Crime

4.3 • 757 Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A love triangle erupts into a gunfight at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel, exposing a scandalous affair that ends in a double murder

Iain unpacks the heated rivalry between Frank Henwood and Tony von Thul, two men competing for the affections of socialite Isabel Springer. When flirtations turn to threats and threats escalate to gunfire, the fallout sends shockwaves through Colorado high society, leaving behind a trail of scandal, heartbreak, and one of the most sensational trials of the era.

If you would like to see the photo of Isabel Springer mentioned in the episode, please click here: https://strangeco.blogspot.com/2019/09/murder-at-brown-palace.html

Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Got a case or story for us? Email [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	August 31st, 2018.
0:04.4	It's just before seven when the doorbell rings.
0:07.9	Immediately, I know there's something wrong.
0:10.6	The day I've been dreading has finally arrived.
0:13.7	Two things could be about to happen.
0:15.8	I'm going to be arrested or I'm going to be shot dead.
0:19.1	The true story of illegal surveillance, state secrets and six unsolved murders in Northern Ireland.
0:26.1	It has changed our lives.
0:28.4	Nothing ever will be the same.
0:30.6	Assume nothing, the hack.
0:32.5	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:36.1	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:40.0	Hello, Ian Sterling.
0:41.3	Hello, Laura Wentmore.
0:42.7	See, I did that thing.
0:44.3	Well, I started the tone, we went really low,
0:46.8	and you've got to start low.
0:48.1	We're going to keep it like this for a while.
0:49.6	Do you know what I've started doing?
0:50.5	I've started listening to our podcast back,
0:53.1	and it was
0:54.3	quite jarring
	...

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