Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling

Iain tells the chilling story of Belle Gunness – a prolific American serial killer whose own death is surrounded in mystery.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

A ransom note has arrived at the Murder They Wrote HQ. Plus, DB Cooper theories – and a very upright dog.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Barbara Mackle was your average university student. Until she was snatched in the middle of the night and forced, by her kidnappers, to hide out in the most terrifying place imaginable.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

Listener Julie has sent in a famous Coventry case involving a very unhappy marriage and a chilling murder. Plus, Iain explains the legend of Lady Godiva.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

Iain dives into the life and crimes of Soapy Smith, a 19th-century con artist who earned his nickname by mastering the art of ‘The Soap Game’. Hear about how Soapy went from a small-time crook to the leader of a major criminal empire in America’s Wild West.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

Laura heads to the Isle of Man to investigate a 159-year-old unexplained murder involving a horse-drawn cart. And Iain tells a story about a famous Manx witch… with an unexpected ending.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

Three friends are exploring an abandoned mineshaft in Wales when they stumble upon a human skull. As the police arrive to search the area, they continue to make a number of gruesome discoveries. And they find something else: a diamond engagement ring.Did these three young men just accidentally crack a 42-year-old cold case? Laura and Iain dig into the eerie 1919 disappearance of Mamie Stuart.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].

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

From jam-filled Yorkshire puddings to famous dogs and unexpected trouser mishaps, the Murder You Wrote Mailbag delivers again.Plus, Laura and Iain need your help cooking up the ultimate true crime-themed dinner party. Got a pun-filled course idea?If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2025

When a prison riot breaks out inside Scotland’s Peterhead Prison, two officers are taken hostage and the SAS are secretly called in. But the truth of what happened wouldn’t come out for years...This is the story of a brutal prison, a high-stakes rescue mission, and the man who survived it all.For pictures of the destruction of D Block, see here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-41397881Murder 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].

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025

Listener Cat sends Iain a case involving her husband’s distant family, taking him to Southampton 1924 when a 15-year-old family secret involving a hidden sea chest comes to light and shocks the authorities.And Laura tells Iain a story about a cockerel and ‘torture’.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 2025

A late-night fire tears through Room 66 at a hotel in Margate. One guest runs for help, another is pulled from the smoke, but it’s already too late. As investigators begin to piece together what happened that night, a different kind of story starts to emerge.Laura and Iain dive into a case that rocked 1920s Britain, where the truth may have been lost in the flames.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].

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2025

Laura heads to York to unravel Craig Townend's £1m art gallery heist leads to even more bizarre thefts in England's most haunted city.Plus, Iain shares York's weirdest theft stories: a replica skull stolen from the city's most haunted pub on New Year's Eve, and the tale of a German student who "liberated" an organ pipe from York Minster in 1969.Murder You Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 5 June 2025

In 1889, Edwin Rose vanished on a hike up Goatfell. His body is later found hidden under a pile of rocks. Was it a tragic fall, or something more sinister?All eyes turn to John Annandale, the man who last saw Edwin alive. But when John suddenly vanishes and reappears under a different name, the case takes a bizarre turn.Iain takes us to the Isle of Arran to retrace the steps of this Victorian mystery.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].

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2025

Guinea pigs, mistaken towns, and a 100-year-old rabbit! Laura & Iain open the inbox for wonderful tales (and tails) from our Living Legends.Plus! There’s a pun so good it had to be written in and listener corrections that keep us on our toes (as always!)If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2025

Iain transports us to 1858 Bradford – then the world's wool capital, where confectioner William Hardaker ("Humbug Billy") unknowingly sold arsenic-contaminated sweets that resulted in one of Britain's most devastating mass poisonings.Plus your emails feature a burglar delivered to police by Batman, a theory about D.B. Cooper, and the street poet who challenged developers with a can of spray paint!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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2025

Iain takes us back to the swinging 60s to revisit the theft of a portrait that had been hanging in London’s National Gallery for just 19 days before it vanished.At first, no one believes it’s been stolen – but when a handwritten ransom note arrives, detectives are forced to take the case seriously.Iain uncovers how this case baffled police for years and eventually ended up inspiring a film starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren!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].

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2025

Laura takes us to the hauntingly beautiful Lake District and uncovers three chilling murders. Meanwhile Iain digs up tales of thieving pensioners, bad parking and a Viking church mistaken for a public toilet.The Lake District might be stunning, but it hides more than just hills and hikes.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2025

Laura retraces the twists of one of Britain's most debated unsolved cases. In 1919, a farmer found the body of a young woman on the side of a quiet country road, lying next to her bicycle. While first deemed an accident, it soon becomes clear she’s been shot.A witness recalls a man on a striking green bicycle seen with her just hours earlier, but when police search for the rider, the truth becomes more tangled than anyone expected.If you want to see a picture of Bella Wright, please click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bicycle_Case#/media/File:Bella_Wright.JPGMurder 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].

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

Laura and Iain dive into the inbox and face a full on tribunal from Living Legends across the UK. Is it “Mull-guy”? What about "Gotham"? And how do you say “tortoise”? Iain’s mum, Allison, might just have the final word.Plus! Mystery bananas left on a Nottingham street, fake olives in Italy, and the world’s oddest dental appointment...If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2025

Iain takes us to the 1930s to uncover the twisting tale of Pretty Boy Floyd, a young outlaw that escapes a prison train and vanishes into the hills. Follow this smooth-talking fugitive who charmed the public and was named Public Enemy No.1 by the FBI.When a mysterious ambush leaves multiple people dead, the hunt intensifies. With law enforcement closing in, Floyd’s story becomes a legend of escape, loyalty, and the dark glamour of the outlaw life.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].

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2025

Listener Simon sends Laura to Croydon for a trio of tales: unsolved family poisonings, a 1930s airport gold heist, and a fly‑tipper with a skip-load of nerve. Plus, cardboard box–loving cats, a recovering Jack Russell-Corgi cross and an avocado bathroom renovation?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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2025

Laura revisits the shocking case of The Cameo Cinema Murders, a deadly robbery that shook Liverpool in 1949. When a cinema manager and his assistant are shot dead, police rely on the testimony of questionable witnesses to build their case. But with strong alibis, conflicting accounts, and physical evidence that doesn’t quite fit, doubts begin to mount. What follows is one of the most controversial murder trials in British legal history,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 for us? Email [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025

Iain dives into the wild story of Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, a tale packed with betrayal, dramatic beheadings, and the mystery of his missing remains. Meanwhile, Laura explores the curious world of Loch Ness Monster insurance. Plus, listeners from Inverness send in their own local stories (and plenty of pet pics, of course!).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 for us? Email [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 24 April 2025

Laura takes us to 1993, when a routine breakfast in a New York diner spirals into a nightmare for tuxedo tycoon Harvey Weinstein. Snatched in broad daylight, he vanishes without a trace.With only cryptic ransom demands, unsettling polaroids, and a chilling tape to go on, detectives launch a desperate race against time to bring him home. But nothing about this case is straightforward, and the clock is ticking.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2025

Laura and Iain dive into the inbox for another unhinged mailbag episode. From dogs with mohawks and a pup in a cup to a goat in trousers to a fake lord who fooled everyone for over two decades - you’ve sent in some absolute gems. If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 17 April 2025

| Laura takes us to 1942, where a body is found near a military base. A secret relationship, a hidden woodland hut and missing weapon point to one man… but nothing in this case is straightforward.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. Email us at [email protected] |

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

Listener Sarah sends Laura to Hartlepool, where a shipwreck, a monkey in uniform and a case of mistaken identity lead to one of the UK’s strangest legends – and its weirdest “trial”.Meanwhile, Iain dives into modern-day monkey business of his own, featuring a quad bike heist gone wrong and a flying kick that lands someone in jail (for a day).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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 10 April 2025

Iain takes us to 1908 Glasgow, where 83-year-old Marion Gilchrist is found murdered in her Glasgow flat. A missing brooch and a fleeing spark a transatlantic manhunt, and decades of fighting for justice.But this isn't just a story of a manhunt. What unfolds is one of Scotland's most controversial trials, where prejudice, weak evidence, and a famous detective novelist collide.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. Email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2025

Listener Chris sends Iain to 1980s Aberdeen, where a simple game of bridge between two secret lovers sparks one of the boldest fraud plots in Scottish history. What follows is a wild £23 million scheme involving fake passports, forged identities, and an international chase stretching from Aberdeen to Abu Dhabi to the United States. Meanwhile, Laura investigates the case of a sketchy seagull causing havoc in the shops!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. Email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2025

Laura takes us back to Australia in the 1800s, where a group of outlaws known as the Kelly Gang are becoming folk heroes. But as their legend grows, tensions rise and a betrayal from within sets the wheels in motion for a dramatic downfall.If you want to see a picture of Ned Kelly, click here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ned-Kelly-Australian-banditMurder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2025

Laura and Iain revisit Hull and Ruth Ellis in emails from Living Legends. In the inbox, they find a hibernating tortoise, a 21-year-old goldfish and a hat-wearing gecko - oh my! Plus, they fight to pronounce ‘archipelago’ once more. both struggle to pronounce ‘archipelago’ once more. If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 27 March 2025

Iain takes us to the coast of Devon where two fishermen haul in the body of a well dressed man, with a head injury. At first police assume it’s a simple case of a drowning, until a Rolex reveals something far more sinister.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. Email us at [email protected] of help and support with domestic abuse, suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2025

A Galway fish shop hides a chilling secret – a body in the freezer. Listener Jess sends Laura to Ireland to investigate. Meanwhile, Iain recounts a bizarre egg ambush!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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

Laura takes us to 1929, where two men find the decomposing body of a man hidden behind some boxes in a garage in Southampton. The victim, oil agent Vivian Messiter, had been missing for nine weeks. 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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

Iain looks at a local case sent in by listeners about a man who miraculously survives the gallows. Plus, the story of a smuggler who faked his own death to transport his loot.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 13 March 2025

Iain explores the case of a missing Shakespeare folio that resurfaces in Washington DC in the hands off a flamboyant Englishman. A story so extraordinary, it could have been written by William Shakespeare himself.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2025

Laura and Iain discover wacky crimes as they indulge in the “Florida Man Birthday Challenge.” Iain reminisces on Warhammer figures and Laura gushes over a Living Legend’s cows. Hear these bits and more as Laura and Iain connect with Living Legends and dive into the Murder They Wrote inbox. If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They wrote inbox and read out some of their favourite emails.If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected]

Transcribed - Published: 6 March 2025

Laura looks into a mysterious explosion at a dance hall in Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland in 1972 and an infamous local figure called ‘Dancing Nancy’.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2025

This week, Laura and Iain are looking at cases sent in from Nottingham – including a murder case that explains how Ghost House Lane in Chilwell got its name.If you want to see the picture of Damien Hammond, who carried out crimes dressed as The Joker, click here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-55954819Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2025

Iain looks at a famous Scottish case from the 1780s that served as inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ novel.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 24 February 2025

Iain looks at a local case sent in by listener Theresa. In January 1909, two Tottenham men steal a bag of money before leading police on a wild tram chase that’s straight out of the movies.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 20 February 2025

Laura explores the nuanced case of Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain. In April 1955, Ruth shot her lover David Blakely outside a pub in North London. The case itself was open-and-shut, but the motivations behind it were far more complicated. Ruth paid for the crime with her life. But could things have worked out differently if the police had properly investigated the complexities of her relationship with not only David but her other lover Desmond Cussen?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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2025

Laura dives into a case sent in by listener Emily, who works at Compton Verney in Warwickshire. This beautiful, historic manor was once the scene of a grisly murder involving two young lovers. Plus Iain has unearthed an unusual e-fit and a robbery involving 20,000 bees.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 13 February 2025

Iain digs into the mystery of D.B. Cooper’s famous 1971 plane hijacking and unravels some of the theories around his identity.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 10 February 2025

The Living Legends have spoken: Will Iain get laser eye surgery? Plus, Laura and Iain vent about the necessity of apps and struggle to pronounce “Kjersten.”Hear these bits and more as Laura and Iain connect with Living Legends and dive into the Murder They Wrote inbox!If you want a chance to be featured in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2025

Laura and Iain dive into the Murder They wrote inbox and read out some of their favourite emails.If you want to be in with a chance of featuring in our next mailbag episode, email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2025

When Daisy Keeton goes missing from her home in Laurel, Mississippi, the last person anyone suspects is her daughter. Her golden child. But little do they know that, beneath her perfect exterior, Ouida Keeton is harbouring a deep, dark secret.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. Email us at [email protected].

Transcribed - Published: 3 February 2025

Iain dives into a Glaswegian case involving some very curious love letters. Plus, Laura looks at two ‘crime’ cases involving oblong-shaped food!

Transcribed - Published: 30 January 2025