<description>&lt;p&gt;In the final episode of the series, Lucy Worsley puts true crime itself on trial. Why are we so fascinated by stories of murder, violence, and scandal and was it ever thus? Is true crime guilty of sensationalism and stereotyping, or can it reveal something more profound about society, culture, and ourselves?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lucy is joined by her all-female team of detectives, in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone and guest detective Hannah Maguire, co-host of the hit podcast RedHanded. Together they examine the long history of true crime as entertainment, asking whether today’s podcasts, documentaries, and social media sleuthing are really so different from the pamphlets, broadsides, waxworks, and tabloid stories of the past.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The episode revisits three notorious cases. Martha Brown, executed in 1856 for killing her abusive husband, whose fate drew public sympathy and inspired Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Mary Pearcy, convicted in 1890 of the brutal murder of her lover’s wife and baby, whose trial and execution became a Victorian media sensation. And Elvira Barney, the glamorous socialite who in 1932 shot her lover and walked free, the tabloids feasting on every detail of her privileged world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Through these stories, Lucy, Ros and Hannah explore how women have been represented in true crime narratives, and how gendered assumptions about violence and morality have shaped the way female offenders are portrayed. They also consider why audiences, past and present, are drawn to these tales, and whether our hunger for crime stories reflects fear, fascination, or the thrill of playing detective from the safety of our own homes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Producer: Riham Moussa
Readers: Clare Corbett, Moya Angela, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lucy Worsley puts true crime on trial and asks are we so obsessed with true crime?

In the final episode of the series, Lucy Worsley puts true crime itself on trial. Why are we so fascinated by stories of murder, violence, and scandal and was it ever thus? Is true crime guilty of sensationalism and stereotyping, or can it reveal something more profound about society, culture, and ourselves?Lucy is joined by her all-female team of detectives, in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone and guest detective Hannah Maguire, co-host of the hit podcast RedHanded. Together they examine the long history of true crime as entertainment, asking whether today’s podcasts, documentaries, and social media sleuthing are really so different from the pamphlets, broadsides, waxworks, and tabloid stories of the past.The episode revisits three notorious cases. Martha Brown, executed in 1856 for killing her abusive husband, whose fate drew public sympathy and inspired Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Mary Pearcy, convicted in 1890 of the brutal murder of her lover’s wife and baby, whose trial and execution became a Victorian media sensation. And Elvira Barney, the glamorous socialite who in 1932 shot her lover and walked free, the tabloids feasting on every detail of her privileged world.Through these stories, Lucy, Ros and Hannah explore how women have been represented in true crime narratives, and how gendered assumptions about violence and morality have shaped the way female offenders are portrayed. They also consider why audiences, past and present, are drawn to these tales, and whether our hunger for crime stories reflects fear, fascination, or the thrill of playing detective from the safety of our own homes.Producer: Riham Moussa
Readers: Clare Corbett, Moya Angela, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty HunterA StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4.

60. True Crime on Trial

<description>&lt;p&gt;Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her very own mother. With her team of all female detectives, Lucy uncovers long buried secrets in the Newton family - but could these truly be the motive for such a terrible crime? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Would a daughter really kill her very own mother? If so, why? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is 1848, in the chill depths of winter. In the early hours of the morning a servant, Mary Corfield, stumbles upon a grisly discovery - the lifeless, charred body of an elderly lady, Ann Newton. At first sight the death looks suspicious, and the woman’s daughter, Kitty Newton, is arrested on the spot. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, historian Professor Rosalind Crone heads to the market town of Bridgnorth in Shropshire to visit the scene of the alleged crime. She also goes to Bridgnorth Town Hall where an inquest into the death of Ann Newton took place.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Back in the studio, Lucy is joined by crime writer Dorothy Koomson, author of The Ice Cream Girls and All My Lies are True. She’s known for her sharp insights into the tangled dynamics between mothers and daughters, vital skills to help examine this sinister case. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Together, Lucy, Ros and Dorothy piece together the clues and the possible means, motive and opportunity. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Was the fire that killed Ann Newton a terrible accident or was it set by her daughter? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Producer: Emily Hughes 
Readers: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble, Ruth Sillers and Bill Hope 
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her own mother.

Lucy Worsley meets Kitty Newton, a daughter accused of killing her very own mother. With her team of all female detectives, Lucy uncovers long buried secrets in the Newton family - but could these truly be the motive for such a terrible crime? Would a daughter really kill her very own mother? If so, why? It is 1848, in the chill depths of winter. In the early hours of the morning a servant, Mary Corfield, stumbles upon a grisly discovery - the lifeless, charred body of an elderly lady, Ann Newton. At first sight the death looks suspicious, and the woman’s daughter, Kitty Newton, is arrested on the spot. In this episode, historian Professor Rosalind Crone heads to the market town of Bridgnorth in Shropshire to visit the scene of the alleged crime. She also goes to Bridgnorth Town Hall where an inquest into the death of Ann Newton took place.Back in the studio, Lucy is joined by crime writer Dorothy Koomson, author of The Ice Cream Girls and All My Lies are True. She’s known for her sharp insights into the tangled dynamics between mothers and daughters, vital skills to help examine this sinister case. Together, Lucy, Ros and Dorothy piece together the clues and the possible means, motive and opportunity. Was the fire that killed Ann Newton a terrible accident or was it set by her daughter? Producer: Emily Hughes 
Readers: Clare Corbett, Jonathan Keeble, Ruth Sillers and Bill Hope 
Sound Design: Chris Maclean
Executive Producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

59. Kitty Newton - Killer Daughter

<description>&lt;p&gt;Join Lucy Worsley and her all-female team as she delves into the Hampstead Tragedy, one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When the horrifically mutilated body of a young mother called Phoebe Hogg is found dumped by the side of a street in north London in October 1890, the press erupts into a frenzy of speculation that Jack the Ripper has struck again. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But it soon becomes clear to the police that the suspected killer is not a man, but a young woman called Mary Pearcey, a friend of Phoebe’s. This is when forensic science is in its infancy, but it is already featuring in the first Sherlock Holmes stories, and the public is gripped by this case.
 
Lucy is joined by one of the UK’s leading forensic scientists, Dr Angela Gallop CBE, to find out what light modern forensic techniques can shine on this case. They discuss how forensic science and true crime have captured the public imagination, and the pressure on forensic scientists working on high profile cases today from the press and the public.
 
Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the street in north London where Phoebe Hogg’s body was discovered. They discuss the media frenzy around the case, including the ‘Hampstead Tragedy’ exhibit at Madam Tussauds which broke all visitor records.
 
Lucy wants to know what this story tells us about the public’s passion for forensic science and true crime in 1890s Britain - and our passion for them today. And has the notoriety of this particular case distorted our view of women who kill?
 
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
 
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lucy Worsley is on the case of Mary Pearcey accused of a horrific murder in 1890s London.

Join Lucy Worsley and her all-female team as she delves into the Hampstead Tragedy, one of the most notorious murder cases of the Victorian era. When the horrifically mutilated body of a young mother called Phoebe Hogg is found dumped by the side of a street in north London in October 1890, the press erupts into a frenzy of speculation that Jack the Ripper has struck again. But it soon becomes clear to the police that the suspected killer is not a man, but a young woman called Mary Pearcey, a friend of Phoebe’s. This is when forensic science is in its infancy, but it is already featuring in the first Sherlock Holmes stories, and the public is gripped by this case.
 
Lucy is joined by one of the UK’s leading forensic scientists, Dr Angela Gallop CBE, to find out what light modern forensic techniques can shine on this case. They discuss how forensic science and true crime have captured the public imagination, and the pressure on forensic scientists working on high profile cases today from the press and the public.
 
Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the street in north London where Phoebe Hogg’s body was discovered. They discuss the media frenzy around the case, including the ‘Hampstead Tragedy’ exhibit at Madam Tussauds which broke all visitor records.
 
Lucy wants to know what this story tells us about the public’s passion for forensic science and true crime in 1890s Britain - and our passion for them today. And has the notoriety of this particular case distorted our view of women who kill?
 
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
 
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

58. Mary Pearcey - Murderous Lover

<description>&lt;p&gt;Lucy Worsley meets Jessie McLachlan, a woman accused of murdering one of her friends in Glasgow in 1862. There’s no obvious motive, but if she didn’t do it, who did?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To investigate this infamous case, Lucy is joined by stellar barrister Jennifer Robinson, co-author of Silenced Women: Why the Law Fails Women and How to Fight Back, who has represented actor Amber Heard and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, working on cases that span media, public and international law. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The victim in this distressing story is a live-in domestic servant, who works for three generations of men in a respectable Glaswegian home. When her mutilated body is found in a locked room, the police are quick to arrest her elderly employer, the most obvious suspect. However, blame soon shifts to Jessie McLachlan, once a servant in the same house, who maintains her innocence throughout. Who will the jury believe? Will Jessie ever get to tell her side of the story? Even if she does, will anyone bother to listen?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Together, Lucy and Jennifer discuss the difficulties women still face in speaking out about their experiences of gender-based violence and how the law is often weaponised against them. They are joined by in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone from The Open University to look at the role of the media in this case. They discover that today, media coverage continues to have a powerful impact, either in entrenching negative stereotypes or, more hopefully, shining a light on women’s stories and bringing perpetrators to justice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With thanks to Glasgow Police Museum for assistance with research.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Producer: Sarah Goodman
Readers: Clare Corbett, Bill Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lucy Worsley analyses a brutal murder in Glasgow – a Victorian ‘he said, she said’.

Lucy Worsley meets Jessie McLachlan, a woman accused of murdering one of her friends in Glasgow in 1862. There’s no obvious motive, but if she didn’t do it, who did?To investigate this infamous case, Lucy is joined by stellar barrister Jennifer Robinson, co-author of Silenced Women: Why the Law Fails Women and How to Fight Back, who has represented actor Amber Heard and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, working on cases that span media, public and international law. The victim in this distressing story is a live-in domestic servant, who works for three generations of men in a respectable Glaswegian home. When her mutilated body is found in a locked room, the police are quick to arrest her elderly employer, the most obvious suspect. However, blame soon shifts to Jessie McLachlan, once a servant in the same house, who maintains her innocence throughout. Who will the jury believe? Will Jessie ever get to tell her side of the story? Even if she does, will anyone bother to listen?Together, Lucy and Jennifer discuss the difficulties women still face in speaking out about their experiences of gender-based violence and how the law is often weaponised against them. They are joined by in-house historian Professor Rosalind Crone from The Open University to look at the role of the media in this case. They discover that today, media coverage continues to have a powerful impact, either in entrenching negative stereotypes or, more hopefully, shining a light on women’s stories and bringing perpetrators to justice.With thanks to Glasgow Police Museum for assistance with research.Producer: Sarah Goodman
Readers: Clare Corbett, Bill Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

57. Jessie McLachlan - Silenced Servant

<description>&lt;p&gt;This time, Lucy is exploring the story of Elvira Barney, a rich socialite in 1930s London, living a life of fast cars, cocktail parties and nightclubs. When her boyfriend Michael dies of a gunshot wound during a drunken row with Elvira, she finds herself in the dock at the Old Bailey, accused of his murder. Can her barrister convince the court it was a tragic accident?
 
With Lucy to find out more about the case of Elvira Barney is the journalist and novelist Rachel Johnson. Together they explore Elvira’s drug and drink-fuelled lifestyle and discover how this case gave ordinary people struggling with the economic depression of the 1930s an insight into the lives of the richest and most
privileged in society.
 
Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the Knightsbridge Mews where Elvira lived with Michael to find out more about her racy party-going set known as ‘the Bright Young Things’.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It was the scene of the fateful shooting and epicentre of the police investigation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next they head to nearby Belgrave Square where Elvira’s extremely wealthy parents lived.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lucy wants to know what Elvira’s story can tell us about the lives of women across the class divide in the mid 20th century. And how might Elvira’s story play out differently today? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For further reading see Thomas Grant: Court No. 1 The Old Bailey, Chapter 4.
 
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
 
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Lucy Worsley meets a 1930s socialite accused of shooting her boyfriend.

This time, Lucy is exploring the story of Elvira Barney, a rich socialite in 1930s London, living a life of fast cars, cocktail parties and nightclubs. When her boyfriend Michael dies of a gunshot wound during a drunken row with Elvira, she finds herself in the dock at the Old Bailey, accused of his murder. Can her barrister convince the court it was a tragic accident?
 
With Lucy to find out more about the case of Elvira Barney is the journalist and novelist Rachel Johnson. Together they explore Elvira’s drug and drink-fuelled lifestyle and discover how this case gave ordinary people struggling with the economic depression of the 1930s an insight into the lives of the richest and most
privileged in society.
 
Lucy is also joined by historian Professor Rosalind Crone as they visit the Knightsbridge Mews where Elvira lived with Michael to find out more about her racy party-going set known as ‘the Bright Young Things’.It was the scene of the fateful shooting and epicentre of the police investigation.Next they head to nearby Belgrave Square where Elvira’s extremely wealthy parents lived.Lucy wants to know what Elvira’s story can tell us about the lives of women across the class divide in the mid 20th century. And how might Elvira’s story play out differently today? For further reading see Thomas Grant: Court No. 1 The Old Bailey, Chapter 4.
 
Producer: Jane Greenwood
Readers: Clare Corbett, William Hope, Jonathan Keeble and Ruth Sillers
Sound design: Chris Maclean
Executive producer: Kirsty Hunter
 
A StoryHunter production for BBC Radio 4

56. Elvira Barney - Accidental Killer

Lucy Worsley investigates the crimes of Victorian women from a contemporary, feminist perspective.

Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley

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