How to Get Away with Murder in the Regency Era ‹ CrimeReads
The inspiration for my new book, murder in Westminster, was developed years ago while watching detective shows with my mother. she loved murder she wrote, but it never ceased to amaze me how the villain nearly got away with his crime until the show’s final minutes. Time and commercial breaks were on their side.
Additionally, the body count continued to increase in these mystery shows as these fictional detectives collected leads. Didn’t the killer notice? Colombo, the persistent policeman who urged the perpetrator to confess would investigate further?
Had they missed every madcap episode of Matlock where The country attorney and amateur detective gathered evidence and forced the guilty to admit their role on the witness stand? Were the killers tired of waiting for the devilishly handsome Remington Steele, a man with a checkered, complicated past, to find the missing clue that led the police to a conviction?
How do killers find the time to hang out in public? You must be confident or cocky. Given the amount of forensic science, videotaping capability, and advanced forensic techniques available to these modern day detectives, I found it odd that criminals wouldn’t leave town and get away with murder.
In my new series Lady Worthing Mysteries, Abigail Monroe, Lady Worthing is an amateur puzzler with a complicated family history who wants to use her privilege to help society. Her logical mind and close friends work with her to put the pieces together. She still has much to learn about solving crimes in the Regency while staying alive.
For Lady Worthing in 1806, evidence technology was not developed to the level that modern police and detectives had access to in the 21st century or the 80’s and 90’s iterations. Nonetheless, Abbie can draw on the antecedents like fingerprints, because they exist.
If he doesn’t want to flee, there are techniques the villain can use to stay ahead of Abbie and keep him from swinging to the gallows.
Don’t commit the murder.
It sounds simple, but there were far more effective ways to get someone to check out. Luring someone into staggering debt could land the victim in debtor’s prisons. Fleet, Faringdon, King’s Bench, Whitecross Street and Marshalsea were debtors’ prisons infested with rats and disease. Persons sent to such places will suffer legally.
don’t confess
Many convictions in the 18th century were based on admitted witness testimony or hearsay confessions carried out with a guilty conscience. The feeling that the truth would prevail to keep the king’s peace led many to believe that the guilty would admit their sin. Jessica Fletcher of Murder She Wrote often made the perpetrator crack up after putting together the pieces of the crime she had deduced. What if Mrs. Fletcher was a serial killer, one who finds victims wherever she goes and plays on the narcissism of feeble-minded individuals to coax them into confessing? It is possible. Who doesn’t love their moment in the sun to say, “I made it, and I’m glad Mr. Z is dead”?
Well, accomplished murderers during the Regency and Georgian times, who preferred to die rather than testify, had better chances of getting away with their crimes if they chose not to admit, not tell anyone what they did, or involve an accomplice . Loose lips sink ships and win a date at Newgate Prison and the gallows.
Plan the crime in the night.
Street lighting began illuminating the dark streets of London in 1807. She hasn’t been everywhere. It took a long time to become the norm and such illumination failed to reach most parts of the country. Therefore, the likelihood that a witness was up to a criminal decreased after dark.
Plan to wear gloves.
Although fingerprinting technology was rudimentary in the early 1800s, it existed and helped solve crimes. Already 300 BC The Chinese used finger indentations on clay to identify people. The friction skinprint technique could be used to match bloody fingerprints, mudprints, flour, or even paint. Gloves leave no burrs.
Plan to wear slippers.
Footprints, particularly those left by bare feet in the mud, were used in Scotland to identify suspects as early as the 17th century. Patterns left by boot heels and soles, as well as the size of footprints, could be used to rule out or narrow down the suspect list. An accomplished criminal in slippers with smooth, indistinguishable shoes would have a far better chance of leaving the crime undetected.
Use a poison other than arsenic.
While the Greek and Roman worlds were enamored with hemlock, a nightshade killer of the carrot family, the rest of the world loved arsenic. Extracted from the earth, this deadly mineral was widely available and used as an effective means of controlling rodents. This poison is colorless, tasteless, and easily mixed into food or drink.
Arsenic was the choice of kings because it was fast-acting and nearly impossible to detect. In 1773, a Swedish chemist developed the first way to detect the ingested poison in corpses. Once the cause of death is determined, the coroner could bring a murder charge before a grand jury. Anyone with proven access to arsenic and the victim within a day of the murder would be suspect. This would be a good time for the villain not to talk about the rat problem and plans to eradicate the critters.
Poisons in the regency abounded. Explorations from around the world brought unique flowers and plants to London that yielded many undetectable substances. Toxins could arise from something as innocuous as daffodils. The lycorine in the petals and bulb is a natural toxin that helps deter mice and deer from feeding in a garden. In reasonable doses it kills like arsenic and was undetectable.
Use a cart to move the victim.
Cases were solved by hauling evidence to specific farms near where it was found. Grinding or scratch marks or other signs of struggle would attract attention. The investigator, who might be the medical examiner, sheriff, judge, or first officer at the crime scene, would make a note of these things. Using a cart, the killer was able to quickly transport the body away from his property. However, one had to hope that the traces of the means of transport would not be noticed. Snowfall could cover the trail. If the criminal is lucky, wheel tracks can mix with those of other travelers.
The killer also had to ensure that the car was cleaned and free of the deceased’s personal belongings. A good detective would find it, and soon there would be a Matlock-style confession.
Make friends with the coroner or judge
To be the least suspicious, the villain needs to be warm and friendly. The motive must be obtuse to the victim’s neighbors and friends. The killer doesn’t want anything that leads back to her. There was no established police force or procedures for investigating. Many people have been accused on the basis of instincts or circumstantial evidence such as someone else’s testimony.
Being friendly with the London Magistrate, local sheriff or county coroner can go a long way. Since the judiciary can sometimes get political and factions fight between these three positions, the potential to pit one against the other could increase the chances of getting away with murder. A friendly villain would have more impact.
Be dispassionate towards the victim
One of the philosophies of crime was determining passion, the amount of emotion one had for the victim. It is often said that there is a fine line between love and hate. Don’t tell people how you feel about the victim. Do not make public threats. Grand jury convictions that lead to trials can be sought when accumulated testimony reveals the villain’s open hatred for the victim. Appearing friendly but not overly concerned with the victim’s well-being could go a long way in keeping the villain’s name off the list of potential suspects.
Make financial transactions disappear.
While there were no credit bureaus, Facebook data collection, and Google mining that could reconstruct your full financial history, expense records, and debt, physical records were kept. Dealers kept logs. Banks kept documents about deposits and withdrawals. Even your local gambling den had books on betting markers and promissory notes.
It may take more effort to get all this information, but a dogmatic Colombo-type magistrate would be willing to collect it. When a grand jury has indicted someone, a lawyer could use his brilliant lawyers or thief boys to break into all the financial records. A Remington-Steele-type detective would definitely be at the card tables to learn every detail about the victim and the villain’s dealings.
wait and see
Most of the time, the body was moved before authorities could arrive. Some customs authorities might even wash the victim. Water might eliminate some evidence. The farther the place of death is from the corpse, the greater the likelihood that important evidence will be lost.
Time is on the killer’s side. Lady Worthing must work fast to solve the crimes she encounters, including those in her backyard.
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