Historical True Crime

The Shark Arm Case: Two Unsolved Murders in Sydney

In 1935, a tiger shark on display at Sydney’s Coogee Aquarium regurgitated a human arm. The victim was identified as missing man Jim Smith, but the discovery only opened a far more complicated investigation involving insurance fraud, harbour smuggling, conflicting statements, a second murder and several suspects who were ultimately acquitted. Nearly a century later, both deaths remain unsolved.Support Historical True Crime on Patreon at patreon.com/historicaltruecrime. Members get access to bonus episodes and additional historical cases not released on the main feed.Source MaterialsPhillip Roope and Kevin Meagher, Shark Arm: A Shark, a Tattooed Arm and Two Unsolved MurdersAlan J. Whiticker, Twelve Crimes That Shocked the NationAlex Castles, The Shark Arm MurdersDictionary of Sydney, “Shark Arm Murder 1935”ABC Radio National, “The Shark Arm Case,” featuring Alex CastlesContemporary Australian newspaper coverage of the discovery of the arm, the investigation, the inquest, Patrick Brady’s trial and the murder of Reginald HolmesNew South Wales police records, witness statements and court material as reproduced and discussed in the works above

The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Ramesses III

A conspiracy inside the royal household ended with the murder of Pharaoh Ramesses III. This episode follows the struggle over Egypt’s throne, the trials that followed, and the modern forensic evidence that  revealed how the king died more than three thousand years later.Love Historical True Crime? Support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Your support helps cover the time and costs involved in researching, writing, and producing the show—and you’ll also get access to exclusive Patreon episodes.Join at patreon.com/historicaltruecrimeSource MaterialsA. de Buck, “The Judicial Papyrus of Turin,” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1937, pp. 152–164.Susan Redford, The Harem Conspiracy: The Murder of Ramesses III, Northern Illinois University Press, 2002.Eric H. Cline and David O’Connor, editors, Ramesses III: The Life and Times of Egypt’s Last Hero, University of Michigan Press, 2012.Zahi Hawass, Somaia Ismail, Ashraf Selim, Sahar N. Saleem, Dina Fathalla, Sally Wasef, Ahmed Z. Gad, Rama Saad, Suzan Fares, Hany Amer, Paul Gostner, Yehia Z. Gad, Carsten M. Pusch and Albert R. Zink, “Revisiting the Harem Conspiracy and Death of Ramesses III: Anthropological, Forensic, Radiological, and Genetic Study,” British Medical Journal, Vol. 345, 2012.Alexandre Loktionov, “Convicting ‘Great Criminals’: A New Look at Punishment in the Turin Judicial Papyrus.”Hans Goedicke, “Was Magic Used in the Harem Conspiracy Against Ramesses III? (P. Rollin and P. Lee),” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 49, 1963, pp. 71–92.Mark Collier, Aidan Dodson and Gottfried Hamernik, “P. BM EA 10052, Anthony Harris, and Queen Tyti,” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 96, 2010, pp. 242–247.Erin Blakemore, “Who Killed Ramesses III? How Science Solved an Ancient Egyptian Murder Mystery,” National Geographic, August 2, 2024.

The Affair of the Poisons, Part 2: Scandal at Versailles

As accusations from La Voisin’s circle reached Versailles, Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV’s former favourite was drawn into claims of love powders, forbidden rituals, and poison plots. But the evidence was shaped by rumour, torture,fear, and politics, leaving one question at the centre of the scandal: what was real, and what was too dangerous for the monarchy to expose?Support the show on Patreon:If you enjoy Historical True Crime and want to help support the research, writing, hosting, and production that goes into each episode, you can join my Patreon for as little as $2 a month. Patrons get access to extra episodes and bonus content, including cases that are not in the regular feed.Patreon.com/historicaltruecrimeSource Materials Anne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIVHolly Tucker, City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of ParisAntonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun KingNancy Mitford, The Sun King: Louis XIV at VersaillesBenedetta Faedi Duramy, “Women and Poisons in 17th Century France,” Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 87, No. 2, 2012Erika Carroll, “Potions, Poisons and ‘Inheritance Powders’: How Chemical Discourses Entangled 17th Century France in the Brinvilliers Trial and the Poison Affair,” Voces Novae, 2012

The Affair of the Poisons - Part 1

In 1670s Paris, the deaths of a noblewoman’s father and brothers sparked fears of a hidden poison network. As police investigated, they were drawn into a world of fortune-tellers, love powders, secret remedies, and La Voisin , setting the stage for a scandal that would reach Louis XIV’s court.Source MaterialsAnne Somerset, The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIVHolly Tucker, City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of ParisAntonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun KingNancy Mitford, The Sun King: Louis XIV at VersaillesBenedetta Faedi Duramy, “Women and Poisons in 17th Century France,” Chicago-Kent Law Review, Vol. 87, No. 2, 2012Erika Carroll, “Potions, Poisons and ‘Inheritance Powders’: How Chemical Discourses Entangled 17th Century France in the Brinvilliers Trial and the Poison Affair,” Voces Novae, 2012

A Shot Through the Window: Who Killed Louise Bailey?

When Louise Bailey was shot through the window of a Long Island doctor's office in 1914, suspicion quickly fell on the physician's wife, Florence Carman. But with no eyewitness, no confession, and a case built largely on circumstantial evidence, two juries were left to decide whether suspicion was enough. More than a century later, Louise Bailey's murder remains unsolved.Source MaterialsThe New York Times (1914–1915 coverage of the Florence Carman trials)Chicago Day Book (1914 coverage)Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1914–1915 coverage)The Evening World (1914–1915 coverage)New York Tribune (1914–1915 coverage)The Sun (New York) (1914–1915 coverage)The Buffalo Times (1914–1915 coverage)The Washington Times (1914–1915 coverage)The Tacoma Times (1914–1915 coverage)The Freeport Memorial Library Local History CollectionMurderpedia: Florence CarmanHistoric newspaper archives accessed through Newspapers.com and Library of Congress Chronicling America