Victim of one of the most famous murders in the history of detection. Cora was the wife of the patent medicine salesman Dr. Harvey Crippen, and under the name of Belle Elmore was a not very successful music hall singer. Crippen preferred his secretary and mistress, Ethel le Neve, to his overbearing wife. Cora was last seen alive on 31st January 1910. Within a few days, Crippen was pawning her jewellery and her acquaintances received letters, not in her handwriting, telling them she planned to be away for some time. Alerted by suspicious friends of Cora, Inspector Dew of Scotland Yard began to question Crippen. As the net closed in, Crippen fled, with le Neve disguised in boy's clothing as his 'son', and boarded the SS 'Montrose' heading for Canada. In the cellar of the deserted house, Dew found the remains (skin and hair only) of a body which were identified by the rising criminologist Bernard Spilsbury as conforming to Cora's description. Using radio for the first time in the history of detection, Dew advised the captain of the 'Montrose' of the nature of his passengers. He then set out himself on a faster ship, the SS 'Laurentic'. When the 'Montrose' docked in Quebec, Dew, disguised as a pilot, identified and arrested Crippen and le Neve. Crippen was tried in London and hanged in November 1910. Le Neve was tried separately and acquitted.
Victim of one of the most famous murders in the history of detection. Cora was the wife of the patent medicine salesman Dr. Harvey Crippen, and under the name of Belle Elmore was a not very successful music hall singer. Crippen preferred his secretary and mistress, Ethel le Neve, to his overbearing wife. Cora was last seen alive on 31st January 1910. Within a few days, Crippen was pawning her jewellery and her acquaintances received letters, not in her handwriting, telling them she planned to be away for some time. Alerted by suspicious friends of Cora, Inspector Dew of Scotland Yard began to question Crippen. As the net closed in, Crippen fled, with le Neve disguised in boy's clothing as his 'son', and boarded the SS 'Montrose' heading for Canada. In the cellar of the deserted house, Dew found the remains (skin and hair only) of a body which were identified by the rising criminologist Bernard Spilsbury as conforming to Cora's description. Using radio for the first time in the history of detection, Dew advised the captain of the 'Montrose' of the nature of his passengers. He then set out himself on a faster ship, the SS 'Laurentic'. When the 'Montrose' docked in Quebec, Dew, disguised as a pilot, identified and arrested Crippen and le Neve. Crippen was tried in London and hanged in November 1910. Le Neve was tried separately and acquitted.
Bio by: David Conway
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