August 19, 1987 Hungerford, England Michael Robert Ryan goes on a shooting rampage, killing 16 and seriously wounding 15 before killing himself The rampage began in a forest where Susan Godfrey was having a picnic with her young children, Hannah (4) and James (2). Ryan forced Godfrey to put her children in the back of… Continue reading The Hungerford Massacre
Category: England
First motor vehicle causality, killed by car speeding at a “reckless pace” of 4 mph
August 17, 1896 Croydon, Surrey, England Bridget Driscoll becomes the world's first motor vehicle casualty Driscoll (44) was walking with two companions — her teenage daughter and a friend — when driver Arthur James Edsall drove towards the group at "a reckless pace, in fact, like a fire engine". (According to a mechanic, the car's… Continue reading First motor vehicle causality, killed by car speeding at a “reckless pace” of 4 mph
Unidentified woman found murdered, grave erected in her memory
August 15, 1821 Bedfordshire, England An unidentified woman is found with her throat sliced The well-dressed woman’s body was found under a tree in Blackgrove Wood, “her throat cut in two places, and otherwise much mangled and bruised” (Jackson’s Oxford Journal. August 25, 1821). An impromptu stretcher was fashioned from a door to bring her… Continue reading Unidentified woman found murdered, grave erected in her memory
“Brides in the Bath” killer executed
August 13, 1915 Maidstone, Kent, England Serial bigamist and murderer George Joseph Smith is hanged Smith had found a career in marrying women bigamously, clearing out their savings, then skipping town only to assume a new name and begin the process anew. Somewhere along the line, Smith realized he could make even more money from… Continue reading “Brides in the Bath” killer executed
Execution of Acid Bath Murder John George Haigh
August 10, 1949 Wandsworth, London, England Serial killer and “Acid Bath Murderer” John George Haigh is executed Haigh had been a career criminal, specializing in fraud. After many stints in prison for fraud, Haigh determined the reason he was caught often was because he left his victims alive. While serving time, he experimented with dissolving… Continue reading Execution of Acid Bath Murder John George Haigh
