March 18, 1947London, EnglandHarold Hagger, alias Sidney Sinclair, is executed for the murder of Dagmar Petrzywalski (48) On October 31, 1946, a lorry driver spotted a blue shoe about 12 feet (3.6 meters) from a rural Kent roadside. He hoped to find the shoe’s mate to present the matching set to his wife as new…
Unsolved: Body of 8-year-old found 7 months after his disappearance
February 25, 1982Rogate, West Sussex, EnglandThe body of 8-year-old Vishal Mehrotra is found The Mehrotra family watched the Royal wedding parade on July 29, 1981, celebrating the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, before returning home. Later in the day, Vishal and his younger sister, accompanied by their nanny, went to a sweet…
Man killed, his neck held to the ground with a pitchfork, in “witchcraft murder”
February 14, 1945Lower Quinton, Warwickshire, EnglandCharles Walton (74) is killed in what some have described as a “witchcraft murder” Walton kept to himself but was well known in his village. Local gossip about Walton included his apparent ability to communicate with animals, with tales claiming birds would flock to him and eat directly from his…
Man executed for murder of his common-law wife, whom he battered and sliced to death
January 5, 1926Birmingham, EnglandJohn Fisher is executed for the murder of his romantic partner, though the executioner nearly hangs a guard in his place Fisher had been romantically involved with Ada Taylor (some sources erroneously report her name as Ida) for 14 years. The couple lived together with Taylor’s daughter from a previous relationship, Jessie…
Man fatally shot after being mistaken for ghost
January 3, 1804Hammersmith, London, EnglandThomas Millwood (22) is shot after he is mistaken for a ghost For five weeks before Millwood’s death, the Hammersmith area had been seemingly plagued by a malevolent ghost. During one incident, a woman watched the ghost “rise from the tombstones.” The sighting scared her to the point she fainted and…
