A Good Night For a Murder

This season, we continue to unearth the darkest corners of the 19th century. Prepare yourself for true tales of calculating Victorian black widows, disinherited relatives bent on revenge, and scandalous extramarital affairs that end in absolute tragedy. To my long-time listeners, welcome back. To those just discovering us, pull up a chair. I am thrilled to share these forgotten mysteries with you starting this October, just in time for longer nights and the chill of autumn to return.

So, meet me in the parlor, and whatever you do, don’t let the hearth fire go out.

...

Was it a cure, or was it murder?

In late 19th century Ireland, fairy lore ran so deep that one man believed his sick wife had been swapped with a fairy changeling and went to extreme lengths to get her back.

This is the case of Bridget Cleary.

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On this Valentines Day eve, I have, what else, but the story of a scandalous Victorian era love triangle, that ends in murder. What makes this story even more outrageous though, was how investigative journalism left police running to catch up. 

This is the case of William Guldensuppe, The Scattered Dutchman.

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On February 24, 1911 the Barnabet family of Lafayette, Louisiana awoke to the news that their neighbors, the Andrus family, had been murdered in the night. The family had been struck down in their sleep with an axe that was found on the floor of the home. A month before in nearby Crowley, Louisiana, the Byers family had been killed in the same fashion. The murders were eerily similar to another, back in 1909 out in Rayne, Louisiana. Now, the murders had come to the Barnabet’s doorstep.

Some though, thought the murders had done more than just arrive in La...

Happy Holidays everyone! Victorians considered the holiday season the best season for ghost stories. As you prepare for your Christmas festivities, enjoy three classic ghost stories Victorians would tell around their hearths on a cold winter night.

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This the debut of a new type of episode on the public feed called A Good Night Snack!

The first Good Night Snack I have for you, is about weird Victorian graves. Some of the legends are real, some are probably not real, but one thing is for certain, is that they are all really weird… Be sure to stick around and listen to all 4 stories because they get wilder as we go.

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Two teenagers, the Fox sisters, are credited with igniting the Spiritualist movement. At its height, by the late 1800s, upwards of 8 million people across the US and Europe were said to subscribe to spiritualist beliefs. But, in 1888, the Fox Sisters admitted that it was all fake. They were not mediums - none of that was real Every message, knock, or rapping from the other side was all manufactured by them. What audiences thought were messages from their deceased loved ones, were actually just them cracking their toes and ankles really loudly.

This is the story of the...

Linda Hazzard developed her own fasting protocol that she said was a “panacea for all manner of illnesses, ridding the body of toxins that caused imbalances in the body." She said all disease was caused by “impure blood” brought on by “impaired digestion,” and that her method could cure anything from toothache to tuberculosis. In 1898 Linda decided her husband the the two children they’d had together were holding her back, and she left them to go pursue her career.

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Hello everyone, welcome to season 4 of A Good Night for a Murder, a Victorian true crime podcast.

 My name is Kim, tonight’s story might leave you a little uneasy as you prepare to climb in to bed tonight. 

This is the story of Sally Cochran, who was murdered by sleepwalker.

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This season you can expect more mysterious poisoning plots, strangers with top hats lurking about dark alleys, house staff bent on revenge, and more.

Be sure to follow and subscribe to A Good Night For a Murder, a Victorian true crime podcast, where ever you listen to podcasts, and I will talk to you again soon. 

Follow along on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @agoodnightforamurder and subscribe where ever you listen to Podcasts.

Follow along on Instagram or TikTok @agoodnightforamurder or www.agoodnightforamurder.com, and subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

What would you make of a psychic medium who used their gift to foretell the deaths of those around them? Pretty spooky, right? But, what if they used this gift to take out life insurance policies shortly before those predicted death dates? Now, it feels a little less spooky, and more suspicious. That is exactly what happened in the case we’re covering tonight. 

This is the story of fortune teller & murderer Louisa Lindloff.

This bonus episode is the season finale for season 3 of A Good Night For a Murder! Thank you for everything and I'l...

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

When I sit down to do episode planning, I do often try to align with the seasons and the holidays, but February, which includes Valentines Day, can be a challenge when one covers historic true crime. So, I had to do it in my own way, which is a bit dark - but, I always find there’s something to learn from those stories too. Ea...

At the end of every episode, I usually ask you, the listening audience, to let me know what you thought about the the story I just told… But tonight, I really want to know what you think. On the surface, it’s a “black widow” story. Or is it? I’m not so sure, but, as usual, I have done my best to separate fact from fiction and give you the full story.

This is the story of black widow, Louise Vermilya.

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A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

I realized there’s this entire sub genre of Victorian era true crime that I’ve never really covered before, which is the American Old West! And I wanted to learn more about it! One of my favorite things to do when it comes to historic true crime is to separate fact from fiction. For that reason, I thought what better place is there to focu...

Towards the end of 2024, I released a lot of fun bonus content, a compilation episode covering multiple stories, and even strayed in to the Edwardian era a little bit. But tonight, for the first episode of the new year, I want to get back to the show’s roots with a classic Victorian murder case, where some very interesting investigation methods were deployed. 

This is the story of Sarah Jane Roberts.

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This is a special bonus episode to celebrate Christmas the Victorian way.
In the winter and especially during the Christmas season, Victorian’s enjoyed gathering with the family around the fire at night and telling ghost stories.
So tonight, I am going to tell you, in my own words, one of my favorite Victorian era ghost stories. This story was first published in in 1902 by W. W. Jacobs. It is called “The Monkey’s Paw.”

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A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

Similar to the regular episode and bonus content earlier this month where I covered a handful of Victorian Christmas true crime stories in one episode, this is also going to be a compilation episode. Since Victorians loved telling ghost stories at Christmas, in this episode I’m going to cover 6 of the most haunted Victorian houses. We’ll be visiting 3 houses in the US, and 3 in t...

This is the Christmas episode! Nothing says holly and jolly like the Victorian macabre after all. Tonight, as my holiday season gift to you, I don’t have one story to tell you, I have FOUR Victorian era Christmastime murders to share with you. And they get crazier as we go. So be sure to stick around and listen to all four.

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I invited a guest on the podcast to talk about something I find super interesting, which is cemeteries and gravestone conservation.

We talked about what a grave conservator does, how to get in to the line of work, things you should and should not do as an aspiring grave conservator, views on cemeteries and mourning then and now, mourning traditions we think should come back, has she ever encountered anything spooky? And, bonus stones!

This is my conversation with Rachel from Epoch Preservation.

So You Want to Save a Graveyard? These are the...

A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

Earlier this month, I covered the Radium Girls on the regular podcast feed, then the Matchstick Girls as bonus content here on Patreon. In keeping with that theme, tonight’s Good Night Snack is about another brave set of women that sacrificed their well-being and often their lives in the interest of progress. This is the story of the Canary Girls.

Follow along on...

Tonight’s story comes to us from the US in the 1920s and 30s. It’s one of the stories that actually inspired me to start the podcast in the first place, and one I think a lot of you will be familiar with. So I hope I do it justice, and more importantly treat the victims with the respect and grace they deserve.

This is the story of the Radium Girls. 

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This is a special bonus episode to celebrate the best night of the year, Halloween!

This is the legend of Stingy Jack.

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A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

One of the reasons I started this podcast is because as much as I love a ghost story, I always want to know the true story behind the story. And I was often surprised how far the facts of the matter were from the story that got me interested in the first place. Often the tall tales are vilifying someone who did nothing to deserve...

Tonight’s story is nothing short of a real life Victorian horror story. It’s what happens when the societal pressure of Victorian era ideals go way, way, WAY too far. One mother’s sense of right and wrong became so monstrously twisted, that she locked away her own child for over two decades. 

This is the story of Blanche Monnier.

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A GOOD NIGHT SNACK exclusive Patreon series from A Good Night For a Murder.
This is an episode PREVIEW. Listen to the full episode in the Housekeeper & Butler tier on PATREON.

This episode is dedicated to mirror lore and superstitions! In the Victorian era, it was common practice to cover all of the mirrors in the house when someone in the home died, so the spirit's soul didn't get trapped in the mirror. This barely scratches the surface of superstitions and mirror lore though. In this episode I'll cover the history of mirrors, the superstition of...

So far as I’m concerned, spooky season starts in September. Tonight’s story is one that caused Victorians to lose sleep for over 65 years - and is still a mystery to this day.

This is the story of Spring-heeled Jack.

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Tonight’s story is about a Victorian con artist. A female con artist, at that! She was known as the “Confidence Queen” and was considered by the New York City police department to be - quote "the boldest and most expert of the many female adventuresses who infest the country.” Let’s get to know her, shall we?

This is the story of Bertha Heyman.

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Tonight’s story takes us to the countryside of France where unspeakable things were said to have taken place at a quaint roadside inn. 

This is the story of the Red Inn Affair.

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The subject of tonight’s story is often cited as “America’s first female serial killer.” Now, whether or not that is true, any story that could make such a claim is a story worth telling. In my opinion though, what we really have here, is the story of a true Victorian era Bonnie and Clyde.

This is the story of Lavinia and John Fisher.

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Welcome back for season 3 of A Good Night For a Murder podcast! In terms of notoriety, this case belongs alongside the likes of HH Holmes and Jack the Ripper. His name usually comes up in both of their stories, but the truth about him is comparatively lesser known.  

This is the story of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream.

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A good night for a murder is a dark night. It’s a night where things that are usually very familiar to you, suddenly don’t look familiar anymore. In the Victorian era, they didn’t really have street lights, or light flooding the streets from homes or shops. It was just dark. And if there was a steady rain, or fog, or wind howling down the streets - Anything that might make it hard to see down dark allies or hear someone calling for help. That is a good night for a murder.

Hello everyone, welcome to A G...

This is the Valentines Day episode. If there’s one thing you can count on in A Good Night For a Murder on Valentine’s Day, it’s a love triangle and a poisoning.

This is the story of chocolate cream killer, Christana Edmunds.

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Tonight’s story is one that left people wondering, “Was there even a crime committed here?” But I think you’ll agree, there most certainly was.

As one source describes the case, “She disappeared from one of the busiest streets on earth, at the sunniest hour of a brilliant afternoon, with thousands within sight and reach, men and women who knew her on every side, and officers of the law thickly strewn about her path.”

This is the story of missing socialite, Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold.

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Tonight’s story may arguably be the one most prolifically retold Victorian true crime stories of all time. It has inspired plays, publications, music, films - I mean it must be a wild story to stand the test of time like that right? It even includes a bit of a supernatural twist.

This is the story of the Red Barn Murder.

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 A favorite holiday and winter pastime for Victorians, was telling ghost stories. Many Victorians wholeheartedly believed our deceased loved ones remained around us in spirit, just as much as when they were alive. Many were also skeptical, but those who believed, made it their mission to find proof. In tonight’s story, we’re going to talk about one man who, to some, provided concrete proof that our loved ones remained with us just beyond veil.

This is the story of spirit photographer, William Mumler.

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Tonight’s story was actually a listener request from a while back. I did not document where this request came in or who sent it, but it’s a good one. It’s got a love triangle, sex scandal and murder, and it was the first execution of a husband and wife in England in nearly 150 years. So thank you to the listener who recommended this case. If you have a case request you can contact me on my website or any of my social media channels. 

This is the story of the Bermondsey Horror.

Follow...

Tonight’s story takes place on a dark, isolated island off the coast of New England. This is the story of the Smuttynose murders.

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This is a re-release of one of my favorite Victorian ghost stories. I had to take a little break from podcasting for the past couple of weeks, and publishing a re-broadcast for the second episode for this month will really help me continue to get caught up.

This is a story that was set in the 17th century and was passed along verbally, but really gained popularity in the 1830s when a song was written about the tale. You may have heard this tale told a little differently but I’m going to relay it to you as...

On this podcast, I cover all sorts of Victorian true crime stories. Many are murder cases, but I’ve also covered the exploits of famous con men and con women - and even a Victorian cult in season 1. While tonight’s case is not something one could have been criminally prosecuted for in the Victorian era, it was something one could bring a civil case against, and that is the crime of adultery. 

What we’re covering tonight is a highly publicized Victorian era sex scandal involving a hot-shot minister, a prominent author and abolitionist, and his high so...

Tonight’s story is a classic arsenic poisoning case… or was it? I think the answer is very clear, but you’ll have to let me know what you decide. This is the story of Eliza Fenning.

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