Murder Maps

Peter Manuel was a Scottish serial killer who killed at least eight people between 1956-1958 around the Greater Glasgow area. He fell under the police's radar several times but each time let go. When he was finally tracked down and arrested, Manuel sensationally defended himself in court. But it would be his mother's testimony which would prove to be crucial to the outcome.

Born in 1832 the story of the Black Widow is a classic Victorian tale Cotton travelled around the north east of England marrying lonely men getting them to take out life insurance and then murdering them. Arsenic was her preferred means of killing, once dead she would cash in their life insurance. After her execution it was suspected that she was responsible for the murders of a further 21 people

Dr Ruxton was an Indian born physician. He lived a quiet, respectable life in Lancaster but had a violent jealous streak. He had accused his wife of infidelity for years but in September 1935 his jealousy got the better of him. He beat, strangled and stabbed her to death then did the same to the housemaid. He dismembered the bodies to remove identification marks and dumped them in Scotland.

Three police officers were murdered in Shepherds Bush on Friday 12th August 1966 by Harry Roberts and two others. After the killing they went on the run and a manhunt ensued. The notion that someone had killed several policemen shocked the public and attracted a lot of press attention. As the act of murder happened six months after the death penalty was suspended, people called for it's return.