Episode
The Erdington Murders: 157 Years Apart
- Podcast
- Crime at Bedtime
- Published
- Jun 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1762
- Processing state
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- https://shows.acast.com/crime-at-bedtime/episodes/the-erdington-murders-157-years-apart
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Summary
On the morning of the 27th of May 1817, a 20 year old woman named Mary Ashford was found dead in a water-filled pit near the English village of Erdington. She had been at a dance the night before. She had been sexually assaulted before her death. The man last seen with her, a 24 year old named Abraham Thornton, was arrested and acquitted in a trial that would become one of the most controversial in British legal history. Exactly 157 years later, on the morning of the 27th of May 1974, in the same village, the body of another 20 year old woman was discovered. Her name was Barbara Forrest. She had been at a dance the night before. The prime suspect was named Thornton. He too was acquitted. Two unsolved murders. Two centuries apart. In the same English village. Coincidence, or something stranger. You decide. Become a Patreon or Apple + subscriber now for ealry and ad free access from as little as $1.69 a week. All the details here Subscribe to Crime at Bedtimes Youtube channel HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.