1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: I'm Kate Winkler Dawson. I'm a journalist who's spent the 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,559 Speaker 1: last twenty five years writing about true crime. 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 2: And I'm Paul Hols, a retired cold case investigator who's 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 2: worked some of America's most complicated cases and solve them. 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: Each week, I present Paul with one of history's most 6 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: compelling true crimes. 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 2: And I weigh in using modern forensic techniques to bring 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: new insights to old mysteries. 9 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: Together, using our individual expertise, we're examining historical true crime 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: cases through a twenty first century lens. 11 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: Some are solved and some are cold, very cold. 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: This is Buried Bones. 13 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: Hey Paul, Hey Kate, how are you. 14 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: I'm doing well. I'm ready to get into this case again. 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: This missing woman who goes to find her fiance on 16 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: his chicken farm and then vanishes and her parents are 17 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: so upset about it. And then we make some pretty 18 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: big discoveries. And I know I left you hanging on 19 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: this case the last time, and we know that things 20 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: have gone very badly for Elsie. 21 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: Well, I would say so, I mean, considering she's dismembered 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 2: and scattered around Norman's potato farm and chicken coop areas, 23 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: so it's not a good place to be. 24 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: I want to give a little trigger warning. We have 25 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: some talk of suicide in this half of the episode, 26 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: so I just want everybody to know that we will 27 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: be talking about someone taking their own life. So we're 28 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: in England nineteen twenty four. There's a young woman you know, 29 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: named Elsie Cameron. She's engaged to a guy named Norman 30 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: Thorne who who has a chicken farm outside of London. 31 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: She lives in London there, as I said, engaged, but 32 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: he is creating some distance and after a few years 33 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: of dating and then they become engaged, maybe about a 34 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: year earlier. She says I'm pregnant. He says I'm in 35 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: love with someone else, and she says, I'm coming up 36 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: on December sixth. We know she shows up on December 37 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: fifth instead, and then her parents don't hear from her, 38 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: and it's total devastation I'm assuming from her parents when 39 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: the police do a search of his chicken farm and 40 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: they see some freshly dug dirt and they dig and 41 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: they find several key pieces of evidence, so her jewelry 42 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: a suitcase, and then of course they come up with 43 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: a human torso, which we were assuming is going to 44 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: be Elsie's. So Norman, when approached by the police, says, okay, 45 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: let me tell you what happened. First, I'll show you 46 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 1: where the rest of her body parts are fine, And 47 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: they find her legs, in her head and essentially enough 48 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: information to give them some idea of what happened. So 49 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: I think my big question was why would Norman do this? 50 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: I know that he's caught with a human torso on 51 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: his property. He's not admitting to murder. He is saying 52 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: I dismembered her. So then the big question is what 53 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: is Norman going to say happen to Elsie? Where he 54 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: is so willing to turn over all of this information 55 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: to the police and let them search wherever they want 56 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: on his chicken farm when he had denied even seeing 57 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: her before. 58 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 2: Sure, well, obviously he's caught in a lie, you know. 59 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 2: So now he's the evidence has been found, Elsie has 60 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 2: been found, and he's offering up information, you know. And 61 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: of course is he minimizing during you know, this stage 62 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: of confessing, there's always that possibility he may admit to 63 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: select acts that he think are relatively minor and try 64 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 2: to point the finger at somebody else who's actually the 65 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: one responsible for the homicide. Now, I think, did you 66 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: say that he admitted to the dismemberment. 67 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: He will admit to the dismemberment. 68 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 2: Yes, got it, But he's pointing the finger somewhere else 69 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: for the actual homicide. 70 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: Sounds like it. So I'll tell you what Helena Normanton, 71 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 1: the barrister, says, because she was really heavily involved in 72 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: observing this case with this you know, kind of ilegal 73 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 1: eye on it. So Helena says that Norman had severed 74 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: the head halfway up the back of the neck, but 75 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: low down by the breastbone in front. Yeah, what is 76 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: that exactly? Because then they found the torso, and I 77 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: guess I assumed sort of, I don't know, maybe I 78 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: don't know the boundaries of what's considered a torso versus 79 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: a decapitation, you. 80 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 2: Know, at least the way that Helena is describing that, 81 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 2: And I'm not sure it's indicating the direction that you know, 82 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 2: the cutting occurred, but she's describing that you have a 83 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 2: c that's halfway up the back part of the neck 84 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 2: and then it's angled downward to the front to where 85 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: your breastbone. This is your sternum. So for whatever reason, 86 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 2: this decapitation took that path to remove Elsie's head. Now, 87 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 2: typically a torso is usually just the upper body the 88 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: rib cage down to the pelvis, and that the extremities 89 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 2: have been removed, so the arms, the legs, and the 90 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 2: head have been removed. That's usually how a torso is defined. 91 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 2: And oftentimes you'll see where a torso is further dissected 92 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 2: into an upper and lower part. 93 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: Okay, so at least we have information because we have 94 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: these body parts. Like I remember reading how all pieces 95 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: of the body would be valuable, but a torso would 96 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,359 Speaker 1: be value vulnerable organs, we will know if she was 97 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: actually pregnant. Is that right? Is that what we can 98 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: assume here with. 99 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 2: The torso very possibly know with such a large part 100 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 2: of the body. Oftentimes the injuries that cause death are 101 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 2: present within the torso area, like a stabbing to the 102 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,719 Speaker 2: heart or a gunshot wound, but not necessarily and with 103 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:20,040 Speaker 2: Elsie's case, yes, it provided that the reproductive organs are 104 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 2: still present, that they would be able to determine if 105 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 2: she had been pregnant. 106 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: What Helena says, which is interesting, is that he had 107 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: put her head in a tin, and she believed it was. 108 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 1: And I think the prosecutors eventually will say that he 109 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: put her head in a tin to prevent its quick 110 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: decomposition as part of evidence, because the way he severed 111 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 1: her head preserved the neck. So the prosecutors believe that 112 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: he put this head in the tin so that they 113 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: will be able to clearly see her neck. Okay, do 114 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: you see where this could be going? What his defense 115 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: could be here? 116 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 2: Well, at least with the way I'm interpreting that he's 117 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 2: wanting to preserve the neck as evidence that indicates that 118 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: the neck is demonstrating possibly cause of death ligature and 119 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: or manual strangulation cut throat stabbing to the neck, which, 120 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 2: considering in my assessment of Norman, he's stupid from a 121 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 2: committing crime standpoint. At this point, we don't know if 122 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 2: he's one who actually killed Elsie, but in essence to 123 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: scatter her body on his property, the suitcase is buried 124 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 2: on his property, her jewelry's on the property. You generally 125 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: don't want to do that because it just points the 126 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 2: fingers right back at you. And it doesn't sound like 127 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: he did really all that great of a job of 128 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 2: getting rid of this evidence in terms of hiding it. 129 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 2: But for him to claim that he's preserving Elsie's head 130 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 2: and neck because the neck is going to provide evidence. 131 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 2: That's why he's decapitating her in the way he did. 132 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 2: I'm surprised that he did that. I'm not sure how 133 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 2: it can be used as a defense just yet. So 134 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: I'm very interested to hear more as you go along. 135 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: And you know, I don't think he said that. I 136 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: think that Helena, the barrister, assumed that's why he was 137 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: doing it. But now you're going to know why. So 138 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: the police interrogate Norman. He does admit to dismembering Elsie. 139 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: He's adamant he did not murder her, and so he 140 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: starts to unravel this story to explain to the police 141 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: how all this came about. He says that on December fifth, 142 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: she surprised him, you know, as was probably her point. 143 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: She shows up at the farm a day early. He 144 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: had gotten her letter saying she would be there on 145 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: the sixth. She shows up on the fifth. She says, 146 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: we're getting married. I'm moving in with you in this 147 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: tiny eighty five square foot renal hut, and sort of 148 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: that is that I don't think that this was a 149 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: romantic discussion. I think this was probably kind of a 150 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: threatening in some way discussion like this, you know, this 151 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: is the way it is. I don't care about your girlfriend. 152 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: We are doing this because this is the situation we're in. 153 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: They begin arguing, and Norman said to Elsie, I'm meeting 154 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 1: this woman. I had plans to meet her and her 155 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: mother at the train station later today. Norman says that 156 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 1: he promised to help Elizabeth and her mom carry some 157 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: packages back to their house. Remember I think that they're 158 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: close by, And he said, you're not moving in with me. 159 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: I'm going this is not happening. I don't want to 160 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: be in a relationship with you anymore. He didn't acknowledge 161 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: the baby, it sounds like, at least he says that 162 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: he didn't. He said, I am going to go find 163 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: a room for you to stay in where you know 164 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: you don't have to go back tonight if you want. 165 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: But he said, you know you're not going to move 166 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: in with me. He says he left the hut he 167 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: met with Elizabeth. He said when he came back a 168 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: few hours later, Elsie was dead. She had hanged herself 169 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: in his hut using his washing line. Okay, that's why 170 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: the barrister believes he preserved her head and neck so 171 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 1: you could see the mark and it would back up 172 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: his story. He said he found her body. He panicked. 173 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: He thought because of their what was turning into a 174 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: very acrimonious situation between the two of them, that he 175 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: would be pegged rightly for her murder. And so instead 176 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: of going to get help, you know, to see if 177 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: she was still alive or something, he chose to dismember 178 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: her body with a hacksaw. He buried her remains, which 179 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: we know, and then he said he burned her clothing 180 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: in his stove. And now you can react, and now 181 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: we know why he did this. 182 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it is a plausible scenario in terms 183 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 2: of the relationship and the position Norman has taken somewhat 184 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 2: with Elsie's predisposition to depression. I guess you know, at 185 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 2: least with you know, some of the concerns about her 186 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 2: mental health. But this is where it comes down to, Okay, 187 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 2: what does this neck show. Are the injuries to the 188 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 2: neck consistent with the hanging or is there something more 189 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,719 Speaker 2: going on? And my concern is is whether or not 190 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 2: they have a reasonably competent pathologist or medical personnel who 191 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 2: can assess that accurately. 192 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: We do, but we don't know if he's on the 193 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 1: right side or not. So this is where we have 194 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: to figure out which way we want to go. There 195 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: is the finding of the corner's jury, there is the 196 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: corner's report, and of course the pregnancy, and then we 197 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: have the experts coming in and Bernard Spillsbury, who you've 198 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: heard of before because we've talked about him on several cases. 199 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: He is the most well known pathologist I believe, in 200 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: Great Britain history. So he ends up coming in on 201 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: this case. And I'm not going to tell you what 202 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: side he comes in on yet, but do we want 203 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: to go in order and just sort of see what 204 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 1: everybody's saying steps along the way, or do you want 205 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: to jump the neck doesn't come in until Spillsbury comes in. 206 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: I will remind you though they said advanced decomposition, even 207 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,520 Speaker 1: though it was December, even though he put it in 208 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: a ten. Yeah, there's some difficulty in figuring out what 209 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: happened in this case. It's not clear cut. 210 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 2: Now, just go in order. 211 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: So Norman makes this admission, and then of course investigators 212 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: and the Crown prosecutors say well, we're going to have 213 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: to figure out what's what here, because they did know 214 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: about her supposed mental condition. There's all sorts of misogyny 215 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 1: happening in the media and with doctors in this time period. 216 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: I don't know truly what Elsie's condition was. You know, 217 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: this is before she was pregnant, when they were calling 218 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: her kind of melancholy and everything else, she could have 219 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 1: truly been, you know, really going through something. I think 220 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: that was an observation from her parents. Also, it's just 221 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,679 Speaker 1: hard to know because of this time period, how severe, 222 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: how competent the doctors were, any of that kind of stuff. 223 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: You also just think about just her, you know, the 224 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,960 Speaker 2: state of the relationship and where it's at. Yeah, I 225 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:14,000 Speaker 2: think the average person is going to be upset, probably depressed. 226 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 2: This man that she loves is in love with another woman. 227 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 2: You know, life is going to get difficult to Elsie. 228 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 2: So just the observations of being melancholy depressed, you know, 229 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 2: I don't think that's indicative of somebody who is suicidal 230 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 2: or somebody who's going to strike out in a rage 231 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:34,559 Speaker 2: or a violent act. 232 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: Absolutely, So you know, what we do know is that 233 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: she ended up dismembered and dead, and we're just trying 234 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: to figure out whether he was the cause of it 235 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: or whether she was the cause of it. So one 236 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: thing that was interesting from the book that I had 237 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: just written the Senners all about was, you know, this 238 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 1: was the story of a woman who was found hanging 239 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: just sort of like this, at least Norman claims that's 240 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: what happened. And the argument was that she was Sarah 241 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: Cornell was incredibly depressed, very upset about, you know, being pregnant, 242 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: and what she said was a sexual assault. And there 243 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: was a woman who got on the stand one of 244 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: the matrons. I don't think I told you this when 245 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: I talked to you about the book. There was a 246 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: woman who got on the stand in Sarah's case and 247 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: the prosecutor said to her, do you think Ephraim Avery 248 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: killed Sarah Cornell? And she was very cagy, but what 249 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: she said was one way or the other, he's responsible 250 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: for her death. So it's either he murdered her or 251 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: what he did to her, which she says was a 252 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: sexual assault and resulting in a pregnancy, resulted in her 253 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: taking her own life, which I thought was one of 254 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: the most interesting, you know, lines in the whole book. 255 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: One way or the other, this man is absolutely responsible 256 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: for her death, and I think that's what we're trying 257 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: to figure out. But this body is decomposing, you know 258 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: every second. 259 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 2: With Elsie's case, you could have Norman who actually did 260 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 2: kill her and then is trying to cover up the crime. 261 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:05,240 Speaker 2: Or if the circumstances of the relationship with Norman are such, 262 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 2: you know, then you could say, yeah, indirectly, you know, 263 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 2: Norman could be thought to be responsible for Elsie taking 264 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 2: her life. But you know, from a legal standpoint, you know, 265 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 2: homicide is defined as you know, death at the hands 266 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 2: of another. Fundamentally, you know, just because you get into 267 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 2: a bad relationship doesn't make that one person responsible for 268 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 2: somebody taking their own life. So that's just an interesting thought. 269 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 2: But again, I'm wanting the details about Elsie. I want 270 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 2: to see if we can, you know, kind of really 271 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 2: figure out what happened here. 272 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: Well, here's the first bombshell when they do an autopsy. 273 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: Elsie was not pregnant, So she could have legitimately thought 274 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: she was and didn't know that she wasn't. Maybe she 275 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: had an irregular period. I don't know. That's why I'm 276 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: saying I'm fairly certain she didn't go to a doctor 277 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: who would have confirmed it. I meane, teen thirty two 278 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: a doctor confirmed that Sarah Cornell was pregnant, so they 279 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: would be able to confirm it. She was certainly not pregnant, 280 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: but of course the rumor was that she lied to 281 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: pressure Norman into marrying her. So what you know about Elsie? 282 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: I have an opinion? What's your opinion about I don't 283 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: know if this is victimology, but what do you think? 284 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 2: Well, I think the first thing that comes to my 285 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 2: mind is in terms of now law enforcement is investigating 286 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,280 Speaker 2: this case, and at a certain point, Elsie is indicating 287 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 2: that she's pregnant. From Norman's perspective and maybe even from 288 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 2: the parent's perspective. You know, when did Elsie conceive? Did 289 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 2: she visit Norman three months prior? You know a Norman 290 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 2: say yeah we had sex, you know, and the parents said, yeah, 291 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 2: she was out there three months ago. Then I would expect, 292 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 2: you know, at autopsy, that they would be able to 293 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 2: even at this time frame to determine that, you know, 294 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 2: she was pregnant. But let's say she's only a couple 295 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 2: of weeks long. Right as she's mister period and advanced 296 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 2: state of decomposition, it may be tough, you know, for 297 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 2: pathologists to conclude whether she's pregnant or not. So that's 298 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 2: where I think, you know, the first part of what 299 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 2: I would drill down on with the medical side. But 300 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 2: most certainly you know, this is where you know, at 301 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 2: the very beginning, I could sense that this situation with Elsie, 302 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 2: Norman is feeling trapped and Elsie could be using, you know, 303 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: this fake pregnancy as a way to further kind of 304 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 2: capture Norman into maintaining a relationship with her. 305 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: For sure, one of the things investigators do when he 306 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: says that she had hanged herself was they start looking 307 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: in his hut for evidence of a hanging. So it 308 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: sounds like Norman had said he found her hanging from 309 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: the beams in the hut. I'm assuming this hut looked 310 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: to me like if that was the hut. Low ceilings, 311 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: It's seemed like though that might not be the first 312 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,120 Speaker 1: choice for someone to use. It seems like it could 313 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: be difficult. Would it be unusual to find somebody from 314 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: a beam in a ceiling rather than like a doorknob 315 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 1: or something that's a little bit more accessible. 316 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 2: Well, you know, and I think you just you know, 317 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 2: stated that, Yeah, hangings can be accomplished from remarkably low 318 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 2: items that all you have to do. You can literally 319 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 2: be laying down on the floor and just have let's say, 320 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 2: the ligature around the neck tied to a doorknob, as 321 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 2: you mentioned, versus you know, the thing you typically see 322 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 2: on TV shows or in the movies where somebody goes 323 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 2: over a wood beam and is standing on a stool 324 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,919 Speaker 2: and then kicks the stool away. More of you know, 325 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 2: like being you know hung, you know, in public executions. 326 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 2: So at least with cases you know that we typically see, 327 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: you don't generally see the you know, the hangings where 328 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 2: somebody is hanging from something really high up. Yeah, I 329 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 2: most really haven't had a case like that. Plenty of 330 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 2: textbook examples of that. 331 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: Oh okay, well, this is an experiment. I always find 332 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: experiments interesting. This I'm sure would not be allowed in 333 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,360 Speaker 1: a court of law, and I don't think was in 334 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty four. So the investigators want to know whether 335 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: or not there's evidence in the beams, like Norman said, 336 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 1: of maybe grooves that have been kind of cut in 337 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,879 Speaker 1: or impressions made from this washing line that she used. 338 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: So this is what they did. They did a little experiment. 339 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: They filled sacks with weights equivalent to Elsie's body weight, 340 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: and then they suspend these sacks from the beams using 341 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: this same type of washing line. They make a note 342 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: of the grooves. They must have taken photos that were 343 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: in the beams, and then they, of course they search 344 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 1: all the beams and they find no similar grooves in 345 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: the beams. That does not seem like a great experiment. 346 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: Am I wrong here? 347 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 2: Well, it's well, certainly a step to take if you're 348 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 2: looking for some evidence. You know, if Norman saying she 349 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 2: was literally suspended from this washing line and it was 350 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 2: tied around the beam, what kind of wood is it? 351 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 2: Does it compress? You think about a beam with the 352 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 2: hard corners, you know, the squared off corners, and you 353 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 2: have this weight that is focused in that wood. I 354 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 2: would expect that there would be some evidence, but maybe 355 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 2: it's more of the beam is more of like a log, 356 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 2: it's more circular. Did she just step off of a 357 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 2: chair and there's not a lot of swinging? You know, 358 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 2: maybe you're not going to see a brace of actions 359 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 2: by this washing line, and it comes down to how 360 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 2: is the washing line actually you know, secured to the beam. 361 00:20:57,080 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 2: I mean, there's a lot of variables here. Yeah, so 362 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 2: you know, the experiment that they did is a step 363 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 2: to evalue weight, but there's probably more steps that need 364 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 2: to be thought of and looked at. But I go, 365 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 2: you know, back to the autopsy, and I know you're you're, 366 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 2: you're holding out on me with with the neck injuries, 367 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 2: because you know, what they see with the neck could 368 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 2: be pretty diagnostic in terms of whether you know, she 369 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 2: was truly hanging with full body weight or she was strangled. 370 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 2: You know. So that's where I'm kind of again, I'm 371 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 2: kind of focusing in on what I think is going 372 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 2: to answer the question. 373 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: Well, just to wrap up the question about the beams, 374 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,239 Speaker 1: Norman's defense is later going to say this is all 375 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:49,720 Speaker 1: bs because you know, we weren't there to supervise the 376 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,199 Speaker 1: experiment number one, And just like what you said, there 377 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: are minute details about the wage distribution, the placement of 378 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: the washing line bodies are different than sacks full of 379 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: all of that stuff. So I think that was not 380 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 1: allowed in or dismissed, So don't worry about that too much. 381 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 1: There was a big question as they're going through their 382 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 1: investigation about her mental health. They said, you know, assuming 383 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 1: that she was genuinely pregnant, which seems possible, would she 384 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: actually take her own life and that of her unborn 385 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: child's life. To be honest, don't take that seriously at all. 386 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: I just think people can be in a desperate situation, 387 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: and I would never predict that a lot of the 388 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 1: people that I read about would have reacted the way 389 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 1: they reacted. So I think, you know, in a high 390 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: pressure situation where she is feeling like she's having a 391 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: mental break, nothing would surprise me. But the investigators are saying, 392 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: this is not really the way this woman would have reacted, 393 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:52,120 Speaker 1: and I'm not so sure. 394 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: You know, that's so subjective, yeah, you know, and oftentimes, 395 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 2: you know, where there's these questions deaths, there's what's called 396 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:08,200 Speaker 2: a psychological autopsy where they do dig into the deceased 397 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 2: mental state, whether it be mental health issues, what's going 398 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 2: on in the victim's life at the time, what prior 399 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 2: psychological evaluations have occurred, you know, And these doctors, these 400 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 2: PhD psychiatrists, you know, they have a background of dealing 401 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 2: with a broad group of individuals where they can kind 402 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 2: of say, this person, the deceased is demonstrating certain behaviors 403 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 2: that would be consistent with somebody who is possibly going 404 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 2: to take their life, but you can't say it with 405 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 2: any type of confirmation. 406 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,160 Speaker 1: Okay, we have to move on to stomach contents, which 407 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 1: you and I both have said, I mean varies. You 408 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: can tell me what you think about this. The corner 409 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: says that after they analyzed Elsie's stomach contents, it looks 410 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 1: like she had eaten around two hours before her death. 411 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: But I know that the rate of digestion can change 412 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: based on the person or the food, all of that stuff. 413 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 1: So do you put much you know, veracity in that 414 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: sort of a statement two hours is when she ate you? 415 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 2: No, I wouldn't in terms of putting it at that 416 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 2: specific of a figure. You know, it's more of has 417 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 2: the stomach emptied or is there still stomach contents that 418 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 2: are recognizable food stuffs, whether it be visibly recognizable or 419 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 2: even microscopically recognizable. And then the pathologists can say, based 420 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 2: on sort of the averages the last meal that the 421 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,679 Speaker 2: victim ate is consistent with whatever this. You know, the 422 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 2: witness statements are saying, but in terms of trying to predict, 423 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:50,440 Speaker 2: let's say, her actual time of meal, without any other 424 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 2: corroborating investigative evidence to suggest what time she last ate, 425 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,880 Speaker 2: that's really tough, especially just to say it was about 426 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:57,640 Speaker 2: two hours ago. 427 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 1: Well, our barrister Helena Ormanton, who I respect incredibly, I 428 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 1: think is really stretching here when I tell you what 429 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: she says in a second. So Norman says they ate 430 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: dinner around nine ten together, Elsie stayed for dinner even 431 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: though you know they were arguing in everything, and that 432 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: put Elsie's death if this is right, and we know 433 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 1: it's probably not somewhere in ten forty to eleven ten, 434 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: but that's when Norman was picking up Elizabeth and her mother. 435 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,400 Speaker 1: Because it was a train, it was on you know time, 436 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: there was a schedule there. So it sounds like he 437 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,160 Speaker 1: could have been lying. This is what Helena says. If 438 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 1: Norman killed Elsie Cameron, it must have been by inflicting 439 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: upon her multiple injuries just after they ate and leaving 440 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 1: her in a dying state so as to expire in 441 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: his absence while he coolly went off to meet the 442 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: other girl and behaved in a manner which seems to 443 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 1: have aroused none of her suspicions. That seems pretty specific, 444 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,159 Speaker 1: especially when we're relying on something that's not particularly reliable. 445 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know. And then of course, the you know, 446 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 2: the details about multiple injuries to Elsie, you know, are 447 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 2: those present at autopsy? Even though we're dealing with a 448 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 2: decomposed body, there could be still evidence of those injuries. 449 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:22,440 Speaker 2: So it's corroborating. It's corroborating and refuting these statements and 450 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 2: taking a look at what the evidence says. 451 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,200 Speaker 1: Okay, well, let's get to what the prosecutor of the 452 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: crown prosecutor ends up doing. He is ultimately arrested, of course, 453 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,360 Speaker 1: for her murder, and a few months later, in April, 454 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: his case goes to trial, and everybody starts, you know, 455 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 1: searching for their experts. From American sherlock Oscar Heinrich was 456 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: asked to buy the prosecutor to come down for the 457 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: David Lambson case, a man who was accused of murdering 458 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: his wife in the bathtub. And Oscar gets down to 459 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,879 Speaker 1: their little cottage where this takes place, and the blood 460 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: is for him in all the wrong places, and he 461 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,440 Speaker 1: tells prosecutor, I don't think this was murder. I think 462 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: this was a slip and fall, and now I'm going 463 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 1: to go call the defense team. So I wonder about 464 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: that with experts, you know, do you feel like most 465 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: experts have that sort of integrity? Oscar did not always 466 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: have integrity, But do you feel like that or do 467 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: you think that they are truly There are a lot 468 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: of them that are truly kind of guns for hire, 469 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: and they'll say whatever, you know, the prosecutor or the 470 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: defense team, whoever's got the money, they will say whatever 471 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 1: they need to say. 472 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 2: Well, when you when you start talking about experts, you know, 473 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 2: ethics is everything you know, and it's it's experienced, it's expertise, 474 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 2: of course, you know, but it fundamentally does come down 475 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 2: to ethics. And unfortunately, there are individuals out there that 476 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 2: will tailor their opinions based on who's paying them, or 477 00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 2: if there's any other type of bias that they may have. 478 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 2: And even sometimes ethical experts may form an opinion that's incorrect, 479 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 2: particularly when it is a subject matter that you don't have, 480 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 2: you know, the black and white, objective type of information 481 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 2: to form your opinion with. 482 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: Well, we'll see, we've got Bernard Spillsbury who is the 483 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: greatest pathologist in the history of pathologists, at least in 484 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: the UK. And he is very very well known. I 485 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: believed worked on the John Reginald Christy case, the one 486 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: I mentioned before, and he's popped up in several of 487 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,040 Speaker 1: our cases. Now, Maren has said to me, this is 488 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,199 Speaker 1: going to drive you crazy. She's convinced that there are 489 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: autopsy photos out there of Elsie Cameron, but she wasn't 490 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: able to find them, and so that of course drove 491 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: me crazy. And I searched for him. I couldn't find him. 492 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: So I wish we had photos because sometimes in this 493 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: time period we get well documented photos. So you know, 494 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: you're just going to have to go off of an 495 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: incredibly well versed, well known pathologist who is going to 496 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: be for this time period. We'll have the most educated 497 00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: information for us. We'll see. 498 00:28:59,640 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 2: OK. 499 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: So this is what he said. He looks at the 500 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 1: throat and the way that Norman says he cut up Elsie, 501 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: and he looked at it and he says she did 502 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,719 Speaker 1: not have rope markings on her neck. There is a 503 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: mark there and it's irrefutable, he says it. Everybody says 504 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: it visible to anyone who saw her remains. There's a 505 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: mark there, but he thinks it was a crease or 506 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: like a wrinkle, anything that you'd find on a neck 507 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: of a similarly aged person. So it seems odd. I 508 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 1: know that she's decomposing, but would he really mistake a 509 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 1: crease for a rope you burn or what impression whatever 510 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: that would have been in her neck. That seems like 511 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: two very different things to me. 512 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 2: Norman's describing what Elsie hung herself with as a washing line, 513 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 2: So I'm I'm thinking that this is a cordage that's 514 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 2: roughly maybe a quarter of an inch in diameter. Is 515 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,680 Speaker 2: do we have any information more specific than it's just 516 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 2: a washing line. 517 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 1: No, just a washing line. And it doesn't talk about 518 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: how thick it is or thin it is. I mean 519 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:09,280 Speaker 1: it could vary. 520 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 2: Well, this is where you know Norman's statements in terms 521 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 2: of how he found Elsie, and it sounds like she 522 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 2: is fully suspended from a beam using this washing line. 523 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 2: Her entire body weight is now being focused on this 524 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 2: very thin cordage around her neck. These lines in a 525 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 2: true full body weight hanging, these are very significant and 526 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 2: deep furrows that are left behind in the tissues of 527 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: the neck. In addition, the structures inside the neck show damage. 528 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 2: So if Spillsbury is looking for these furrows under this 529 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 2: type of hanging and he's not seeing anything like that, 530 00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 2: that's hugely significant from my perspective. He's saying, there's a mark. Now, 531 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 2: what is that mark? Is something, you know, a normal crease, 532 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 2: a normal anatomy of the neck skin, or is it, 533 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 2: you know, maybe an abrasion or something else that could 534 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 2: have happened during a struggle, you know, don't know, you know, 535 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 2: especially without the photos. But the lack of evidence of 536 00:31:18,320 --> 00:31:23,200 Speaker 2: this ligature digging into Elsie's neck, I've got concerns. 537 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and even if there were, Paul he could have 538 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 1: done it, he could have strangled her. 539 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 2: So let's say there's ligature strangulation. That often is you've 540 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 2: got a different configuration in terms of how the rope 541 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 2: goes around the neck, and there can be variants. In 542 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 2: a hanging, a full body weight hanging, that rope is 543 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 2: going to be up under the jaw, and if the 544 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 2: person is like leading you kind of forward with the 545 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 2: rope going up from behind, you'll see abrasions and everything 546 00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 2: else that show such a steep angle because the entire 547 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 2: body weight is pulling that rope up versus strangulation. It's 548 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 2: more parallel if you will, to the ground. If I'm 549 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,600 Speaker 2: going to put somebody like in a standing position, now 550 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 2: it will vary, and you can also have it differ 551 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 2: from side to side. But a true full body weight 552 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 2: hanging is pretty obvious looking. That's where I'm going. Okay, 553 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 2: how Spillsbury is, he is a very experienced pathologist, and 554 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 2: he knows what to look for, and he's not seeing that. 555 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 2: I'm thinking, I've got concerns about Norman telling the truth. 556 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: So let me tell you about the physical evidence that 557 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: Spillsbury says to him proves that she did not take 558 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: her own life with hanging. And then I'll tell you 559 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: what he says he sees probably happened to her. Okay, 560 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: so two different things for you to react to. So 561 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: here's the first thing. He said. Of course, she's in 562 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,360 Speaker 1: a state of decomposition, so this makes it more difficult. 563 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: Buddy said that had she hanged herself, there would be 564 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:05,280 Speaker 1: bruises and blood leakage into the tissue around her neck, 565 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: or he said, I would have seen signs of asphyxiation. 566 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,760 Speaker 1: Do those make sense to you? No? 567 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely, Okay, you know the signs of the blood and 568 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:19,440 Speaker 2: the tissues inside the neck as well as asphyxiation aspects. 569 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 2: You know, you're cutting off the blood flow to the brain, 570 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,320 Speaker 2: you're increasing blood pressure initially when the heart is beating. 571 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,360 Speaker 2: So now you get the blood vessels in the eye 572 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 2: starting to you know, kind of burst, These little capillaries burst, 573 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 2: and its classic patikia, these little red dots as well 574 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:40,719 Speaker 2: as other blood vessels and capillaries in the face. And 575 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 2: then the neck. You know, you've got this tremendous force 576 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 2: in a full body weight hanging around the muscles inside 577 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 2: the neck, and so you'll see bruising or that you 578 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: know that noose is digging in the trachea, the larynx 579 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 2: can be damaged. So this is where all of the 580 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 2: this is absent. I was thinking, well, maybe there was 581 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:08,040 Speaker 2: manual strangulation or ligature strangulation. But if he's not even 582 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 2: seeing damage to the neck nor you know, the signs 583 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 2: of asphyxiation, then maybe this is not a strangulation either. 584 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 1: Okay, now this is not me holding out on you, 585 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: but I did want to delay Spillsbury's observations because I 586 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: think he is the most reliable source here. And I 587 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 1: think it would have been case closed if I had 588 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: disclosed this earlier. So Spillsbury says, this is what I 589 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:37,680 Speaker 1: think happened. Her glasses were broken nearby, her necklace was 590 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: broken nearby. He thinks that she was severely beaten and 591 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: suffered a lethal head injury which resulted in her dying 592 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 1: of shock. He says she had bruises on her ankles, 593 00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 1: her elbows, her shins, some hemorrhage inside her eyeballs, and 594 00:34:56,160 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 1: a particularly large bruise on her head, which he he 595 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: says is a crushing blow. And I was wondering if 596 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: this memorment could have caused any of. 597 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,959 Speaker 2: This, But you know, well, I would say that Spillsbury 598 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 2: probably can account for what he can see in the 599 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,000 Speaker 2: tissues based off of the dismemberment. Some of these bruises 600 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:20,080 Speaker 2: and stuff most certainly could indicate a struggle with what 601 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 2: he is seeing internally is that there's a significant blow 602 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 2: and is this from a weapon? Is this from her 603 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 2: head being thrust up against the wall or down on 604 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 2: the floor. But it sounds like he is attributing her 605 00:35:33,239 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 2: death possibly to the head injury, and the other injuries 606 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 2: indicate that there was a struggle between Norman and Elsie. 607 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:44,240 Speaker 2: You know, this is homicide. 608 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's what he says. So of course Norman's defense 609 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 1: team disagrees. They hire three well known experts who, as 610 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: you can imagine, are going to contradict everything that Spillsbury says. 611 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,800 Speaker 1: They say that the marks on are consistent with rope 612 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: marks made by hanging, not wrinkles. They were able to 613 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:11,400 Speaker 1: see the body several weeks after Spillsbury saw the body, 614 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: and the body had already been in the ground for 615 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: several weeks, so you have to think that there. I 616 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: don't know why they were so late to the game, 617 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: but you have to think that the body had really 618 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: decomposed at that point. So I don't know, aside the 619 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:27,919 Speaker 1: fact that they're contradicting, you know, this pathologist who is 620 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:30,919 Speaker 1: well known, I don't know. I guess I would think that, 621 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: you know, they weren't given enough information to begin with 622 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: because they were so late to the party. 623 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,879 Speaker 2: Here. Well, it also could just be battle of the experts. Yeah, 624 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: you know, the defense. You know, over here in the 625 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 2: United States, the defense has to put on a you know, 626 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:52,920 Speaker 2: competent trial and find find experts to contradict somebody with 627 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 2: the reputation of Spillsbury, you know, and whether or not 628 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 2: these other medical experts or pathology truly have any expertise, 629 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,439 Speaker 2: or if they do, are they altering their opinion right 630 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:08,760 Speaker 2: now at least with what you told me. They said, 631 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 2: I mean, it sure does not add up. You know, 632 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:15,200 Speaker 2: this is again taking into you have to take this 633 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:20,760 Speaker 2: in context with Norman's statement of how he found Elsie hanging. 634 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:25,360 Speaker 2: She's not laying down on the ground from a doorknob. 635 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 2: She is hanging from the beam, full body weight hanging. 636 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 2: That is so informative to what kinds of injuries her 637 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 2: neck is going to have. And Spillsbury knows that, and 638 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 2: it would be very easy in this day and age 639 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 2: to demonstrate that through photos of other cases, and people 640 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 2: would see, oh yeah, that's unmistakable. 641 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:52,400 Speaker 1: Well let me just tell you for fun to you 642 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 1: know what they said. First of all, one interesting piece 643 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,359 Speaker 1: of information is, you know you had asked about whether 644 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,000 Speaker 1: the skull was fractured. It was not. One thing that 645 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 1: the original coroner noted about Elsie in her body was 646 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:11,799 Speaker 1: that she had particularly delicate bones, so delicate that he 647 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: pointed it out in this report, which had been documented 648 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 1: in the autopsy and they were called as thin as 649 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: blotting paper. That's then one of the experts for the 650 00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: defense said that if Elsie had been beaten to death 651 00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 1: and suffered a forceful blow to the head, surely her 652 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: skull would have been fractured. Does that make sense to you. 653 00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:34,319 Speaker 2: I don't think anybody could could make that statement. Yeah, 654 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:39,680 Speaker 2: the observation of her being in anthropological terms, grascile versus robust. 655 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 2: You could have like a very robust person right with 656 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 2: robust structure, and you can have somebody who's grascile or 657 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 2: more petite in their structure. And yes, there's mechanical advantages 658 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:56,160 Speaker 2: for strength purposes or resistance to forces with somebody who's 659 00:38:56,239 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 2: more robust. However, you know the skull itself. We don't 660 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 2: know the circumstances of how the hemorrhaging inside her brain occurred, 661 00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 2: but the fact that the skull is not crushed in 662 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 2: tells me, well, it's not that big of a force, 663 00:39:13,239 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 2: and it's probably a very broad surface that the skull 664 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 2: is hitting. It's not in narrow it's not like a 665 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 2: hammer with a very focused force that can punch through 666 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 2: the skull. You can have a significant blow and I'll 667 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:32,560 Speaker 2: use the example of somebody taking somebody's head and thrusting 668 00:39:32,600 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 2: it really hard onto a floor. It may not even 669 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 2: lacerate the scalp. However, the force is internal to the 670 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 2: skull potentially could cause hemorrhaging in the brain, subarachnoid hemorrhaging, 671 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 2: you know. And then so that's that autopsy where they 672 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 2: will take the calberium off, they take the brain out, 673 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:54,839 Speaker 2: and they can see the hemorrhaging inside and go, yes, 674 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,359 Speaker 2: definitely could be cause of death. So Spillsbury, I think 675 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:02,839 Speaker 2: a spot on seeing something to his level of expertise, 676 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 2: to his eyes, that is significant enough to be a 677 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 2: cause of death. 678 00:40:08,520 --> 00:40:11,640 Speaker 1: Well, the doctor say he's all wrong, of course, I 679 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:15,400 Speaker 1: mean they're getting this body. Several weeks later, one of 680 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:18,760 Speaker 1: them said the marks on her neck did have blood 681 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:22,640 Speaker 1: that leaked into the surrounding tissue, so that is indicative 682 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:28,240 Speaker 1: of a hanging. That Spillsbury exaggerated the bruising on Elsie's body. 683 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: He said that it might have been caused as Elsie's 684 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:34,840 Speaker 1: body fell to the floor after Norman cut the washing 685 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:39,520 Speaker 1: line that she was hanging from. The hemorrhaging in her eyeballs, 686 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:43,560 Speaker 1: he said, could in fact be produced by a hanging, 687 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 1: So I'll pause there before we get to their theory 688 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: about when she died and how she died. Does any 689 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:50,760 Speaker 1: of that stuff add. 690 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,759 Speaker 2: Up for me to differentiate Spillsbury and what he is 691 00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:58,080 Speaker 2: concluding versus these doctors, I'd have to see the photos, 692 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 2: you know, and maybe even take those foot photos to 693 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 2: a pathologist that I trust. If it's outside of my 694 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:09,000 Speaker 2: experience and expertise. You know, this is where now it's 695 00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:12,680 Speaker 2: so hard to differentiate that kind of detail. You know, 696 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:18,359 Speaker 2: It's just Spillsbury is a very experienced and competent pathologist. 697 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 2: I don't know the background of these other doctors. Are 698 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 2: they even pathologists? 699 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: They are, they're professional pathologists who have testified, you know, 700 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:29,000 Speaker 1: But again, even if they are being honest here, they're 701 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:31,840 Speaker 1: getting the body so many weeks later she to be exhumed, 702 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:34,040 Speaker 1: you know, her body was not being held in some 703 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:34,880 Speaker 1: secure area. 704 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 2: And also recognize, you know, right after she's recovered, technically 705 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 2: there should have been an autopsy done. Then you pull 706 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:47,880 Speaker 2: in this noted pathologist who's now doing his own assessment 707 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:49,920 Speaker 2: of the body, and we don't know exactly to what 708 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 2: extent he is altering the body, And then the body 709 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:56,880 Speaker 2: goes into the ground, you know, and what kind of 710 00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,319 Speaker 2: process did the body undergo? You know, it's dismember They're 711 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 2: not going to embalm this body. How were these body 712 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:08,400 Speaker 2: parts handled before they were dug up? Yeah, so, you know, 713 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:11,560 Speaker 2: I think to your point, you know, you're recognizing, Yes, 714 00:42:11,680 --> 00:42:17,319 Speaker 2: the defense experts are having a worse starting point, you know, 715 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,320 Speaker 2: in terms of what they might be able to see 716 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:21,800 Speaker 2: so many weeks later. 717 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:26,000 Speaker 1: You know, they have to explain why there weren't clearer 718 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:29,719 Speaker 1: signs of damage to her neck and bringing lungs and 719 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,280 Speaker 1: all of that, you know, everything that Spillsbury's saying should 720 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 1: be there with a hanging that isn't there. So this 721 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: is what they say happened the defense. Instead of this 722 00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:42,279 Speaker 1: being a simple hanging where she, you know, her neck 723 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,719 Speaker 1: breaks or she dies quickly, what they think happened was 724 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:48,840 Speaker 1: she was only partially suffocated. By the time she was 725 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:52,840 Speaker 1: found by Norman. He cut her down, she was not dead, 726 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 1: she was unconscious. He did not know he thought she 727 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,840 Speaker 1: was dead, And they think she might have been alive 728 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 1: for several more minutes and then died of shock, which 729 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:04,400 Speaker 1: is the only thing that they agree with Spillsbury on. 730 00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:06,319 Speaker 1: I mean, Spillsbury thought he hit her in the back 731 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:07,840 Speaker 1: of the head and she died of shock. 732 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,240 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a possibility, you know, but that's where 733 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 2: you know, how long was he gone? You know, when 734 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,520 Speaker 2: did she hang herself relative to when he came in 735 00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:21,040 Speaker 2: the door. I just go back to what I feel 736 00:43:21,160 --> 00:43:26,080 Speaker 2: is the most objective evidence that contradicts Norman's statement about 737 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:29,760 Speaker 2: what happened, and that has to do with the Spillsbury's 738 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,280 Speaker 2: observation of the lack of a rope furrow, a lack 739 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,360 Speaker 2: to the damage to the next structures, a lack of 740 00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:38,400 Speaker 2: hemorrhaging to the strap muscles, you know, or any of 741 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 2: the other next structures, and these other pathologists are trying 742 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:46,000 Speaker 2: to suggest that some of these other minor injuries to 743 00:43:46,160 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 2: the neck area are consistent with a full body weight hanging. 744 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,160 Speaker 2: I put so much more veracity on what I'm hearing 745 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 2: from Spillsbury than these other doctors. And it has nothing 746 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 2: to do with Spillsbury's reputation. I just know what he 747 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:01,440 Speaker 2: would be looking looking for and he's not seeing it. 748 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,520 Speaker 2: And I'm going, Okay, she wasn't hanging the way Norman 749 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:07,440 Speaker 2: says she was hanging. Mm, whether she's alive or not. 750 00:44:07,480 --> 00:44:10,680 Speaker 2: When he cuts her down. I mean that becomes trivial 751 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 2: yet O, because I don't think he's cutting her down. 752 00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:16,359 Speaker 1: Yeah. So with thank goodness, we're moving finally off of 753 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:21,000 Speaker 1: the medical stuff. Norman takes the stand idiot and he 754 00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 1: taught I mean, this guy, he talks about his romances 755 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:28,359 Speaker 1: with both Elsie and Elizabeth, and he's definitely not doing 756 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 1: himself any favors. At one point, when he's asked which 757 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:36,080 Speaker 1: woman he likes more, he says, I do not know. 758 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:40,200 Speaker 1: I was particularly desirous of marrying any at the time 759 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:43,359 Speaker 1: of the two. I suppose I thought more of the 760 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 1: other girl, which is Elizabeth. And then Maren has a 761 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:49,560 Speaker 1: cheeky little note in here. She said, of course, it's 762 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:51,680 Speaker 1: not exactly heartwarming thing to hear from the lips of 763 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:54,840 Speaker 1: a man who had already severed one of the women's heads. 764 00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:58,799 Speaker 1: So this is all to say, you know, even with 765 00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:03,320 Speaker 1: the best argument from the pathologists that he hired, Norman 766 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 1: is not looking very good. I don't think things are 767 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:07,760 Speaker 1: going well for him with this trial. 768 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:11,279 Speaker 2: No, you know, and they're hearing directly from him. You 769 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:14,440 Speaker 2: know that he was partial to this other woman, Yeah, 770 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,120 Speaker 2: you know, and we just know in these lovers triangles, 771 00:45:17,239 --> 00:45:21,759 Speaker 2: you know, jealousy and rage often went out, you know, 772 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:26,560 Speaker 2: and this is where Elsie was putting demands on Norman 773 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:29,640 Speaker 2: that was going to impact his ability to continue having 774 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:33,239 Speaker 2: a relationship with Elizabeth. I mean, we don't need to 775 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:36,680 Speaker 2: have motive in cases, but right there the jury is 776 00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:38,920 Speaker 2: hearing directly from Norman. He has motive. 777 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, So A couple of interesting notes, you know, 778 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:47,600 Speaker 1: before we get to the verdict. One is that judge. 779 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:50,600 Speaker 1: I mean, this was classic in the UK and I 780 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,239 Speaker 1: don't know in this time period if the judges did this, 781 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:59,040 Speaker 1: but the judge says to the jury upon giving jury instructions, 782 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:03,320 Speaker 1: he says that Spillsbury's insight is quote the very best 783 00:46:03,360 --> 00:46:08,040 Speaker 1: opinion that can be obtained. I mean, how is that? Okay, 784 00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:12,240 Speaker 1: I probably agree with him, But these were similar instructions 785 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:15,640 Speaker 1: that the judge in John Reginald Christie's case in nineteen 786 00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 1: fifty three gave very biased, sort of like here's your verdict. 787 00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:21,359 Speaker 1: I mean, this is who you should be listening to. 788 00:46:21,960 --> 00:46:26,120 Speaker 2: It's definitely biasing the jury. Yeah, you know, the jury 789 00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:29,840 Speaker 2: is there to evaluate each of these experts and the 790 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:34,799 Speaker 2: veracity of each of their experts per their observations. For 791 00:46:34,880 --> 00:46:37,760 Speaker 2: the judge to come out and do that. Obviously, I'm 792 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:42,160 Speaker 2: agreeing with what I'm hearing of Spillsbury's opinions, but completely 793 00:46:42,200 --> 00:46:44,520 Speaker 2: inappropriate instructions to the jury. 794 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:47,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely, and grounds for an appeal. I would have 795 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:50,960 Speaker 1: thought the jury hands down a verdict and it's probably 796 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 1: no surprise that it's guilty and he is sentenced to death, 797 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:57,520 Speaker 1: which you know, of course there is I will say 798 00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:00,120 Speaker 1: a little bit of a ruckus over whether or not 799 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:03,520 Speaker 1: not the death penalty was appropriate in this case because 800 00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:07,279 Speaker 1: some people interpreted some reasonable doubt based on these three 801 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:11,280 Speaker 1: pathologists who took the stand on behalf of Norman, Arthur 802 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:14,480 Speaker 1: Conan Doyle. You know, Sherlock Holmes, author was one of 803 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:18,799 Speaker 1: the people who said this should not be an execution case. This, 804 00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:20,680 Speaker 1: you know, we need to look at the evidence. And 805 00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:24,480 Speaker 1: he was not saying Norman is not guilty. He was saying, 806 00:47:24,600 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 1: I don't think there's enough evidence to warrant this being 807 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:32,200 Speaker 1: a capital case. So the public got involved. It did 808 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:35,920 Speaker 1: not help Norman at all, and he was hanged in 809 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:38,960 Speaker 1: April of nineteen twenty five at the age of twenty five. 810 00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: He told his father in the last letter two days 811 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:47,040 Speaker 1: before he's executed. He writes to his dad and he said, quote, 812 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:53,080 Speaker 1: never mind, Dad, don't worry. I am a martyr to spillsburyism. 813 00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:56,520 Speaker 1: The interpretation is that, you know, Spillsbury is a man 814 00:47:56,560 --> 00:47:59,120 Speaker 1: who so many people respect. If he says you're guilty, 815 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:01,960 Speaker 1: you're guilty, regardless of if you are guilty or not. 816 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:03,759 Speaker 1: Of course I don't think you and I believe that. 817 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:07,200 Speaker 1: But that was his statement, was that, you know, obviously 818 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:10,680 Speaker 1: he's blaming this pathologist for all of his woes. 819 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,960 Speaker 2: Well, I mean he's sitting there in court and he's 820 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:18,840 Speaker 2: hearing Spillsbury, you know, testify. I got to think Norman 821 00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:22,600 Speaker 2: didn't know, you know, what kind of evidence would be 822 00:48:22,680 --> 00:48:27,080 Speaker 2: present if Elsie had hung herself. It's a from my perspective, 823 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:30,279 Speaker 2: it's an obvious homicide. I think whether it's a death 824 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:32,880 Speaker 2: eligible case, I think I don't know what the laws 825 00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:36,240 Speaker 2: of England are in terms of differentiating a death sentence 826 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:40,000 Speaker 2: from let's say life without the possibility of being paroled. Right, 827 00:48:40,239 --> 00:48:44,520 Speaker 2: But you know, most certainly he's responsible, probably killed her 828 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:48,600 Speaker 2: that evening and try to cover it up by dismembering 829 00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:52,799 Speaker 2: her body, getting rid of the evidence, sending letters back 830 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,440 Speaker 2: to the parents' house, you know, just to stage the scene. 831 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:02,399 Speaker 2: Everything is pointing strong at Norman and his I would say, 832 00:49:02,560 --> 00:49:07,520 Speaker 2: naive and ignorant perspective on what these crimes look like. 833 00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:11,800 Speaker 2: He came up with a scenario that he didn't realize 834 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:15,399 Speaker 2: that pathologist would be able to differentiate what's going on. 835 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:16,600 Speaker 2: He got caught. 836 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:19,560 Speaker 1: You know, I was thinking, Paul is all of this 837 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:24,680 Speaker 1: started with her saying, I'm pregnant, and now you're going 838 00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:27,080 Speaker 1: to have to step up and be a man and 839 00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:29,960 Speaker 1: marry me. And if she really believed she was pregnant, 840 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:33,520 Speaker 1: then you know, rightly so, and especially in this time period. 841 00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:38,040 Speaker 1: I wonder what Norman's reaction was when he found out 842 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:41,480 Speaker 1: that she actually wasn't pregnant. I don't know if he 843 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:43,239 Speaker 1: would have killed her. I think he would have said, 844 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:46,000 Speaker 1: bug off, I'm breaking up with you, like many men did. 845 00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:48,120 Speaker 1: I'm leaving you and that's it. But I think it 846 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:52,440 Speaker 1: was the pregnancy thing, the being trapped thing, that triggered this. 847 00:49:52,719 --> 00:49:54,799 Speaker 1: I could be wrong. He could have murdered many other 848 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:56,160 Speaker 1: people after this. I don't know. 849 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:59,839 Speaker 2: It does come down to, you know, kind of evaluate 850 00:50:00,200 --> 00:50:03,480 Speaker 2: the violence he inflicted on Elsie, whether or not he 851 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:07,319 Speaker 2: felt trapped. It doesn't matter if Elsie's lying or not 852 00:50:07,440 --> 00:50:11,000 Speaker 2: about her pregnancy. You know, he acts out in a 853 00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:17,000 Speaker 2: way that kills Elsie, and that just demonstrates a certain 854 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:22,680 Speaker 2: type of criminal behavior that somebody down the road may 855 00:50:22,719 --> 00:50:27,040 Speaker 2: be confronted with Norman's rage. They got the right guy, 856 00:50:27,400 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 2: came with the right verdict. Now, whether or not he 857 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:33,720 Speaker 2: should have been executed, you know, I really can't say 858 00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:36,440 Speaker 2: or weigh in on that. It's just I'm not shedding 859 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:38,560 Speaker 2: a tear for Norman to be frank No. 860 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:41,360 Speaker 1: I mean, the UK doesn't have the death penalty in 861 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:45,000 Speaker 1: a longer. But I do think that this is always 862 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:48,000 Speaker 1: a reminder, and I've said this with listeners all about too. 863 00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:53,200 Speaker 1: There are Elsie Cameron's and Sarah Cornell's before them, and 864 00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:56,880 Speaker 1: there are them that are going to happen tomorrow because 865 00:50:56,880 --> 00:51:00,319 Speaker 1: of the vulnerability of women when they are pregnant and 866 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:04,520 Speaker 1: just the fear that comes up. And so you know, 867 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:07,080 Speaker 1: this is why I think cases like this are really important, 868 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:09,160 Speaker 1: and this is why we're not going to do a 869 00:51:09,160 --> 00:51:11,200 Speaker 1: story like this next week. I need a break from 870 00:51:11,440 --> 00:51:14,960 Speaker 1: I really felt I needed a break after Sarah Cornell's 871 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:17,600 Speaker 1: case for that book. But I feel like we keep 872 00:51:17,640 --> 00:51:20,960 Speaker 1: doing these stories and there's like, I hope people finally 873 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:24,200 Speaker 1: get it that women are really vulnerable when they're pregnant. 874 00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,960 Speaker 2: Sure, no, no question about it. So I'm looking forward 875 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:31,040 Speaker 2: to the different type of case you're going to bring 876 00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:31,800 Speaker 2: me next week. 877 00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:33,480 Speaker 1: Yes, sir, I'll see you then. 878 00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:34,640 Speaker 2: Sounds good. 879 00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:42,480 Speaker 1: Thanks Kate. This has been an exactly right production for 880 00:51:42,560 --> 00:51:45,640 Speaker 1: our sources and show notes go to exactly Rightmedia dot 881 00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:50,360 Speaker 1: com slash Buried Bones Sources. Our senior producer is Alexis Emirosi. 882 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:54,920 Speaker 2: Research by Maren mcclashan, Ali Elkin and Kate Winkler Dawson. 883 00:51:55,200 --> 00:51:57,440 Speaker 1: Our mixing engineer is Ben Tolliday. 884 00:51:57,760 --> 00:51:59,960 Speaker 2: Our theme song is by Tom Bryfogel. 885 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,320 Speaker 1: Our artwork is by Vanessa Lilac. 886 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:06,720 Speaker 2: Executive produced by Karen Kilgarriff, Georgia hard Stark and Daniel Kramer. 887 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:10,359 Speaker 1: You can follow Buried Bones on Instagram and Facebook at 888 00:52:10,480 --> 00:52:11,640 Speaker 1: Buried Bones Pod. 889 00:52:12,080 --> 00:52:14,640 Speaker 2: Kate's most recent book, All That Is Wicked, a Gilded 890 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:16,680 Speaker 2: Age story of murder and the race to decode the 891 00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:19,040 Speaker 2: criminal mind, is available now, and. 892 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:23,319 Speaker 1: Paul's best selling memoir Unmasked, My life Solving America's Cold 893 00:52:23,360 --> 00:52:25,160 Speaker 1: Cases is also available now. 894 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:29,200 Speaker 2: Listen to buried Bones on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 895 00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:31,200 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.