I wrote another article. It's called True Crime Trivia.
Tim's True Crime Blog
A blog about true crime. Famous murder cases in history.
Sunday, 13 September 2026
Fingerprints
On 13 September 1902 a burglar named Harry Jackson became the first person in Britain to be convicted by fingerprint evidence. He left a his prints on a freshly painted windowsill. Jackson was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Thursday, 10 September 2026
DNA
On 10 September 1984 Alec Jeffreys discovered DNA fingerprinting. It has proved to be a vital tool for law enforcement. Colin Pitchfork was the first murderer caught by the new technology.
The last person guillotined
On 10 September 1977, Hamida Djandoubi became the last person in France to be guillotined. The French abolished capital punishment in 1981.
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
Saturday, 5 September 2026
In 1885 a journalist bought a girl
In London, in 1885 a journalist called W T Stead purchased a 13-year-old girl from a woman for prostitution. (At that time the age of consent was 13). The girl’s mother sold her for 5 pounds (several weeks' wages for many people). The buyer made it clear that the child must be ‘pure’ i.e. a virgin. But Stead took the girl to safety in France. Stead then wrote about it to show how easy it was to buy a child. Partly as a result, the age of consent was raised to 16.
Friday, 4 September 2026
Tudor Sex Trafficking
In the 16th century carting was a punishment. A person was made to sit in a cart and ride through the streets to be mocked by the crowd. Someone would bang a basin to attract attention. In 1560 a woman in London was convicted of being a 'bawd' (procuring girls for prostitution). She procured an 11-year-old girl and 'sent her off to be a whore'. So sex trafficking is nothing new. As a punishment, the woman was carted.
