I wrote a brief history of Copenhagen
A blog about history and true crime. Historical trivia and stories about true crime.
Friday, 3 April 2026
Thursday, 19 March 2026
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Tuesday, 10 March 2026
History of Plastic
I wrote a brief history of plastic. It's a modern material that has become vital to our daily lives.
Thursday, 26 February 2026
History of Sex Work
Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Eric Brown - the landmine murder
Eric Brown killed his father. He used a most unusual murder weapon, a landmine. Eric lived with his father, Archibald, and his mother, Doris. His father was partially paralysed and used a wheelchair. He was a bully who ruled over his family with an iron rod.
His wheelchair was kept in an air raid shelter in the garden. On 23 July 1943, a nurse, Doris Mitchell, went to fetch it but found it locked. Eric emerged from the air raid shelter. Doris then got the wheelchair and took Archibald for a walk. After a while, she lit a cigarette for Archibald, but as he made himself comfortable, there was an explosion.
Nurse Mitchell survived without serious injuries, but Archibald Brown was blown to pieces. The explosion was caused by a type of mine used to destroy tanks. It had exploded two feet above the ground. The police surmised it had been placed under the cushion Archibald was sitting on.
They soon found that Eric had learned about this type of mine while in the army. He was on leave when his father was killed, and he had been seen in the air raid shelter. Eric soon confessed. He was brought to trial on 4 November 1943, but a doctor testified that he was a schizophrenic. The jury found him guilty of murder but insane. Eric was sentenced to be detained during his majesty’s pleasure. He died in 1975.
