John George Haigh the Acid-Bath Murderer - A Portrait of a Serial Killer and His Victims

Jonathan Oates

Summary

What motivated John George Haigh to murder at least six people, then dissolve their corpses in concentrated sulphuric acid? How did this intelligent, well-educated man from a loving, strongly religious family of Plymouth Brethren become a fraudster, a thief, then a serial killer? In the latest of his best-selling studies of criminal history, Jonathan Oates reinvestigates this sensational case of the late 1940s. He delves into Haigh's Yorkshire background, his reputation as a loner, a bully and a forger during his years at Wakefield Grammar School, and his growing appetite for the good life which his modest employment in insurance and advertising could not sustain. Then came his move to London and a rapid, apparently remorseless descent into the depths of crime, from deceit and theft to cold-blooded killing. As he follows the course of Haigh's crimes in graphic, forensic detail, Jonathan Oates gives a fascinating inside view of Haigh's attempt to carry through a series of perfect murders. For Haigh intended not only cut off his victims' lives but, by destroying their bodies with acid, literally to remove all traces that they had ever existed.

Available since: 10/30/2014.

Print length: 240 pages.

Other books that might interest you

How Serial Rapists Target Their...

Linda Fairstein

Crime expert Linda Fairstein reveals the sinister ways that rapists select and attack their victims, and what you need to know to protect yourself From the man who haunted midtown Manhattan’s high-rise office buildings, to the stalker in the wooded suburbs near Nashville, serial rapists often have one chilling trait in common: They operate in “comfort zones.” Sometimes they find their own comfort zones, such as the stairwell of a familiar office building. Other times they may pinpoint their victims’ comfort zones, such as the bedroom of an unlocked house. In both cases, experienced sexual predators exploit their potential victims’ most unguarded moments. In How Serial Rapists Target Their Victims, Linda Fairstein breaks down the patterns of these violent criminals and describes the day-to-day ways that women can best safeguard against them. Originally published in Cosmopolitan, this essay is now available in digital format for the first time and features a new introduction by the author.

Show book