Podcast
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling
Catalog
Episodes
- 138: New Zealand’s “Vilest” CriminalNov 2, 2026 · 42 minIain kicks off “Cases From Other Places.” In this four-part series, Laura and Iain travel to countries never visited on the podcast before to cover cases recommended by local listeners.
In this first episode, we’ll be visiting Timaru in New Zealand with a case that involves greedy husbands, flirtatious servants… and poison.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 137: Ed Gein’s House of HorrorsOct 26, 2026 · 47 minThis Halloween week, Laura covers one of our darkest cases to date: the disturbing life and crimes of Ed Gein. She explores the psychology behind the killer, and discusses the lives of his victims.
Join us for Thursday’s casefiles episode – where we’ll be exploring the horror film characters that Ed Gein’s real-life crimes allegedly inspired.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
Details of help and support with child abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
- 136: The Great Train Robbery, Part 2Oct 19, 2026 · 40 min1964. Three of the known train robbers are still at large, twelve are behind bars. Will Tommy Butler track them down? Find out in part two, which takes this manhunt international… and lasts until 2013!
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
You can find the photographs of Ronnie Biggs mentioned in this episode at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25426493
- 135: The Great Train Robbery, Part 1Oct 12, 2026 · 47 minAll aboard! Iain kicks off a two-parter on The Great Train Robbery of 1963 – which remains the most lucrative train heist in history.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 134: The Josacine AffairOct 5, 2026 · 38 minNormandy, France – 1994. A child dies after taking some medicine. It’s a tragedy that can never be undone. But this tragedy also unfurls an unexpected scandal – involving affairs, dishonest town officials, and… cyanide.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 133: The Custom of the SeaSep 28, 2026 · 45 minFour men find themselves stranded at sea in 1884. They have no food or water, and they’re over a thousand miles from land. They’re faced with an impossible decision. The choice they make leads to a landmark court ruling that continues to influence legal thinking to this day.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 132: The Woman by the RiverSep 21, 2026 · 33 minOn a Summer’s evening in 1932, a farmer in The Like District spots a woman lying underneath an umbrella. Her name is Wai-Sheung Sui – she’s originally from China, but now lives in New York.
The farmer gets a strange feeling… Should he go back and check if she’s ok?
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 131: The ‘Bait & Switch’ Bank HeistSep 14, 2026 · 38 min1975, London – intelligence officers are carefully watching the Davies Street branch of The Bank of America. But, the wool is about to be pulled completely over their eyes.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 130: The Rose Man of Sing SingSep 7, 2026 · 46 minNew York, 1918. A notorious New York newspaper editor sends a disturbing note to his boss. MTW returns after the Summer break with a case involving The Titanic, burnout & roses.
Details of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 129: The Gentleman Jewel ThiefJul 27, 2026 · 47 minIain explores a case from 1920s New York that could have be ripped straight from the pages of The Great Gatsby. Think criminals clubbing with future kings, thousands of pounds of missing diamonds, and a love so strong it inspires a prison riot.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 128: The Witches of BelvoirJul 20, 2026 · 49 minIt’s 1618, we’re in the midst of King James I’s obsessive vendetta against witches. When another child falls sick at Belvoir Castle, Cecily Manners – the lady of the castle – wonders if witchcraft could be to blame.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 127: The Postal PoisonerJul 13, 2026 · 45 minA poisoned hangover cure is delivered with a handwritten note. The investigation and trial that follows will have a lasting impact on the city’s legal system.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 126: The Amy McNeil KidnappingJul 6, 2026 · 48 minThirteen year old Amy McNeil is kidnapped on her way to school. What follows is an ill-timed car break-down, a major shoot-out, and a police chase that goes down in Texas history.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 125: The Ballad of Gentle JohnnyJun 29, 2026 · 39 minIain explores the explosive tale of Johnny Ramensky – a notorious Glaswegian safe-cracker, whose criminal expertise also proved useful in the fight against The Nazis.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 124: The Clan na Gael Murder, Part 2Jun 22, 2026 · 40 minLaura wraps up this 19th-century murder case involving false trails, strange clues, and scandalous cover ups.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 123: The Clan na Gael Murder, Part 1Jun 15, 2026 · 40 minIt’s 1889 and a trunk of bloodied rags, discovered on a Chicago roadside, is about to unlock a murder case like no other.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 122: The Debonair BanditJun 8, 2026 · 45 minIain has the chance to show off his Norwegian as he tells Laura about a notorious Norwegian bank heist. The case involves an Edvard Munch enthusiast, an accomplice disguised as a dog, and millions of kroner being weathered in a swimming pool.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 121: The Paranormal Tip-Off?Jun 1, 2026 · 42 minWhen a woman is murdered in her home in 1970s Chicago, detectives struggle to identify a possible suspect. Until… they receive a strange paranormal tip-off.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 120. The Powderhouse BlastMay 25, 2026 · 38 minIain looks at the unbelievable true story of the Powderhouse Blast, which took place in South Dakota in 1936. It’s a story involving a dynamite explosion, an heroic escape, and a man on the run.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 119. The Butcher of BarnesMay 18, 2026 · 51 minLondon, 1879 and a mysterious box shows up on the shoreline of the river Thames. Its contents prove puzzling for the police. Laura follows the trail to explore the gory story behind the case.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 118. The Hippy Smuggler, P2May 11, 2026 · 32 minIn part two, Gary finally has to face the music. Having caught the attention of not only Pablo Escobar but the CIA too, things are about to get a *whole* lot scarier.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 117. The Hippy Smuggler, P1May 4, 2026 · 40 minIn the first of this two-parter, Iain uncovers the origin story of Gary Betzner, a cropduster pilot from Arkansas who got himself embroiled in the dangerous world of drug smuggling
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 116. The Pin-Up Extortion PlotApr 27, 2026 · 45 minLaura looks at a series of extortion plots that targeted the most famous star in 1940s Hollywood: pin-up girl Betty Grable.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 115. The Overnight OutlawsApr 20, 2026 · 41 minIain looks at two FBI Most Wanted criminals who had a very unusual MO when it came to robbing banks.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 114. A Scandal in Beacon HillApr 13, 2026 · 37 minIt’s 1901 and Boston is abuzz with gossip. A high-society man named Sumner Paine has just been arrested for chasing his daughter’s music teacher down the street with a pistol.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 113. The Demon of the BelfryApr 6, 2026 · 34 minIain looks at a double murder case that revolves around a San Francisco church.
Details of help and support with sexual violence and abuse are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 112. The Natural History Museum HeistMar 30, 2026 · 49 minA collection of precious jewels goes missing from New York’s Museum of Natural History. The thieves are smooth operators – but prosecutor Maurice Nadjari will stop at nothing to put them away.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 111. The Prince of PoisonersMar 23, 2026 · 46 minIain looks at the story of Dr William Palmer, a man whom Charles Dickens described as “the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey".
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 110. The Doe Roberts DisappearanceMar 16, 2026 · 42 minA strange kidnapping case in Tennessee leaves the FBI scrambling for answers.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 109. The Outlaws on the TrainMar 9, 2026 · 41 minToday we’re heading to the Wild West to learn all about a famous 1870s outlaw – Sam Bass – and his gang, the Black Hill Bandits.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 108. The Scamming MadameMar 2, 2026 · 47 minLaura looks at the story of a prolific French fraudster: Thérèse Humbert.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 107. The Independence Day EscapeFeb 23, 2026 · 40 minSeven prisoners escape a high-security facility in New Mexico. They’re armed – and extremely dangerous. Can the police catch them before anyone gets hurt?
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 106. Evelyn, the Vampire QueenFeb 16, 2026 · 42 minA 1900s case involving a high-society woman who gets caught up in a life of crime after a traumatic event.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 105. A Deadly AphrodisiacFeb 9, 2026 · 45 minAn office manager poisons two typists who work for him – one of whom he has been trying (and failing) to woo. Is it a tragic mistake? Or an act of pure evil?
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 104. The Sock in the SnowFeb 2, 2026 · 37 minIn January 1982, the bodies of two women were discovered in the snowy hills of Colorado. The police thought they knew who did it… but they wouldn’t find the real killer for almost 40 years.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 103. The Antwerp Diamond HeistJan 26, 2026 · 42 minIn 2003, approximately $100-million dollars-worth of loot was stolen from a high-security vault in Antwerp. Iain digs into this case, which was solved – in part – by a half-eaten salami sandwich!
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds.
Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 102. The Blackout RipperJan 19, 2026 · 40 minIn February 1942, in the midst of the WW2 blackouts, four women are found brutally murdered in their homes. Laura explores whether the crimes are linked. And, if so, who was behind them?
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 101. The Toyshop FugitiveJan 12, 2026 · 39 minThis week, Iain looks at the true story that inspired Channing Tatum’s 2025 film ‘Roofman’. We’re diving into the story of Jeffery Manchester, including the unusual hiding place he chose after escaping from prison.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 100. The Real Roxie & VelmaJan 5, 2026 · 41 minHappy centenary, Living Legends! We’re celebrating with a Chicago-themed case, looking at the real-life women who inspired the characters of Roxie Hart & Velma Kelly.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- Encore: Charles Manson, Part OneDec 29, 2025 · 49 minWe’re back in the MTW archives today for the first of our Charles Manson two-parter.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- Encore: The Missing Mona LisaDec 22, 2025 · 42 minWe’re travelling back through the MTW archives to bring you Iain’s episode about the OTHER Louvre heist.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 99. The Heineken KidnappingDec 15, 2025 · 45 minGet ready for Iain’s distinctly non-Chrismassy Christmas episode. This week, we’re looking at the 1983 kidnapping of Freddy Heineken and his chauffeur Ab Doderer.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 98. The Dandelion PoisonerDec 8, 2025 · 37 minThe infamous tale of Herbert Rowse Armstrong, a 20th-century solicitor accused of murdering not only a professional rival – but also… his own wife.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
Details of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
- 97. The Eiffel Tower ConmanDec 1, 2025 · 47 minLaura looks at the life of Victor Lustig, an ambitious 1920s conman who ‘sold’ both the Eiffel Tower and Tower Bridge to gullible businessmen. Plus, he built a fake ‘money printing machine’ AND he swindled $5,000 from history’s most notorious gangster, Al Capone.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 96. The Tommy Ball ShootingNov 24, 2025 · 42 minIt’s November 1923 when a young Aston Villa player is shot to death by his neighbour. Iain looks at what happened between Tommy Ball and George Stagg and explores why their dispute turned deadly.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 95. The Mám Trasna MurdersNov 17, 2025 · 33 minIn August 1882, a remote community in West Ireland is thrown into turmoil by a brutal massacre – followed by a shocking miscarriage of justice.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 94. The Bootleg King, Part 2Nov 10, 2025 · 35 minIn this second part of this case, Iain tracks George Remus’ dramatic downfall and explains the circumstances that led to the brutal murder of his wife Imogene.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 93. The Bootleg King, Part 1Nov 3, 2025 · 37 minIn the first half of a two-part case, Iain introduces us to one of history’s most successful bootleggers. A man so rich that he lit his cigarettes with £100 bills.
- 92. The Giggling GrannyOct 27, 2025 · 43 minLaura digs into the shocking story of serial killer Nannie Doss, a woman who is said to have killed five of her five husbands as well as her own mother, two of her children and one of her grandchildren.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
- 91. The Bolton ForgerOct 19, 2025 · 45 minIain looks at the life and crimes of Shaun Greenhalgh, a master forger from Bolton.
Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at lauraandiain@bbc.co.uk
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