A serial poisoner?

New evidence of early CSI practice

For my doctoral research into police detective practice, I looked for examples of regional investigators undertaking formal crime scene examination, which was not standard procedure until the late 1800s and early 1900s. I found some fascinating cases which revealed that detectives were already developing processes to collect and preserve evidence from crime scenes, from as early as the mid-nineteenth century.

In Liverpool, in 1860, when it was suspected that eating-house owner Ann James was being poisoned, experienced police detective William Horn carefully preserved and analysed the evidence, which pointed to the actions of a serial poisoner in the household.