Yesterday evening I watched a chilling though fascinating programme about the acid bath murderer, John George Haigh. Born into a deeply religious family (his parents where Plymouth Brethren, a strict protestant sect), Haigh progressed from terms of imprisonment for fraud to murdering 6 people. The killings took place in order that Haigh could steal his victims money, much of which he spent on gambling.
Haigh’s last victim was his undoing. He shot and dissolved in acid a 69-year-old fellow hotel guest (Haigh had been staying at the Onslo Hotel in Kensington). However when the lady failed to return to the hotel her fellow guests became suspicious and following an investigation Haigh was arrested and confessed to murdering 9 people (although it is thought he did, in fact kill a total of 6 and his inflated claim stemmed from a wish to convince the trial jury that he was mad). He was convicted of murder and hanged by the famous executioner Albert Pierrepoint.
Haigh believed that the use of acid would remove all traces of his crime. In this he was wrong as the police found a foot and several gall stones in the sludge that constituted the remains of his victims.
A fascinating though horrific series of crimes, (http://murderpedia.org/male.H/h/haigh-john.htm).