J Forensic Sci, 2010 doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01532.x CASE REPORT Available online at: interscience.wiley.com CRIMINALISTICS
David R. Foran,1 Ph.D.; Beth E. Wills,2 A.D.N.; Brianne M. Kiley,3 M.S.; Carrie B. Jackson,3 M.S.; and John H. Trestrail III,4 B.S.
The Conviction of Dr. Crippen: New Forensic Findings in a Century-Old Murder
ABSTRACT: Dr. Hawley Crippen was accused and convicted of murdering his wife in London in 1910. Key to the conviction was microscopic analysis of remains found in the Crippen’s coal cellar, which were identified as Cora Crippen based on a scar she was said to have. Dr. Crippen was hanged, always proclaiming his innocence. In this study, genealogical research was used to locate maternal relatives of Cora Crippen, and their mitochondrial haplotypes were determined. Next, one of the pathology slides of the scar was obtained, DNA was isolated, and the haplotype was determined. That process was then repeated. Finally, both DNA isolates were assayed for repetitive elements on autosomes and repetitive elements specific to the Y chromosome. Based on the genealogical and mitochondrial DNA research, the tissue on the pathology slide used to convict Dr. Crippen was not that of Cora Crippen. Moreover, that tissue was male in origin.
KEYWORDS: forensic science, genealogy, mitochondrial DNA, sex determination, ancient DNA
Hawley Harvey Crippen was born in Coldwater, Michigan, in whom, and to his wife’s knowledge, he had been carrying on an 1862 and went on to be at the center of one of the most infamous affair for the past 3 years. Miss LeNeve was even seen wearing Cora murders in British history. Although the details of the case have Crippen’s clothes and jewelry in public. When Mrs. Crippen’s been told in more than 40 books and films over the years, includ- friends became suspicious over her absence, they took their concerns ing many detailed works (e.g., [1–14], from which the historical to New Scotland Yard and requested an investigation. The case was information below was obtained), serious questions remain as to placed under the auspices of Chief Inspector Walter Dew, who inter- his guilt or innocence. Crippen obtained a degree in homeopathic rogated Dr. Crippen about the location of his wife. Dr. Crippen medicine in 1882, followed by additional education to qualify as a stated that after their friends left on the evening she was last seen, he homeopathic physician in the same year. His first wife, Charlotte and his wife had an argument during which she said she was leaving Jane (nee Bell) Crippen, died from ‘‘apoplexy,’’ and their only him and was never seen again. It was Dr. Crippen’s belief that she child, Otto Crippen, was sent to live with his paternal grandparents. had run off with another man, one Bruce Miller, with whom she In 1892, Dr. Crippen married his second wife, Cora Mersinger. was thought to have had a romantic relationship. Cora Crippen was originally Kunegunde Mackamotzki, her sur- On July 9, 1910, 1 day after being interrogated by Inspector name changing to Mersinger upon her father’s death and mother’s Dew, Dr. Crippen traveled from London to Belgium accompanied remarriage. On her marriage certificate, she used the name Cora by Ethel LeNeve, who was disguised as a boy; a few days later, (Corinne) Turner and later took the name Belle Elmore for her they booked passage on a steamship and sailed for Canada. Inspec- stage career. She was 11 years younger than Dr. Crippen. tor Dew returned to the Crippen’s home on July 11th and found The Crippens moved to London in 1900 where Dr. Crippen repre- the residence empty. An extensive investigation into the property sented the Munyon Homeopathic Home Remedy Co. On September was carried out by New Scotland Yard detectives seeking any evi- 21, 1905, they moved into a rental property at 39 Hilldrop Crescent, dence that might shed light on the missing woman. Four days later, Holloway, North London. Cora Crippen was last seen alive by after removing a few floor bricks in the coal cellar and digging friends visiting the Crippen home, at approximately 1:30 am,on down several inches, decaying tissues were discovered, along with February 1, 1910. After her disappearance, Dr. Crippen was regu- some female clothing, a man’s pajama top, and bleached blond hair larly accompanied by his office secretary, Ethel LeNeve, with in curlers. The remains consisted of flesh with adipocere and vis- cera (heart, lungs, trachea, esophagus, liver, kidneys, spleen, stom- 1Forensic Science Program, School of Criminal Justice and Department of ach, pancreas, small intestines, and most of the large intestine). All Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. of the organs had been removed en masse. No head, limbs, bones, 2560 Baker Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. or reproductive organs were found. The conclusion of the detec- 3 Forensic Science Program, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State tives was that these were Cora Crippen’s remains, and a worldwide University, East Lansing, MI 48824. 4Center for the Study of Criminal Poisoning, 5757 Hall St. SE, Grand alert was issued to find Dr. Crippen and his mistress. Rapids, MI 49546. A toxicological analysis of the remains by a New Scotland Received 7 Aug. 2009; and in revised form 27 Oct. 2009; accepted 1 Yard analytical chemist identified the alkaloidal substance hyoscine Nov. 2009. hydrobromide (scopolamine) in an amount determined to be lethal.