August 6, 1824 - William Palmer
A physician who turned medical knowledge into a means of killing, Palmer operated at a time when forensic toxicology was still in its infancy — a circumstance that likely allowed multiple deaths to go undetected before investigators closed in on him. The case against him centered on a single murder, but contemporaries and later historians suspected the toll was considerably higher, possibly including his wife and brother. His trial drew national attention and prompted reform to English venue law, as local bias made a fair hearing in Rugeley impossible.
From Wikipedia
William Palmer (6 August 1824 – 14 June 1856), also known as the Rugeley Poisoner or the Prince of Poisoners, was an English doctor and murderer. A court convicted him for the 1855 murder of his friend John Cook, whom he had poisoned with strychnine. He was also suspected of poisoning several other people including his brother and his mother-in-law, as well as four of his children. Palmer made large sums of money from the deaths of his wife and brother after collecting on life insurance, and by defrauding his wealthy mother.
Palmer was hanged in public the year following his conviction. Charles Dickens called Palmer "the greatest villain that ever stood in the Old Bailey".
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