On This Day in True Crime History – 31 July

1798: John Raynor Hanged in Sydney for House-Breaking

In July 1798, the court of criminal judicature convened in Sydney specifically to try John Raynor, described by contemporaries as an incorrigible offender whose fate had long been predicted. Read more →

1867: William Terry Hanged at Castlemaine for the Murder of Peter Reddick

William Henry Terry, known under a string of aliases including Hopkins, Williams, and Mitchell, was convicted at the Castlemaine Circuit Court before Chief Justice Sir William Stawell of the wilful murder of his mate Peter Reddick at the Coliban on 14 July 1862. Read more →

1910: Dr Crippen Captured at Sea, the First Fugitive Caught by Wireless Telegraph

American homeopath Hawley Harvey Crippen became one of history’s most notorious wife-murderers when his second wife, Cora, vanished after a dinner party at their home in Holloway, London, on the night of 31 January 1910. Read more →

1977: Son of Sam Shoots Final Victims in a Parked Car in Brooklyn

On the night of July 31, 1977, Stacy Moskowitz and Robert Violante, both 20, were shot while sitting in a parked car in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, on their first date. Read more →

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