Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society Who Was the Victorian Thames Torso Murderer? With Lucy Worsley
Jan 13, 2026
Lucy Worsley, a historian and broadcaster known for her engaging documentaries, joins to unravel the chilling Thames Torso murders that baffled Victorian London. They explore the gruesome dismemberment methods of the killer, contrasting them with the notorious Jack the Ripper's frenzied chaos. Lucy highlights a breakthrough in their investigation, linking past violent assaults to a suspect named James Crick, and revealing the often-overlooked lives of the victims. Their findings might just bring justice to forgotten souls lost to the river's depths.
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Social Conditions Enabled Predators
- Overcrowding, poverty and transience in Victorian London created environments where serial killers could prey on people who would not be missed.
- Lucy Worsley explains that social instability made vulnerable women easy targets and helped two killers operate simultaneously.
The River As An Accomplice
- The Thames acted as an accomplice by degrading evidence and moving body parts with the tide, aiding the killer's methodical dismemberment.
- Lucy Worsley and the forensic expert describe how river disposal and removing heads reduced identification risk.
Identification Through A Coat
- Elizabeth Jackson was identified because friends recognised the Ulster coat used to wrap body parts.
- Lucy Worsley recounts Elizabeth's decline from domestic servant to rough sleeper by the river while pregnant and vulnerable.
