Trial of The Mannings

The crime of Frederick and Maria Manning in 1849 has all the elements of a classic; the brutal cold-blooded murder of a friend for money, the discovery of a buried decomposing corpse, the escape of the couple and dramatic pursuit and capture by the police. It was a national sensation which culminated in the last public double hanging of a husband and wife, an event which shocked Charles Dickens and played a part in the later abolition of public executions. But one mystery remains – both Frederick and Maria asserted their innocence, each claiming that the other alone was guilty. Was either of them telling the truth? This new examination of the case offers a compelling resolution.