The Warminster Poisoning: The Death of Elizabeth Pearce | True Crime 1895

A young wife collapses in agony inside her Warminster cottage, and within minutes she is gone. Arsenic in the house, strychnine in the chemist’s shop, and whispers of fear and family tension stirred a scandal that gripped Victorian England. In this episode, we follow the final hours of Elizabeth Pearce, a 25-year-old newlywed whose sudden death in 1886 set off one of the era’s most troubling poisoning investigations.

With conflicting witness accounts, uncertain forensic evidence, and a household divided by suspicion, the question remains:

Was this a deliberate poisoning, a tragic accident, or a catastrophic failure of Victorian justice?

Join us as we trace the case from Elizabeth’s last meal to the inquest room, examining the powders, testimonies, and courtroom drama that still raise questions nearly a century and a half later.

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