Sweets and secrets: The mysterious murder of Laura Mordaunt-Chapman

This week, we’re off to Twickenham (yes, it is in South London—Han’s learning geography as we go), where a wealthy widow was found brutally stabbed and partially burned in her own home in 1936. Laura Mordaunt Chapman lived a quiet, reclusive life—until Albert Hadfield, a local sweetshop owner with a shady past and a bicycle, wormed his way in. With 47 stab wounds, no signs of a break-in, and a staged crime scene, the case screamed foul play… but nearly 90 years on, no one has ever been convicted.

We’re talking poison apples (not really, but sort of), romantic misunderstandings, and the mystery of why Laura, who never left her kitchen, was found upstairs. Oh, and we’ve upgraded our recording kit thanks to Young William. Fancy.

Join us as we unravel a lesser-known but chilling South London murder and raise a glass (or a cider) to one year of Sinister South. Spoiler: Albert definitely did it.

Sources for this episode include:

http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=1222&termRef=Laura%20Mordaunt-Chapman

https://www.tempestproductions.net/podcasts/episode/8fad0ca9/london-epitaphs-11-laura-mordaunt-chapman

https://bookreadfree.com/538064/13210324#:~:text=From%20August%201927%2C%20Laura%20had,callers%20and%20lived%20very%20quietly

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1936-07-13/1936-07-13?basicsearch=girl%20shoots%20a%20man%20dead%20for%20treading%20on%20her%20foot&somesearch=girl%20shoots%20a%20man%20dead%20for%20treading%20on%20her%20foot&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&sortorder=score#:~:text=foot%27%20www,Knowl%20Usk%20Monmouthshire%20gave

Support the show

Thanks for tuning in! If you loved diving into the dark corners of South London with us, don't forget to hit that subscribe button to never miss an episode of "Sinister South."

Also, follow us on Instagram @SinisterSouthPodcast for sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes content, and more cheeky banter, or www.sinistersouthpod.co.uk. Remember, every crime tells a story... and South is the best side of the river...

Produced and hosted by Hannah Williams & Rachel Baines
Mixed & edited by Purple Waves Sound (A.K.A Will)