A Ghost Story Without a Ghost: The Chelsea Parlour Murder of 1833

A Ghost Story Without a Ghost: The Chelsea Parlour Murder of 1833
News of the Times | Episode 558 | 1833
In 1833, 70‑year‑old Catherine Elms lived quietly in a tiny Chelsea flat. She was well liked, friendly, and poor, with only a few modest possessions.

But one winter night she was found brutally slaughtered — her face split open by repeated blows with a sword and a hatchet, her rooms ransacked — and yet not a single thing of value was missing.

And the true puzzle:
Every door locked and bolted.
Shutters fastened.
The street‑door key lying untouched in the hallway.

It was as if the killer had melted through the very walls.

With no servants, no family at home, and her only lodger away, the killing defied sense. Who could have entered the sealed house? Was it a stranger with a secret grudge — or someone she trusted enough to let in before she locked up for the night?

This shocking “Chelsea Flat Murder” horrified England, baffled investigators, and has remained an enduring locked‑room mystery for nearly two centuries. Join us as we reopen the case.

In this episode's Further Particulars…
From blood‑spattered parlours to phantom brawls in the Welsh valleys — tonight’s palate cleanser comes from Glamorganshire, where the infamous Tondu Ghost isn’t content to rattle chains.

Lock the doors, pour another cup of tea, and meet the phantom pugilist of Tondu.

👤 Narrated by Robin Coles

📅 New episodes: Monday, Wednesday & Friday

📚 Related cases from the archive:
1831: The Bell Boy Murderer | EP468
https://youtu.be/5-_a9mpSopE
1551 - 1836: Favourite Georgian Era Crime Stories | EP470 https://youtu.be/B9Wd8CJmjcE

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