The Burke and Hare murders took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 1827 and 1828, when William Burke and William Hare killed at least 16 people to sell their bodies to Dr. Robert Knox, an anatomist in need of cadavers for medical dissection. Rather than grave-robbing, the pair turned to murder, targeting vulnerable individuals such as the poor, elderly, and disabled. Their crimes were uncovered after the murder of their final victim, Margaret Docherty, leading to Burke’s execution in 1829. The case shocked the public and led to the Anatomy Act of 1832, which reformed how medical schools obtained bodies for study.