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William Burke and William Hare-Death Masks.
Note: Images enhanced for clarity, resolution, lighting, and minor blemishes.
William Burke and William Hare
Burke and Hare murders.
Victim(s)
[16 in total Murdered] Including Donald (or Joseph)(M), Abigail Simpson(F), Mary Paterson (18F), Effie (F), Mrs. Haldane (F), Peggy Haldane (F), Mrs. Hostler (or Ostler)(F), Ann MacDougal (or McDougal)(F), James Wilson ("Daft Jamie")(18M), Mrs. Docherty (Margaret Docherty), [Survived] Janet Brown (Mary Paterson's friend)
perpetrator(s)
William Burke and William Hare.
Case Status
Closed Case
Case Years
1828
Location(s)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Synopsis
Read case story
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.
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