Tonight on PBS, a conviction reopened after a century

Nearly a century ago, an American doctor named Hawley Crippen was executed in England for allegedly killing his wife and burying her remains in his basement. He was arrested after attempting to travel to the United States with a female companion disguised as a boy. The case was sensational at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is making news again, because DNA testing on evidence used in Crippen’s original trial has shown that the remains found in his basement were not those of his wife.

“Secrets of the Dead,” a PBS special airing tonight in most cities, will examine the case and attempt to determine whether Crippen was executed for a murder he didn’t commit.



Find out when the show will air on your local PBS affiliate, or watch it in its entirety on the web

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More: Erik Larsen’s 2007 book “Thunderstruck” tells the story of the Crippen case juxtaposed with the invention of the wireless telegraph.

Buy the book here and a percentage of your purchase will support the Innocence Project

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