373:  The Murder Case that Inspired The Scarlet Letter w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

373: The Murder Case that Inspired The Scarlet Letter w/ Kate Winkler Dawson

Author: Blue Ewe Media January 6, 2025 Duration: 1:02:27
On a cold winter day in 1832, Sarah Maria Cornell was found dead in a quiet farmyard in a small New England town. When her troubled past and a secret correspondence with charismatic Methodist minister Reverend Ephraim Avery was uncovered, more questions emerged. Was Sarah’s death a suicide...or something much darker? Determined to uncover the real story, Victorian writer Catharine Read Arnold Williams threw herself into the investigation as the trial was unfolding and wrote what many claim to be the first American true-crime narrative, Fall River. The murder divided the country and inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter—but the reverend was not convicted, and questions linger to this day about what really led to Sarah Cornell’s death. Until now. Acclaimed true-crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson is my returning guest, and her new book "The Sinners All Bow: Two Authors, One Murder, and the Real Hester Prynne" is officially on sale on January 7th. The author's website: https://www.katewinklerdawson.com/ Our sponsor this week is Acorns. Head here https://acorns.com/notorious or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step back in time and explore the darkest corners of the past with Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast. This isn't just another crime show; it's a deep dive into the historical context that shaped infamous acts and the figures behind them. From the ruthless gangsters of the Prohibition era to the chilling methods of Victorian-era murderers, each episode unpacks a story rooted in its specific moment in history. Host Erik Rivenes acts as your guide, conducting thoughtful interviews with authors and historians who have dedicated years to researching their subjects. These conversations move beyond sensational headlines to deliver nuanced narratives filled with detail and scholarly accuracy. You'll hear about forgotten tragedies, legendary outlaws, and societal disasters, all presented with a focus on understanding the why and how within the framework of the past. Tune in for a compelling blend of education and narrative, where every story is a piece of historical truth, often more fascinating and complex than fiction. This podcast from Blue Ewe Media connects the dots between crime and history, offering a rich, thoroughly researched listening experience for anyone curious about the shadows cast across different centuries.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Most Notorious! A True Crime History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
413:  Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday & Tombstone w/ Mark Lee Gardner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:10
Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were two complicated men whose steadfast friendship became one of the legendary relationships of the American West. Both were flawed, and often on uncertain moral ground, yet their bond carrie…
412: The Killing of William Woodward w/ Jerry Aylward [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:13
In the early hours on a rainy autumn night in 1955, on a lavish country estate in Oyster Bay Cove, esteemed New York socialite Ann Woodward fired both barrels of her custom-made shotgun into the head of her husband, mult…
411:  The Murder of Zoya Fyodorova w/ Chris Pouy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:12
My guest is Chris Pouy, who shares an astonishing true story of love, betrayal, and murder on this latest episode of Most Notorious. His grandmother, Zoya Fyodorova, was a celebrated Russian actress who fell in love with…
The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis - Southern Gothic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:31
Just off the old Natchez Trace, in the quiet woods of Tennessee, stands a broken marble column marking the grave of Meriwether Lewis. The monument was meant to honor one of America’s greatest explorers, but its shattered…
410: The 1856 Dublin Railway Murder w/ Thomas Morris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:12
In November 1856, Dublin was shaken by the murder of George Little, chief cashier at the Broadstone railway terminus. He was found in his office, beaten and with his throat cut, thousands of pounds worth of gold and silv…
MoNo Encore: The Car Barn Murders w/ Karen Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:08
(Orig pub date 8/15/23) In the early morning of January 21st, 1935 two employees of the Capital Transit Company in Chevy Chase, Maryland were cold-bloodedly gunned down. One of the men murdered was my guest's great-great…
409:  The Scientist & the Serial Killer w/ Lise Olsen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:46
In "The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston’s Lost Boys", investigative journalist Lise Olsen tells the gripping true-crime story behind the “Lost Boys” murders in 1970s Houston, when more than two do…
408:  The Murder of Cecelia Gullivan w/ Jeffrey L. Amestoy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:33
In November 1926, Cecelia Gullivan, treasurer of the Cone Automatic Machine company of Windsor, Vermont, was brutally killed in her home. Local police quickly arrested Cone Automatic machinist John Winters on suspicion o…
407:  The Thames Torso Murders w/ Sarah Bax Horton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:24
Victorian London is often remembered for the Ripper murders, yet at the same time another equally chilling series of slayings unfolded. Between 1887 and 1889, the dismembered bodies of four women appeared along the Thame…