The Red Barn Murder is a notorious…
August 1828 CE
A young woman, Maria Marten, was shot dead by her lover William Corder.
The two had arranged to meet at the Red Barn, a local landmark, before eloping to Ipswich.
Maria was never seen alive again and Corder fled the scene.
He sent letters to Marten's family claiming that she was in good health, but her body was later discovered buried in the barn after her stepmother spoke of having dreamed about the murder.
Corder was tracked down in London, where he had married and started a new life.
He was brought back to Suffolk and found guilty of murder in a well-publicized trial.
He is hanged at Bury St Edmunds on August 1, 1828 and a huge crowd witnesses the execution.
The story provokes numerous newspaper articles, songs and plays.
The village where the crime had taken place will become a tourist attraction and the barn will be stripped by souvenir hunters.
The plays and ballads will remain popular throughout the next century and continue to be performed today.
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North Europe
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