Arthur Devereux
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- Gender
- male
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Location
- London, England, United Kingdom
- Date of birth
- 1881
- Characteristics
- poisoner, parricide
- Victim profile
- His wife Beatrice, 24, and their 2-years-old twins
- Method of murder
- Poisoning (morphine and chloroform)
- Date(s) of murder
- —
- Years active
- —
- Date of arrest
- April 13, 1905
- Status
-
Executed
Executed by hanging at Pentonville prison on August 15, 1905
Case record: Arthur Devereux
Background
Arthur Devereux was a 24 year-old chemist's assistant. He and his wife Beatrice found it difficult to manage on his low wages, especially after the birth of a son. Beatrice became pregnant again and gave birth to twins. Undernourished, and unable to cope, Arthur persuaded his wife to drink poison and give some to the twins, telling her it was cough medicine.
The offence
Arthur Devereux persuaded his wife Beatrice to drink poison and give some to the twins, telling her it was cough medicine. Arthur placed the bodies in a trunk and concealed them. He only gave the drug to the twins. Once the twins were dead, he put their bodies in the trunk and sealed it.
Investigation
After Beatrice’s disappearance, Beatrice’s mother was not to be put off by Arthur’s excuses. She traced the trunk to a warehouse and ordered it to be opened. Devereux’s explanation was that his wife had killed herself and the twins, and that he had panicked and concealed the bodies. The decomposed bodies of Beatrice and two grandchildren were discovered when the trunk was opened.
Arrest
Arthur Devereux was arrested and charged.
Trial
Devereux was tried on the killing of his wife and twins.
Devereux’s defence was that his wife had been depressed and killed herself after first killing the twins. He claimed he had found the bodies and panicked, buying the trunk to conceal them.
The defence was challenged by evidence that Devereux had applied for a job before his wife’s death and had described himself as a widower on that application.
Sentencing
Arthur Devereux was executed by hanging at Pentonville prison on August 15, 1905.
Outcome
Arthur Devereux was hanged in August 1905.
Other details
Arthur Devereux placed the bodies in a trunk, moved to a new address, and took his son. The trunk was taken to a warehouse in Harrow. After the trunk was removed, Beatrice’s mother had traced the furniture van that had removed a large trunk from the house and taken it into storage before she ordered it to be opened.
Arthur Devereux had applied for a job before his wife’s death, and on that application he described himself as a widower.
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