Louisa Merrifield

Case overview

Louisa May Merrifield was a housekeeper and companion who was executed for murder after Mrs Sarah Ann Ricketts died from phosphorus poisoning. The pair had accepted a live-in position with Mrs Ricketts at a modern bungalow in Blackpool, and Louisa had repeatedly discussed inheriting the bungalow before and after Mrs Ricketts’s death.

Background

Louisa Merrifield had been married three times and was 46 years old. She had spent time in prison for ration book fraud and had served a prison sentence for fraud. In the preceding three years she had held 20 domestic jobs. Her third husband was Alfred Merrifield, who was 71 years old in the period described.

Louisa and Alfred became resident housekeepers and companions to Mrs Sarah Ann Ricketts, an elderly woman who owned a modern bungalow in Blackpool.

The offence

Mrs Sarah Ann Ricketts died on 14 April 1953. A post-mortem revealed that her death was due to phosphorous poisoning. The prosecution’s case was that the Merrifields had murdered Mrs Ricketts with phosphorous in the form of a rat poison, and that they would benefit financially from Mrs Ricketts’s death.

Rodine was described as the rat poison ingredient found in Mrs Ricketts’s system after an autopsy.

Louisa had made remarks to friends about Mrs Ricketts, including: “She’s not dead yet, but she soon will be.”

Louisa also requested that a local doctor certify Mrs Ricketts was fit and sane enough to make a new will, and Mrs Ricketts subsequently changed her will in the Merrifields’ favour.

Investigation

Police searched the bungalow and its garden, with the Merrifields still in residence, but no poison was found during the search.

A death notice was involved in triggering police action. Mrs Brewer saw Mrs Ricketts’s death notice in the newspaper and phoned the police after realising that Louisa had told her that Mrs Ricketts was dead three days in advance of the event.

Arrest

Louisa Merrifield was arrested after the autopsy findings and police searches. The source also states that their arrests occurred after the poison findings, with Louisa’s arrest following shortly after, and her husband’s arrest following shortly afterwards.

Trial

Louisa and Alfred Merrifield were both tried together with murder at Manchester in July 1953.

The prosecution presented evidence including witnesses who testified to earlier remarks Louisa had made about wealthy old women who had not died yet. The jury failed to reach a verdict on Alfred Merrifield. Louisa Merrifield was found guilty of murder.

Sentencing

Louisa Merrifield was sentenced to death by hanging.

Outcome

Louisa Merrifield was hanged at Manchester’s Strangeways Prison on 18 September 1953.

Alfred Merrifield was released because the jury failed to reach a verdict in his case. He inherited a half-share in the late Mrs Ricketts’s bungalow. He later appeared in Blackpool sideshows and died in 1962 aged 80.

Timeline

• 12 March 1953 — Louisa and Alfred took a live-in position as housekeepers and companions to Mrs Sarah Ann Ricketts.
• 9 April 1953 — Louisa asked a doctor to certify that Mrs Ricketts was fit and sane enough to make a new will.
• 14 April 1953 — Mrs Sarah Ann Ricketts died; a post-mortem/autopsy later found phosphorus poisoning and an ingredient of the rat poison Rodine in her system.
• 20 July 1953 — At Manchester Assizes, Louisa was found guilty; Alfred was released after the jury failed to reach a verdict.
• 18 September 1953 — Louisa Merrifield was hanged at Manchester’s Strangeways Prison.
• 1962 — Alfred Merrifield died aged 80.

Other details

Louisa invited suspicion by not calling a doctor until the following morning after Mrs Ricketts’s death was discovered, explaining that she did not want to go out at that time of night.

Dr Yule was called and refused to sign a death certificate.

Louisa asked the Salvation Army to play “Abide with Me” outside the house.

Louisa was described as 46-year-old Louisa May Merrifield, and Alfred was described as 71-year-old Alfred (with his age later given as 74 at the time of their marriage in February 1953, and as 80 at death in 1962).

Mrs Ricketts owned the modern bungalow in Blackpool that Louisa and Alfred were described as seeking to inherit.

Louisa’s execution was carried out by executioner Albert Pierrepoint.