On 18 November 1987, a small fire broke out beneath a wooden escalator at London’s King’s Cross St Pancras Underground station. It should have been a routine incident. Instead, within minutes, it became one of the deadliest fires in modern British history. Thirty-one people lost their lives, more than 100 were injured, and an entire culture of complacency was exposed.

In this episode, Dee takes us back to 1980s London, when smoking was still common on the Underground, many escalators were made of wood, and repeated fire warnings had been ignored. We explore how a seemingly minor escalator fire developed into a devastating flashover that engulfed the ticket hall in seconds, trapping passengers and firefighters alike.

Sources

• Fennell Report: Investigation into the King’s Cross Underground Fire (1988)

• London Fire Brigade History Archive

• British Transport Police Historical Records

• UK Parliament Hansard Debates

• Journal of Fire Protection Engineering

• Contemporary reporting from The Guardian and ITV News

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of murder, extreme violence, mental illness, child abuse, and graphic injuries.

In February 1933, police were called to a quiet house in Le Mans, France, after René Lancelin returned home to find the doors locked, the lights out, and his wife and daughter missing.

Upstairs, officers discovered a scene so brutal it would shock France for decades to come.

At the centre of it all were Christine and Léa Papin - two devoted sisters who had worked as maids for the wealthy Lancelin family for years. Quiet, obedient, and intensely close, the sisters lived an isolated existence in the attic of the home they served.

But on the evening of 2 February 1933, something snapped.

Sources

• Bibliothèque nationale de France (Gallica)

• Criminocorpus – Papin Sisters Case Archive

• Criminocorpus – Archival Material Part 1

• Criminocorpus – Archival Material Part 2

• All That’s Interesting – The Papin Sisters Case

• The Guardian – The Maids Review / Papin Sisters Context

• Morbid Podcast – Episode on the Papin Sisters

• My Favourite Murder

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of murder, violence against women, arson, substance misuse, and graphic descriptions of injuries.

Three women. Four days. One of Birmingham’s most shocking killing sprees.This week, Dee takes Isla back to Birmingham in the year 2000 to examine the disturbing case of Philip John Smith, a man described by those who knew him as a "gentle giant" but whose actions would leave three families devastated and a city searching for answers.

What began as a seemingly ordinary night at a local pub quickly escalated into a series of brutal murders that stunned investigators. Smith had a long history of petty crime, but nothing in his record appeared to foreshadow the extraordinary violence that erupted over just a few days in November 2000.

Dee explores the lives of victims Jodi Hyde, Rosemary Corcoran, and Carol Jordan, the police investigation that rapidly closed in on Smith, and the extraordinary trail of evidence that ultimately led to his conviction. Along the way, the sisters discuss the difference between a serial killer and a spree killer, Birmingham's Irish pub scene, solvent abuse in the UK during the 1990s, and whether Smith may have had additional victims that were never proven.

Plus, because every horrifying case deserves a palate cleanser, Dee tests Isla's knowledge with a thoroughly unnecessary but highly entertaining Birmingham Quiz.

Victims Remembered

• Jodi Hyde (21) – recovering butane gas addict who had appeared in a BBC documentary about overcoming addiction
• Rosemary Corcoran (25) – mother of three
• Carol Jordan (39) – care worker and mother of six

Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones.

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Sources

• Birmingham Post (19 July 2001) – “The Philip Smith Murders: A Man with Over Thirty Convictions; Killer's Record”

• BBC News (3 July 2001) – “Man 'Killed and Mutilated' Women”

• BBC News (17 July 2001) – “Man Rejects Blood-Stain Evidence”

• BBC News (18 July 2001) – “Forensic Evidence Trapped Triple Killer”

• BBC News (18 July 2001) – “Inquiry into Triple Killer's Past”

• BBC News (29 October 2001) – “Police Probe Killer's Past”

• Birmingham Evening Mail (24 November 2000) – “Murder Suspect in Court”

• Sunday Mercury (2 January 2005) – “Murderers' Mars Bar Stand-Off”

• Irish Independent (8 March 2001) – Tom Brady, “Serial Killer Link as Gardaí Exhume Woman's Body”

• The Guardian (19 July 2001) – Helen Carter⁠https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/jul/19/helencarter⁠

The Black Dahlia case remains one of the most infamous unsolved murders in true crime history. In this special second part of our conversation with retired LAPD homicide detective and bestselling author Steve Hodel, we go deeper into the evidence, controversy, and personal cost behind his decades-long investigation into the murder of Elizabeth Short.

Steve originally set out to prove that his father, Dr George Hodel, had been wrongly accused of killing Elizabeth Short. Instead, the evidence led him in the opposite direction. In this fascinating and often emotional interview, Steve discusses why he believes his father was responsible, the alleged cover-up that followed, and how his own career investigating more than 300 homicide cases shaped his conclusions.

Steve Hodel is a retired Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective, former private investigator, nd bestselling true crime author. During his LAPD career he worked on more than 300 homicide investigations and received 75 commendations. He is best known for Black Dahlia Avenger, which explores his investigation into the murder of Elizabeth Short and the possibility that his own father, Dr George Hodel, was responsible.

Sources and Further Reading

• Steve Hodel – Black Dahlia Avenger

• Steve Hodel – Most Evil

• Steve Hodel – As Within, So Without

• Steve Hodel – The Early Years

• LAPD Black Dahlia case files

• Contemporary reporting on the murder of Elizabeth Short

• Historical research into the Black Dahlia investigation

🎙️ Switchblade Sisters Social Club is the true crime podcast where two friends exploit their worst fears for your entertainment.

📚 Visit Isla at Criminally Good Books: https://criminallygoodbooks.co.uk🌐 Find us at Switchblade Sisters Social Club: https://switchbladesisterssocialclub.com🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

In one of the most infamous unsolved murders in true crime history, Dee takes on a case she never thought she’d cover: The Black Dahlia.

On 15 January 1947, the mutilated body of 22-year-old Elizabeth Short was discovered in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. The shocking brutality of the crime, the glamour of post-war Hollywood, and the mystery surrounding her killer created a media sensation that continues nearly 80 years later.

This week, Dee walks Isla through the life of Elizabeth Short, the investigation that followed, and the key suspects who have fascinated detectives, journalists, and armchair sleuths for decades. Particular attention is given to one man whose name remains closely linked to the case: Dr George Hodel, a wealthy Los Angeles physician whose own son, retired LAPD homicide detective Steve Hodel, became convinced his father was responsible.

Next week, we’ll be joined by Steve Hodel himself to discuss growing up in the shadow of one of true crime’s most controversial suspects and the evidence that changed his mind forever.

• Steve Hodel — Black Dahlia Avenger

• Steve Hodel — Most Evil

• Steve Hodel — Black Dahlia Avenger II

• Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia (TNT/Cadence13)

• FBI Records: The Black Dahlia Investigation

• FBI History: Elizabeth Short (The Black Dahlia)

• Los Angeles Police Museum – Black Dahlia Resources

• The Black Dahlia (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

🎙️ Next week: Dee and Isla sit down with retired LAPD homicide detective Steve Hodel to discuss the evidence against his father, Dr George Hodel, and what it was like discovering that your own parent may have been one of America’s most notorious killers.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of murder, sexual violence, and extreme brutality.

It’s the summer of 1975 in Colorado Springs. Sunshine, freedom, and young people on the brink of their futures.

And then, over less than two weeks, three lives are taken in acts of violence so senseless, so brutal, they still haunt the community nearly 50 years later.

This week, Isla brings Dee a case that is deeply disturbing, not just because of what happened, but because of what’s still happening now.

We’re talking about a killing spree, not a serial killer - no cooling-off period, no pattern-building. Just escalation. Fast. Chaotic. Deadly.

📚 Sources

• Karen: A Brother Remembers – Kelsey Grammer

• Contemporary reporting and court records on the Colorado Springs murders (1975)

• Parole board records and public statements