On a crisp autumn morning in 1935, a brother and sister out for a walk in the Scottish countryside stumbled upon dozens of packages containing dissected human remains. Who - or what - could have done this?

Now largely forgotten, the Ruxton case grabbed worldwide attention. A real-life Agatha Christie mystery, the gruesome details of the murders would shock the public and test the ability of police to keep the public safe.

The case was also the birthplace of modern forensic science. It would alter the course of how murders are investigated.

Hosted by Yeardley Smith of Small Town Dicks, “Beyond Recognition” is a 6-part series that delves into one of the most important murder cases of the early 20th century. Inspired by a book from famed Scottish police detective Tom Wood, it features the insights of Paul Holes, Dame Sue Black, and other leading experts who not only recount the grisly crime but examine the psychological and forensic aspects of the case.

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Credits:

Beyond Recognition was written and produced by Peter Gilstrap. I’m your host, Yeardley Smith. Thanks to our story editors, Barbara Bogaev and Sasha Khokha. Logan Heftel was our sound supervisor with editing and sound design from Soren Begin, Sarah Ma, Cristina Bracamontes, and Erin Phelps. Field recordings in Moffat and Lancaster were captured by Sean Kerwin and Kit Cummings. Original music was composed by Logan Heftel with additional music from Epidemic Sound. The series was produced by Audio 99 under the direction of executive producer Gary Scott. Our social media is handled by Monika Scott.

Beyond Recognition was inspired by the book Ruxton: The First Modern Murder written by Tom Wood. Among our many other sources are The Jigsaw Murders by Jeremy Craddock, Written in Bone by Sue Black and The Trial of Buck Ruxton edited by R.H. Blundell and G.H. Wilson, as well as original interviews and period news accounts.

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