England

WILSON
Mary Elizabeth

Active from 1955-1957 in Durham County, England

DID YOU KNOW...

Location Fact

Russell died in his own home

Arrest Fact

Wilson sat, drinking tea, while waiting for police to arrest her

Death Fact

Police returned Christmas card from Wilson's family and friends notifying them of her death

THE DISPATCH

The Beginning

Mary Elizabeth Wilson led an impoverished life with her chimney sweep husband, John Knowles, for 43 years. Then she decided she’s had enough of that life and decided to try her hand at something different.

The Murders

John Knowles

John Knowles was 75 years old when, in September, 1955, he died. Knowles was Wilson’s first husband. The cause of death was officially chronic bronchitis and heart failure. Police eventually suspected Wilson in his death, but she was never charged.

John George Ray Russell

In January, 1956, John George Ray Russell, who had been Wilson’s lodger, returned to his own home after Knowles’ death. Wilson continued caring for him, and was doing so when when he died. The official cause of death was thrombosis, hardening of the arteries and acute bronchitis. Police would later suspect Wilson in his death, but she was never charged. Russell was 65.

Oliver James Leonard

Wilson’s second husband was Oliver James Leonard. She met Leonard while visiting a friend, and talked with him for 20 minutes. The next day, they had submitted their names for marriage. The couple married on September 20, 1956. On October 3, 1956, after just a couple of weeks of marriage, Leonard died at age 75. He had a life insurance policy of £15 13s 4d.

Ernest George Lawrence Wilson

Ernest George Lawrence Wilson was Wilson’s third husband. They married on October 28, 1957. He died at the age of 76 on November 12, 1957. Ernest and Wilson had been married for just a couple of weeks. He had a life insurance policy for £9 4s 11d. After bills were paid, Wilson said she would have £50 left from his estate.

Police Suspicious, Exhume Bodies

Police became suspicious of Ernest Wilson’s death so soon after his marriage to the widow. The bodies of Ernest Wilson and Leonard were exhumed by police on November 30, 1957.

Arrest & Trial

Wilson Arrested

Police arrested Wilson on December 11, 1957, while she sat at home drinking her tea. On January 14, 1958, Wilson became the first person to be charged with two murders under the new Homicide Act. Among other things, it restricted the use of the death penalty for murder.

Wilson Tried, Sentenced to Death

During the trial, authorities said all men had died of phosphorus poisoning, but exactly how Knowles and Russell ingested the poison was unclear. Doctors swore at trial the phosphorus pills were no longer for sale, but a private investigator for the defense produced phosphorus pills purchased that day. The defense attorney said the pills were commonly used for nervousness, rickets and for sexual stimulation. However, the prosecution prevailed during the trial, pointing out the men had both phosphorus and bran – ingredients in rat and beetle poison. Wilson was sentenced to death on March 29, 1958, for the phosphorus poisonings of Oliver Leonard and Ernest Wilson.

Wilson Appeals, Loses. Sentence Commuted Anyway

Wilson appealed her sentence, but it was quickly dismissed. However, Home Secretary R. A. Butler considered the matter, and changed the sentence. Wilson’s death sentence was commuted to a life term on June 1, 1958. It was just four days before she was to be hanged.

Another Inquest Held

During the June, 1958 inquest into the deaths of Knowles and Russell, a pathologist testified that given the poisonings of Ernest Wilson and Leonard, that Knowles and Russell likely died of poisoning as well. However, there was no way to determine how each man ingested the poison, and no further charges were brought against Wilson.

Wilson’s Death

Died of Natural Causes

Mary Wilson died in Holloway Prison on December 5, 1982. Friends and family were notified when their Christmas cards were returned with a note from the prison that Wilson was dead.

BOOKS

Books about or including The Killer

The Complete Casebook of British Serial Murder by Daniel Johnson

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Sept. 18 2012)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1479341339
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1479341337

This book examines over one hundred cases of serial murder in the United Kingdom over the last two hundred years, in one of the most comprehensive books on the subject ever published. Serial killers such as Peter Sutcliffe, the “Yorkshire Ripper”, Steve Wright, the “Suffolk Strangler,” and Anthony Hardy, the “Camden Ripper” will be familiar. However, the cases of Harold Jones, Frederick Field, Andrew Dawson or Mark Rowntree may not be. This book aims to cover them all. 76 cases are examined in detail, and 25 more are discussed. Including a critical discussion of the current classification system for serial killers, and how it could be replaced wholesale, The Complete Casebook of British Serial Murder is a one-of-a-kind criminological volume essential to any collection on the subject.

Rose Heilbron: Legal Pioneer of the 20th Century: Inspiring Advocate who became England’s First Woman Judge by Hilary Heilbron

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hart Publishing (Oct. 22 2012)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 382 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1849464014
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1849464017

Rose Heilbron QC (later Dame Rose Heilbron), was an English barrister, who became a world famous icon of the 1950s and 1960s. She was one of the two first women King’s Counsel (later Queen’s Counsel) in 1949 and the first woman Judge in England in 1956 when she became Recorder of Burnley. This biography, written by her daughter Hilary, also a barrister and Queen’s Counsel, charts her rise to prominence and success against the odds, excelling as an advocate and lawyer and later as only the second female High Court Judge in a career spanning nearly 50 years. She broke down many barriers with a string of firsts in the legal profession. She became a pioneer for women at the English Bar and for women generally, championing many women’s causes in an era when it was not fashionable to do so.

The biography highlights her role as an inspiring and successful defence advocate in many famous and fascinating cases as well as in cases of great legal importance. These include the Cameo murder case in 1950; the trial of Devlin and Burns for capital murder; the representation of the striking Liverpool Dockers in a case of national importance; the defence of the notorious London gangster, Jack Spot; and the representation, in an early anti-discrimination case, of the world renowned cricketer, Learie Constantine. Includes a couple of pages on Mary Wilson.

VIDEOS & PODCASTS

Videos and podcasts about Mary Wilson, convicted murderer.

THE STATS

Years of marriage to Knowles

Days that Leonard and Wilson knew each other before registering for marriage

Days before her hanging date that Wilson's death sentence was commuted

Statistical table for Mary Elizabeth Wilson

Killer Name	WILSON, Mary Elizabeth
Killer AKA	The Widow of Windy Nook, Mary Elizabeth CASSIDY
Gender	F
Arrest Date	December 11, 1957
Sentence	Death sentence commuted to life on June 1, 1958
Birth Location	England
Birth Date	June 11, 1889
Death Date	December 5, 1962
Deceased	Yes
Cause of Death	Natural causes
Sexual Preference	Straight
Marital Status	Widow (killed husbands)
Number of Children	6
Killer Type	Black Widow/Bluebeard, Financial (inheritance/insurance fraud), Stationary
comment1	John Knowles, John Russell, Oliver Leonard (guilty), Ernest Wilson (guilty)
Total Dead Victims	4
Victims (Suspected)	2
Victims (Convicted)	2
Victim Gender	M
Victim Race	White
Victim Age	75, 65, 76, 75
Victim Type	Husbands, lodger
Method of Killing	Poison
Weapon	phosphorus bug poison
Body - Left, Not Hidden	Yes
Previous Crimes	No

Killer Rating

 3/5