Tag Archives: Geoffrey Wansell

Murder by the Sea: Louisa Merrifield

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Of the six cases featured in the latest Murder by the Sea series, Louisa May Merrifield’s is the one I would most like to research further.

The Blackpool Poisoner was the final episode on CBS Reality’s British series last week, and it is fascinating.

In 1953 Louisa went to work as a housekeeper for a rather cranky old gal called Sarah Ricketts, aged 79. As I point out during the programme, Louisa was something of a dodgy character, having had 20-odd jobs in three years prior to this.

Panoramic view of Blackpool sands at low tide with the tower and central pier in the distance http://photoeverywhere.co.uk

Murder at the bungalow

Louisa and her third husband, Alfred (who was 24 years her senior at 71) moved into Mrs Ricketts two-bed bungalow at 339 Devonshire Road, Blackpool.

The housekeeper got her employer to change her will, leaving her £3,000 bungalow to Louisa and her husband. Soon after Louisa put rat poison in the old lady’s favourite treat – a jar full of jam.

As Murder by the Sea makes, Louisa was greedy and boastful. She made several blunders and was soon arrested.

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Murder by the Sea on CBS Reality

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Crime author Geoffrey Wansell presents Murder by the Sea

Originally posted on robinjarossi.com  1 5 18

Oh, we do love to be beside the seaside. Beaches, piers and perhaps a summer romance…

But Britain’s resorts do have a dark side, and this is explored in a series starting this month. Murder by the Sea is a six-part documentary on CBS Reality.

I got a bit of an insight into the series and the cases featured when I was invited to be interviewed on it.

Crimewriter Geoffrey Wansell

Presented by crime author Geoffrey Wansell, the first case looked at is Stephen Akinmurele. It’s an intriguing but chilling story.

Akinmurele is a little known case, because he killed himself before he could be tried. He is Britain’s most prolific young serial killer, having been charged with murdering five elderly people between 1995 and 1998. Some of these were committed in Blackpool.

I’ve seen the opener and will preview it in full shortly.

• Murder by the Sea is CBS Reality series