Inside Forensic Science

Episode 6: The Verdict

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Now that all the evidence is gathered, it becomes the role of prosecutors and expert witnesses to present their evidence in the courtroom.

In the final episode of this series, we explore what happened in the courtroom and what became of the culprit.

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Episode 5: Written in Blood

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Content warning: mentions of domestic violence and discussions of dead bodies, decomposition and dismemberment.

Having arrested a suspect for the murders, investigators shift their attention to the potential crime scene in 2 Dalton Square, Lancashire. What did forensic scientists find and what does it tell us about what happened to Mary and Isabella?

In episode 5, we discuss what evidence was found at the Ruxton home and what it can tell us about what happened to the two women.

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the

podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Episode 4: But is it Mary?

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Content warnings: mentions of domestic violence and discussions of dead bodies, decomposition and dismemberment.

How can investigators be sure that the bodies found in Moffat were those of Mary Jane Rogerson and Isabella Ruxton? Who did this to them and why?

In episode 4, we discuss more of the forensic science techniques that were used to identify the victims of the Moffat murders.

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Episode 3: The Maid and her Mistress

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Content warning: discussions of dead bodies, decomposition and dismemberment

Investigators initially thought the two bodies from Moffat were of a man and woman. However, further investigation leads police to suspect that they may be mistaken. Not long before the bodies were found a young maid from Lancaster and her mistress were reported missing.

Could the bodies found in Moffat belong to these two missing women?

In episode 3 we discuss how it was possible for investigators to link these two missing women in the case.

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Episode 2: Sin Eaters

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Content warning: discussions of dead bodies, decomposition, including mentions of insects and dismemberment.

Now that the body parts have been recovered, it is the responsibility of forensic scientists to attempt the gruelling task of examining and putting the pieces back together. However, with DNA unavailable as a forensic technique in 1935, what other forms of examination could experts use to identify a body?

In this episode, we discuss what story a body can tell us about a person’s sex, age or lifestyle as well as some of the innovative new experiments that were carried out to identify bodies from Moffat.

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Episode 1: The Ravine

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 23:30:00 +0000

Content warning: discussions of dead bodies, decomposition and dismemberment

On a quiet Sunday in September 1935, two women walking outside the small town of Moffat stop at a stone bridge overlooking a ravine through which a small waterfall and stream flowed. It was then that the women spotted something shocking, a partially decomposed human arm protruding from a small package. Police found many similar packages strewn across the ravine, each containing human body parts. Thus began a long investigation into the identities of these unknown people.

In this episode, we discuss how police in 1935 investigated the scene at the ravine. How were they certain these body parts were human? How did their investigation compare to forensic practices today?

Join us on Facebook or visit our website to see further resources and discuss the podcast.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is written and narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 4: A Case of Stolen Identity

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:15:00 +0000

In the fourth series of Inside Forensic Science we unravel a case of stolen identity. If a victim’s identity is stripped from them, what can forensic scientists do to reclaim who they were and bring their stories to light?

Series 3, Episode 6: The Verdict

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 23:30:00 +0000

What did our experts and the jury of the day decide? How can people make a decision when experts disagree and who can be an expert in criminal cases? This episode covers all of the details and also answers the question of what happened to Scott and Monson after the trial.

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3, Episode 5: The Experiments

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 23:30:00 +0000

Content warning: graphic descriptions of injury and death involving a gun and mention of suicide

Accident or murder? To determine which is the most likely explanation for Hambrough’s death, experts in both 1893 and the present carry out experiments to test what distance the shot could have come from. What exactly can these experiments tell us about what happened on that fateful day and what are their limitations?

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3, Episode 4: The Motive

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 23:33:00 +0000

Alfred John Monson is accused of the murder of young Dudley Cecil Hambrough. For over 3 years Monson had acted not only as Hambrough’s tutor and guardian, but as his friend. What motive could there have been for Monson to commit murder? The prosecution say money.

Join us for this episode as we scrutinise personal accounts, financial documents and the arguments made by both the prosecution and defence regarding Monson’s motives for murder.

View our Facebook page for further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3, Episode 3: The Postmortem and the Gun

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 23:31:00 +0000

Content warning: this episode contains graphic descriptions of the autopsy process.

A young man has been shot dead on a hunting trip; his two hunting companions are suspected of murder. With Monson arrested and Scott on the run, attention turns to the body. What can an autopsy tell us about how someone died? Can the postmortem and knowledge of ballistics tell us whether this death was truly a murder or an accident?

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3 Bonus: VR and Forensic Science

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:45:00 +0000

This is a bonus episode designed to accompany Episode 2 of Series 3. It features an interview between Pennie Stuart and Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science Senior Research Engineer Vincenzo Rinaldi about the application of Virtual Reality in forensic science.

Series 3, Episode 2: The Scene

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:00:00 +0000

The police believe the death of Cecil Hambrough was no accident. His tutor Alfred John Monson is arrested for his murder 20 days after the incident. Scott, the last member of the hunting party has disappeared. Now it is up to the experts to gather what evidence they can from the scene. But after all that time, is there any evidence left to find?

This episode discusses what evidence may have been lost from the Ardlamont scene and what steps we take today to preserve a crime scene.

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3, Episode 1: A Death

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 23:00:00 +0000

The early morning of Thursday 10 August 1893, a party of three men leave to hunt rabbits on the Ardlamont estate in Tighnabruaich—only two return. The youngest, Lieutenant Dudley Cecil Hambrough has died from a bullet to the back of his head. The local doctor decrees the death an accident, but is the story really so clear cut?

In this episode, we question what evidence might have been lost following Hambrough’s death and what steps investigators take today to confirm whether a death was accidental or the result of a crime.

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 3: The Ardlamont Mystery

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:00:00 +0000

This third series of Inside Forensic Science delves into our most complicated historical case yet: the Ardlamont Trial.

On 10 August 1893 a young man dies from a gunshot to the back of the head while hunting on the Ardlamont Estate. Was this incident an accident or did one of his hunting companions seek to benefit from his death? Inside Forensic Science interviews forensic scientists including ballistics and medical experts to determine what might have happened today.

Series 2: Episode 6 The Verdict

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 00:15:00 +0000

It's now time to put all the pieces of this puzzle together. Do you believe Madeleine Smith is guilty of poisoning her lover? Only Scotland has a ‘not proven’ verdict. What does this mean for a jury and for those who receive this judgement?

Join our Facebook group to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Our experts were:

Experts

Dr Jonathan Morris, Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services

Dr Richard Shepherd, Forensic Pathologist

Professor Eleanor Gordon, Affiliate (School of Social & Political Sciences). University of Glasgow

Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee

Dr Lorna Nisbet, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee

Donald Findlay KC

Lady Dorrian, Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, Scottish Judiciary

Our actors

Joe Reilly, Phil Latin, Craig Swan, Ian Boffey, John Harding, Andrew Thomson, Lynsey Moyes, Alan Richardson, David Bryce, Erica Holland, Russell Mullen, Alice Jenner, David Stuart, Iain McDiarmid, Dan Holland and Mark Stephen. Madeleine Smith was played by Keira Lucchesi.

Series 2: Episode 5 The Poison

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:15:00 +0000

Content warning: this episode discusses suicide.

There are unanswered questions around the circumstances of Emile's death. What can the forensic toxicology evidence tell us? Was everything carried out at the time that could have been and how would that differ with an investigation today?

Join us in our Facebook group to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 2: Episode 4 The Autopsy

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 00:15:00 +0000

Content warning: this episode dicusses suicide

Pierre Emile L'angelier is dead. What happened next and how did this lead to Madeleine Smith being accused of murder? Discover the next piece of this mystery and learn about what tales the body can tell after death.

Join our Facebook group to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 2: Episode 3 The Context of Evidence

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:15:00 +0000

To understand the case of Madeleine Smith, we must first understand what life was like in the past. How can forensic scientists bring to life what happened previously?

Join us in our Facebook group to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 2: Episode 2 The Letters

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 00:15:00 +0000

Madeleine Smith's private letters to her deceased lover were presented as evidence in court of her motive for murder. What can letters and handwriting reveal to forensic scientists? What did the letters in the Madeleine Smith trial tell the jury and what do they reveal to us today?

Join us in our Facebook group to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Series 2: Episode 1 Madeleine Smith on trial

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:37:46 +0000

A scandalous case that rocked Victorian Scotland. A middle-class young woman is on trial for the murder of her lover. What was the case of Madeleine Smith all about? In this episode, we provide an overview of the case and the evidence presented.

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

Inside Forensic Science Season 2: Trailer

Thu, 11 May 2023 13:25:57 +0000

The second season of Inside Forensic Science is here. A new historical case is in focus where we ask forensic scientists and experts from the criminal justice system ‘What would you do differently today?’ In this series we take a look at a case that rocked Victorian Scotland in 1857, the trial of Madeleine Smith.

The podcast was commissioned by the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee. LRCFS works to disrupt conventional thinking, embrace new opportunities, and drive innovation that enables reliable science to be used in the delivery of justice.

Join the discussion in our Facebook group.

The series is narrated by Pennie Stuart.

The podcast was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

Episode 6: From Case to Court

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:34:00 +0000

The evidence has been collected and the analysis completed. What happens next with the only suspect in the case of Miss Jean Milne? Was there enough evidence to prosecute and what do the experts today think of the conclusion?

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Episode 5: Who committed the crime?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:22:48 +0000

As the case starts to come together we dig deeper into what scientific advancements have allowed us to detect at crime scenes and whether forensic science can place a person at the scene of a crime. This episode takes a closer look at a possible suspect and DNA evidence - a key difference in the forensic science toolbox between 1912 and now.

Speakers in this episode include Professor Niamh Nic Daeid from the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee and Amanda Pirie, lead forensic scientist for major crime at the Scottish Police Authority.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Episode 4 Bonus: Fingerprint Evidence

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 09:28:00 +0000

This bonus material for Episode 4 contains further details on the topic of fingerprint evidence. Presented by Caroline Gibb who is a fingerprint expert.

For further discussion and resources relating to the podcast please visit our Facebook group.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Episode 4: Dating a death

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 09:51:13 +0000

Now we know the cause of death of Miss Jean Milne we return to the witness reports and the crime scene to determine how forensic science experts and the investigation team work backwards to create a timeline to determine the date of death. This episode discusses a potentially important piece of evidence that was found at the scene.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode looks at content relating to murder and what happens to a body after death has taken place.

For further discussion and resources relating to the podcast please visit our Facebook group.

Speakers in this episode include Professor Lucina Hackman from the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, Detective Constable Helen Ireland, Forensic Pathologist Kerryann Shearer, Alex Prentice QC, Commander Dave McLaren from the Metropolitan Police Service, fingerprint expert Caroline Gibb and Jo Millington a forensic scientist who specialises in blood stain pattern analysis reveals a key piece of evidence from the scene.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Episode 3: The Autopsy

Tue, 17 Aug 2021 23:37:00 +0000

Jean’s battered body is removed from the house and taken for autopsy. What can forensic science of 1912 tell us about how this independent wealthy woman from Broughty Ferry was murdered? We return to the crime scene and look in more detail at the process of preserving evidence – what was carried out in 1912 and what would be expected in an investigation today? What can the body tell us about what happened and what are the limitations of what can be determined from an autopsy? Dr Kerryanne Shearer, Forensic Pathologist discusses with Pennie Latin.

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this episode does deal with some sensitive topics relating to the autopsy.

For further discussion and resources relating to the podcast please head to our Facebook discussion group.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Episode 2 Bonus: The British Association Meeting Dundee

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 10:51:00 +0000

This bonus material for Episode 2 contains further details of the British Association meeting that was held in Dundee in 1912 and what the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee is trying to achieve today.

In this extract, you hear from Matthew Jarron, Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee and Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee.

Episode 2: Who Was The Victim?

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 23:59:00 +0000

Broughty Ferry 1912, a wealthy single woman is found murdered in her hallway. But who was Jean Milne and what do we know about this Tayside town that might help understand more about how she lived and what may have led to her murder? In this episode, we return to the witness statements from the time to understand more about Jean Milne and her life in and around Dundee in 1912. Commander Dave McLaren from the Metropolitan Police Service and Crime Scene Manager Helen Ireland explain why a broader understanding of the victim is important to any investigation and how digital forensics can play a role today.

You can find further discussion and resources for the podcast on Facebook or at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS).

The readings were by Mark Stephen, Dan Holland, Roy Templeton, Lynsey Moyes and Charles Quinnell. The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

Episode 1: The Discovery of a Crime

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 09:56:00 +0000

The battered body lay at the bottom of the staircase in a Broughty Ferry mansion house near Dundee. Over 100 years later the murderer hasn’t been found.

In this first episode, Pennie Latin introduces the scene through the words of Sergeant John Forbes who was the first person to see the body of Miss Jean Milne. From there we speak with a range of experts who are involved with the process of examining and protecting a crime scene including Professors Niamh Nic Daeid and Lucina Hackman from the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee, Detective Constable Helen Ireland, Alex Prentice QC and Jo Millington a forensic scientist who specialises in blood stain pattern analysis. Through their words we explore what evidence was visible, how it might be useful to solving the crime and the relationships between the professionals involved in an investigation.

Join us on Facebook to see further resources and discuss the podcast or visit our website.

Inside Forensic Science is an Adventurous Audio Ltd production for the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science (LRCFS) at the University of Dundee and was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

Inside Forensic Science Podcast

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 13:51:13 +0000

Inside Forensic Science tells the story of a crime scene investigation through the eyes of forensic scientists. This first series focuses on a historical unsolved murder case from 1912 and asks forensic scientists ‘what would you do differently today?’

Join the discussion in our Facebook group.

The series is narrated by Pennie Latin, the researcher was Heather Doran (Public Engagement Manager, LRCFS) and the consultant was Pauline Mack (Digital Learning Technology Lead, LRCFS).

The podcast was funded by The Leverhulme Trust.