Compact Murder
Welcome to Compact Murder, the podcast where each week we explore the dark and gripping world of murder, murderers, serial killers, and assassinations, in small bite-sized chunks. From infamous historical cases to chilling unsolved mysteries, we delve into the details that continue to captivate and haunt us. Whether it's a notorious figure or a crime that has left more questions than answers, we provide concise and fascinating insights into the darker side of human history. Prepare yourself for a quick but chilling journey into some of the most unsettling crimes ever committed.
Episodes
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey
In February 1554, England witnessed the tragic end of Lady Jane Grey, the young Protestant noblewoman who reigned as queen for just nine days. Caught in a web of Tudor politics, Jane was thrust onto the throne against her will, only to be o…
The Murder of Joe Orton
In August 1967, rising British playwright Joe Orton was at the height of his career when his life ended violently in the Islington flat he shared with his long-time partner, Kenneth Halliwell. What unfolded was a shocking murder-suicide tha…
The Murder of King William II
A king. An arrow. A forest thick with secrets. When William Rufus fell dead during a royal hunt in 1100, it was labelled an accident, but the facts, and the timing, suggest otherwise. In this episode, we explore the suspicious death of King…
Jeffrey Dahmer
He was polite, soft-spoken, and completely unremarkable—until police entered his Milwaukee apartment and uncovered a horror story beyond imagination. In this chilling episode, we follow the life and crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer, a man whose pol…
The Assassination of Malcolm X
Charismatic, controversial, and uncompromising, Malcolm X became one of the most powerful voices in the American civil rights movement. But on a cold February evening in 1965, as he stood before a crowd in New York, that voice was silenced …
The Murder of King Henry VI
In 1471, King Henry VI died in the Tower of London, just days after his son’s death and the fall of the Lancastrian cause. Officially, he died of heartbreak. But few believed it then, and even fewer believe it now. In this episode, we uncov…
The Murder of Edmund Ironside
In 1016, England’s King Edmund Ironside fought fiercely to defend his crown against Danish invaders, earning his reputation as a warrior king. But just weeks after dividing the kingdom with his rival, Cnut, Edmund was dead. Some say illness…
The Murder of Simonetta Vespucci
Simonetta Vespucci was the face that defined beauty in Renaissance Florence. Admired by the powerful Medici family and immortalised in Botticelli’s paintings, she seemed untouchable. But in 1476, at just 22 years old, Simonetta died suddenl…
Andrei Chikatilo
Dubbed the “Butcher of Rostov,” Andrei Chikatilo was one of the Soviet Union’s most prolific and terrifying serial killers. Between 1978 and 1990, he preyed on the vulnerable, leaving a trail of horror across Russia. In this episode, we exp…
The Assassination Benazir Bhutto
On December 27, 2007, Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and a symbol of hope for many, was assassinated at a rally in Rawalpindi. Her death shook the world, throwing a fragile democracy into chaos. Was it a lone act of terror…
The Murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey
In 1678, the suspicious death of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey sent shockwaves through London. A respected magistrate, Godfrey was found dead under mysterious circumstances, fueling hysteria at the height of the Popish Plot. Was it political mur…
The Murder of Rosa Armstrong
On June 27, 1924, nine-year-old Rosa Armstrong vanished after leaving her Sutton-in-Ashfield home to return to school. Her disappearance alarmed the community, and by the early hours of the next morning, a man approached a policeman in Mans…
The Murder of Mary Ann Nichols
In Episode 31 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we investigate the brutal murder of Mary Ann Nichols, the first confirmed victim of Jack the Ripper. On 31 August 1888, Nichols' body was discovered in the dark streets of Whitechapel, London, m…
John Wayne Gacy
In Episode 30 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into the disturbing case of John Wayne Gacy, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. Known as the Killer Clown, Gacy was a seemingly respectable businessman and ent…
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
In Episode 29 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we examine the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a moment that shook the world and marked a turning point in the civil rights movement. On 4 April 1968, King was fatally shot while…
The Murder of Bridget Cleary
In Episode 28 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we examine the chilling case of Bridget Cleary, a woman whose brutal murder in 1895 became one of Ireland’s most infamous crimes. Believed by her husband and family to be a changeling, Bridget w…
The Murder of Julia Wallace
Episode 27 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast examines the baffling and still-unsolved murder of Julia Wallace in 1931. Found brutally beaten in her Liverpool home, her death became one of Britain’s most perplexing mysteries. Her husband, Willi…
The Murder of Jane McCrea
5 Minute Murder returns with Episode 26, uncovering the tragic murder of Jane McCrea, a young woman whose brutal death in 1777 became a powerful symbol of the American Revolution. Killed during the conflict between British Loyalist forces a…
Pedro Alonso LĂłpez
In episode 25 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into the chilling case of Pedro Alonso López, one of history’s most prolific serial killers. Known as The Monster of the Andes, López confessed to the brutal murders of over 300 young g…
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
In episode 24 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we delve into one of the most infamous and tragic events in modern history: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. In just five minutes, we recount the fateful day in Dallas, Texas, when the 35th…
The Murder of Stanford White
In episode 23 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we unravel the scandalous and shocking case of the murder of Stanford White, one of America’s most renowned architects. In just five minutes, we delve into the events of 1906, when White was fat…
The Murder of Lord Darnley
In episode 22 of the 5 Minute Murder podcast, we uncover the mysterious and scandalous murder of Lord Darnley, the second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. In just five minutes, we delve into the explosive events of 1567, from the suspicious…
The Murder of King Edward II
In the twenty-first episode of 5 Minute Murder, we uncover the mysterious and gruesome murder of King Edward II, a monarch whose turbulent reign ended in betrayal and tragedy. In just five minutes, we explore the events leading up to his im…
Elizabeth Bathory
In the twentieth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the chilling legend of Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian noblewoman infamously dubbed the "Blood Countess." In just five minutes, we explore the dark tales surrounding her life, includ…
The Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
In the nineteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we examine the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, a towering figure in the fight for India’s independence and a global symbol of non-violence. In just five minutes, we recount the tragic events of…
The Murder of Alexander Litvinenko
In the eighteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we unravel the mysterious and shocking murder of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy turned outspoken critic of the Kremlin. In just five minutes, we recount the events of 2006, when Litv…
The Murder of Jean-Paul Marat
In the seventeenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the dramatic murder of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical journalist and key figure of the French Revolution. In just five minutes, we explore the fateful events of July 13, 1793, when Ma…
The Murder of Rasputin
In the sixteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the dramatic and controversial murder of Grigori Rasputin, the mystic who wielded extraordinary influence over Russia’s royal family in the early 20th century. In just five minutes,…
H. H. Holmes
In the fifteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we explore the chilling story of H. H. Holmes, one of America’s first known serial killers. In just five minutes, we unravel the dark tale of Holmes’s infamous “Murder Castle” in Chicago during t…
The Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
In the fourteenth episode of 5 Minute Murder, we examine the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, a defining moment in American history. In just five minutes, we recount the fateful events of 14 April 1865, when Lincoln was shot by a…
The Murder of Emmett Till
In episode 13 of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the tragic and pivotal case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy whose brutal murder in 1955 became a catalyst for the American Civil Rights Movement. In just around five minutes…
The Murder of Tycho Brahe
In episode 12 of 5 Minute Murder, we explore the mysterious death of renowned astronomer Tycho Brahe, whose groundbreaking work paved the way for modern astronomy. While Brahe's official cause of death was long thought to be natural, specul…
The Murder of Hypatia
In episode 11 of 5 Minute Murder, we explore the tragic and brutal murder of Hypatia, a renowned philosopher and mathematician of ancient Alexandria. In just around 5 minutes, we’ll uncover the details of her life, her groundbreaking work, …
Ted Bundy
In episode ten of 5 Minute Murder, we explore the chilling case of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of the 20th century. Known for his charm and intelligence, Bundy used his charisma to lure unsuspecting victims, leaving …
The Assassination of Julius Caesar
In episode nine of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into one of history’s most infamous assassinations—the murder of Julius Caesar. On the Ides of March in 44 BC, the Roman leader was brutally stabbed to death by a group of senators, including his…
The Murder of Sir Thomas Overbury
In episode eight of 5 Minute Murder, we unravel the deadly intrigue behind the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, a scandalous case that rocked the English court in the early 17th century. Poisoned while imprisoned in the Tower of London in 161…
The Ratcliff Highway Murders
In episode seven of 5 Minute Murder, we explore the terrifying Ratcliff Highway Murders, a series of brutal killings that shook London to its core in 1811. Over two weeks, two families were savagely slaughtered in their homes, sparking wide…
The Murder of Thomas Becket
In episode six of 5 Minute Murder, we step back to 12th-century England to uncover the shocking murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Once a trusted confidant of King Henry II, Becket’s growing defiance of royal authority led t…
Jack the Ripper
In episode five of 5 Minute Murder, we delve into the terrifying streets of Victorian London to explore the gruesome mystery of Jack the Ripper. Operating in 1888, this unidentified killer brutally murdered at least five women in the Whitec…
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
In episode four of 5 Minute Murder, we take a look at the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event that sparked one of the deadliest conflicts in human history—World War I. On 28 June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne…