The Angel Maker: How Amelia Dyer Turned Desperation into Death

Send us a textA brown paper parcel floating in the Thames revealed what would become one of Victorian England's most horrifying murder cases. For nearly thirty years, Amelia Dyer had been killing babies for profit in a practice known as "baby farming" – and her victim count may have reached 400, making her one of history's most prolific serial killers.Born to a shoemaker's family in 1837, Amelia's early life was scarred by trauma. At just ten years old, she watched her mother deteriorate from typhus-induced mental illness – screaming through nights, thrashing violently, experiencing terrifying delusions. This childhood horror perhaps desensitized her to suffering, though nothing could truly explain the monster she would become.After training as a nurse and midwife, Amelia discovered a profitable opportunity in Victorian society's cruel treatment of unwed mothers. These women faced brutal stigma, financial ruin, and no support from their children's fathers. When Amelia advertised a "loving home" for unwanted babies, these desperate mothers believed they were giving their infants a chance at a better life. Instead, they were unknowingly sending them to their deaths.Her method was chillingly simple: she would collect payment, take the baby, and promptly strangle it with white tape. She moved frequently, used aliases, and destroyed evidence meticulously. Even when authorities had clear opportunities to catch her in the 1870s, inexplicably, they failed to follow leads connecting her to other convicted baby farmers.The most haunting aspect of Amelia Dyer's case isn't just the number of victims, but how her crimes exposed the profound failures of Victorian society. She exploited a system that had already abandoned vulnerable women and children. In her own cold confession: "I used to like to wash them with the tape around their necks, but it got tiring."Join us as we unravel this dark chapter of criminal history and examine how one woman's horrific crimes finally led to reforms that would better protect society's most vulnerable. What happens when no one is watching? What monsters thrive in the shadows of societal neglect? Listen now to find out.Support the show