Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen appeared to be a mild-mannered London physician, dominated by his nagging wife Cora. However, Crippen murdered his wife to be rid of her in favor of his mistress. The story of Crippen's capture is a testament to the determination of Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard who crossed the ocean to arrest the Crippen.

Not much is known of Crippen's early life. He was born in Coldwater, Michigan, and moved to London, where he practiced medicine. His wife, Cora, was a difficult woman; many accounts of Crippen referred to him as "henpecked." also, Cora had engaged in numerous affairs. Whether Crippen was a henpecked husband, he was hardly an innocent victim of an unhappy life.

In fact, Crippen had been having an affair of his own with Ethel Le Neve, whom he had originally hired as his secretary. Crippen had long been unhappy...