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Case Closed? Series 3: 3. Major

Barristers Jeremy Dein and Sasha Wass look back at their investigation into the secret poisoning of a man by his wife in 1930s Lincolnshire, exposed by an anonymous note.\n\nWhen 44-year-old First World War veteran and Lincolnshire lorry driver Arthur Major fell ill, suffering convulsions and severe pain, nothing untoward was suspected at first. But when the police received an anonymous tip-off, alleging that his wife, Ethel Major, had poisoned her husband, they halted his funeral and launched a criminal investigation. It was discovered that Arthur had died as a result of strychnine poisoning, and 42-year-old Ethel was arrested and charged with wilful murder. She protested her innocence and at trial was defended by a famous barrister, Norman Birkett KC, but the jury took just one hour to declare Ethel guilty.\n\nThe jury, her family, the public and even the lord mayor of Hull all campaigned for a reduction of sentence, but on 19 December 1934, Ethel Major was hanged.\n\nEighty-four years later, Ethel Major’s cousin Jill Brown wanted to discover the truth. Jill discovered the case via her late father, who had researched his family history extensively. Jill had many questions for the barristers and wanted to know whether there was proof that Ethel was guilty of poisoning her husband, or if the case was simply built on suspicion and circumstantial evidence.\n\nOne year on from their initial investigation, Jeremy and Sacha catch up with Jill to find out what has happened since the judgement. They discover that Jill has been delving deeper into the family history and has met up with a friend of Ethel’s daughter Auriol.

Source: BBC 1