Amelia Dyer was born in Gloucester, England in 1837. She married at the age of 21 and had one child, but the marriage ended in divorce. Dyer started working as a nursemaid, but later took up baby farming – a business where she would take in illegitimate children for a fee.
Dyer killed over 400 babies, most of which were given to her by unmarried mothers who couldn't afford to care for them. She would wrap the infants in cloth and drown them in a river or ditch. In 1896, Amelia Dyer was arrested for the murder of six-week-old Francis Edwin Benwell. It was later determined that she had killed at least 400 babies, making her one of the most prolific serial killers in history. Dyer had started killing babies after the death of her own child, and had been getting away with it for years by convincing desperate mothers that she could provide a better life for their children. Her arrest finally put an end to her killing spree.
On April 10, 1896, Amelia Dyer was arrested for the death of a six-week-old baby boy. She was charged with infanticide, a crime that carried the death penalty. Dyer had been earning a living by taking in unwanted babies and finding homes for them. However, she had also been known to kill some of the children she took in. No
Dyer's trial began on July 8, 1896. The prosecution argued that the baby had died of suffocation, while the defense claimed that he had died of malnutrition. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning with a guilty verdict. Dyer was sentenced to death by hanging.
Her execution took place on June 3, 1897. It was witnessed by around 2,000 people and was described as "the most orderly and humane hanging ever seen in Bristol.
In conclusion, Amelia Dyer was a serial killer who killed hundreds of infants. She was eventually caught and put on trial, where she was sentenced to death. Her story serves as a reminder that even the most seemingly normal people can be capable of unthinkable crimes.