Mary Harris (murderer)

Mary Harris was a British woman convicted of murder in 1865 and subsequently executed. She was found guilty of poisoning her husband, William Harris, with arsenic. The case garnered significant attention in the Victorian era due to the perceived coldness and calculated nature of the crime.

The prosecution presented evidence indicating that Mary Harris had purchased arsenic under false pretenses and administered it to her husband over a period of time. Witnesses testified to William Harris's declining health and Mary's suspicious behavior. The defense argued that the evidence was circumstantial and that William Harris may have ingested the arsenic accidentally or committed suicide.

Despite the defense's arguments, the jury found Mary Harris guilty, and she was sentenced to death. She was hanged at Exeter Prison on August 4, 1865.

The case of Mary Harris remains a notable example of a Victorian-era poisoning case, highlighting both the prevalence of arsenic as a murder weapon and the challenges of proving such crimes in the absence of modern forensic techniques. Contemporary accounts often portray her as a cold and calculating individual, driven by financial gain or other undisclosed motives. However, historical analysis of the case sometimes questions the certainty of her guilt, given the limitations of the evidence available at the time.