133: The Custom of the Sea

Four men find themselves stranded at sea in 1884. They have no food or water, and they’re over a thousand miles from land. They’re faced with an impossible decision. The choice they make leads to a landmark court ruling that continues to influence legal thinking to this day.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

On a Summer’s evening in 1932, a farmer in The Like District spots a woman lying underneath an umbrella. Her name is Wai-Sheung Sui – she’s originally from China, but now lives in New York. The farmer gets a strange feeling… Should he go back and check if she’s ok? Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

1975, London – intelligence officers are carefully watching the Davies Street branch of The Bank of America. But, the wool is about to be pulled completely over their eyes.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

New York, 1918. A notorious New York newspaper editor sends a disturbing note to his boss. MTW returns after the Summer break with a case involving The Titanic, burnout & roses.Details of help and support with suicide and feelings of despair are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

Iain explores a case from 1920s New York that could have be ripped straight from the pages of The Great Gatsby. Think criminals clubbing with future kings, thousands of pounds of missing diamonds, and a love so strong it inspires a prison riot. Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

It’s 1618, we’re in the midst of King James I’s obsessive vendetta against witches. When another child falls sick at Belvoir Castle, Cecily Manners – the lady of the castle – wonders if witchcraft could be to blame. Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

A poisoned hangover cure is delivered with a handwritten note. The investigation and trial that follows will have a lasting impact on the city’s legal system.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

Thirteen year old Amy McNeil is kidnapped on her way to school. What follows is an ill-timed car break-down, a major shoot-out, and a police chase that goes down in Texas history.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

Iain explores the explosive tale of Johnny Ramensky – a notorious Glaswegian safe-cracker, whose criminal expertise also proved useful in the fight against The Nazis.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]

Laura wraps up this 19th-century murder case involving false trails, strange clues, and scandalous cover ups.Murder They Wrote with Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling is available twice a week on BBC Sounds. Subscribe now so you never miss an episode. Email us at [email protected]