Buck Ruxton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buck Ruxton
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Ruxton outside his home in Dalton Square, Lancaster, c. 1934
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| Born |
Buktyar Rustomji Ratanji Hakim
21 March 1899 |
| Died | 12 May 1936 (aged 37) HM Prison Manchester
Manchester, England |
| Other names | The Savage Surgeon |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Criminal status | Executed 12 May 1936 |
| Children | 3 |
| Motive |
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| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Penalty | Execution by hanging |
| Partner(s) | Isabella Ruxton (née Kerr) |
| Details | |
| Victims | Isabella Ruxton Mary Jane Rogerson |
| Date | 15 September 1935 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Location(s) | Lancaster, Lancashire |
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Date apprehended
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13 October 1935 |
| Imprisoned at | HM Prison Manchester |
Buck Ruxton (born Bukhtyar Chompa Rustomji Ratanji Hakim; 21 March 1899 – 12 May 1936) was a doctor from India. He was found guilty and later executed for the murders of his partner, Isabella Ruxton, and their housemaid, Mary Jane Rogerson. These events happened in September 1935 at his home in Lancaster, England.
This famous case is sometimes called the "Bodies Under the Bridge" because of where the victims' remains were found. It's also known as the "Jigsaw Murders" due to the difficult process of putting the remains back together to identify the victims. Buck Ruxton himself became known as "The Savage Surgeon."
This case was one of the most talked-about legal cases in the United Kingdom during the 1930s. It is especially remembered for the new and clever forensic techniques used to figure out who the victims were and to prove that the murders happened inside Ruxton's house.
Contents
Early Life and Medical Career
Childhood and Education
Buck Ruxton was born in Bombay, British India, on 21 March 1899. He came from a well-off family called Parsi.
He had a good upbringing and was very smart, even though he was a sensitive child with few friends. By his teenage years, he decided he wanted to be a doctor. With his parents' help, Ruxton studied at the University of Bombay. He became a Bachelor of Medicine in 1922 and a Bachelor of Surgery in 1923. Soon after, he worked at a hospital in Bombay, focusing on general medicine, helping with childbirth, and women's health.
In 1923, Ruxton joined the Indian Medical Service as a medical officer. He worked in places like Basra and Baghdad before leaving in 1926.
Moving to Britain
In 1926, Ruxton moved to Britain with financial help from his family and the Bombay Medical Service. He took medical courses in London and Edinburgh. Even though he didn't pass all his exams, the General Medical Council allowed him to practice medicine in the UK because of his earlier qualifications from Bombay. Soon after, he legally changed his name to "Buck Ruxton."
While studying in Edinburgh, Ruxton met Isabella Van Ess, a 26-year-old woman who ran a café. Isabella was still married to a Dutch man, but they had separated, and she was using her maiden name, Kerr. They started dating, and Isabella moved to England with Ruxton in 1928. He worked as a temporary doctor in London. In 1929, Isabella gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Elizabeth.
Starting a Medical Practice
In 1930, the Ruxtons moved from London to Lancaster, Lancashire. Buck Ruxton opened his own medical practice at their home at 2 Dalton Square. He tried hard to fit into British society and quickly became known as a kind and hardworking doctor. People in the community respected him. He often didn't charge patients if he knew they couldn't afford to pay.
In 1931, their second daughter, Diane, was born. Two years later, in 1933, Isabella gave birth to a son named William. That same year, the Ruxtons hired a young maid and housekeeper named Mary Jane Rogerson, mainly to help care for their children.
The Murders and Discovery
The Crime and Suspicious Behavior
On the evening of 14 September 1935, Isabella Ruxton left home to see the Blackpool Illuminations and visit her sisters. She left Blackpool to return home around 11:30 pm. It is believed that Buck Ruxton murdered Isabella Ruxton and Mary Jane Rogerson in their home.
After the murders, Ruxton tried to hide what he had done. He told his house cleaners not to come to the house until September 16, saying Isabella and Mary Jane had gone to Edinburgh. He also asked a patient, Mrs. Hampshire, and her husband to come to his house to help him "prepare for decorators."
When Mrs. Hampshire arrived, the house was messy. Carpets were removed, and straw was on the floor. She saw rolled-up carpets and a stained suit. In the garden, she found more carpets and burned towels. Ruxton gave the Hampshires some stained carpets and his suit, asking them to clean them thoroughly.
Finding the Remains
On the morning of 29 September 1935, a young woman named Susan Haines Johnson looked over a bridge near Moffat, Scotland. She saw a package wrapped in fabric on the banks of the stream below, with a human arm sticking out.
Police were called to the scene. The human remains were badly decomposed and wrapped in bedsheets, a pillowcase, children's clothes, and newspapers. Some newspapers were dated August 1935, and one was from September 15, 1935.
On October 1, forensic scientists examined the remains. They found that the murderer had removed eyes, ears, skin, lips, and teeth from the heads to make identification difficult. They also removed fingertips and flesh from the legs. This showed the killer tried very hard to hide who the victims were.
The scientists noted that if the killer had thrown the remains into the larger Annan River instead of the smaller stream, they might have been carried away and never found. Because the stream was near a main road, police thought the killer might have traveled there to get rid of the bodies and might not have known the area well.
The Investigation Begins
Forensic Examination
The bodies were taken to the University of Edinburgh. Scientists treated them to stop further decay and then carefully put them back together. Later, another package was found with two human forearms and hands. Fingerprints were still visible on one pair of hands.
To figure out when the victims died, police asked an expert in insects, Alexander Mearns, for help. He studied the age of maggots found on the remains. He determined that the maggots came from a specific type of blowfly and had been laid where the bodies were found. He concluded that the bodies had been there for at least 12 to 14 days, meaning they were likely put there before September 17.
By looking at the skulls, scientists determined one victim was a woman aged 35-45, and the other was a woman aged 20-21. The older woman had stab wounds, broken bones, and bruises. Her throat bone was broken, suggesting she was strangled. The younger woman had signs of being hit hard with something, causing severe injuries.
Connecting to Lancaster
Some of the newspapers used to wrap the remains were special editions printed only in the Morecambe and Lancaster area on September 15. This strongly suggested that the victims or the killer lived in North West England. Inspector Jeremiah Lynch from Scotland Yard focused on missing persons reports from that area around September 15.
The fact that parts of the remains were found downstream suggested they were thrown into the stream on or before September 19, when there had been heavy rain. Also, some of the clothing found with the remains was unique, like a blouse with a special repair patch and distinctive children's rompers. This suggested one or both victims might have had children.
On October 1, Mary Jane Rogerson's parents visited Ruxton. He told them Mary Jane and his wife had stolen £30 and run away. This made them suspicious because he had given them different stories before. The next day, they reported Mary Jane missing to the police. Ruxton himself didn't report his wife and maid missing until October 4.
Identifying the Victims
On October 9, Scottish police showed Mary Jane's parents the clothing found with the bodies. Mrs. Rogerson immediately recognized a blouse with a unique patch as her daughter's. She didn't recognize the children's rompers but suggested police show them to a friend, Edith Holme. Mrs. Holme immediately recognized the rompers as ones she had bought for one of the Ruxton children.
Police also learned that Ruxton had reported his wife missing. The last time Isabella was seen alive by anyone other than Ruxton was on the evening of September 14, when she left her sisters in Blackpool to return home.
The same day, Ruxton visited the Lancaster police station again. He cried and complained that rumors were spreading that the bodies found in Scotland were his wife and maid. He asked the police to search his house to stop these rumors. At this point, police considered him the main suspect.
Police spoke to Agnes Oxley, one of the Ruxtons' cleaners. She confirmed that on September 15, Ruxton told her not to come to work until the next day. When she arrived on September 16, the house was a mess, carpets were gone, and there was a pile of burned fabric in the garden. The bathtub was stained yellow, and Ruxton specifically asked her to clean it. He also said his hand was bandaged because he jammed it in a door.
Neighbors also told police that Ruxton had asked the Hampshires to clean his house, saying he couldn't because he had cut his hand. He had also given them stained carpets and a suit to keep if they washed them.
Arrest and Charges
On the evening of October 12, Ruxton was arrested by Lancaster police and questioned for many hours. When asked where he was between September 14 and 29, Ruxton gave a handwritten document called "My Movements."
He denied ever being in Scotland after starting his practice in Lancaster. However, he couldn't explain why his car's license plate was recorded by a cyclist he had knocked over in Kendal on September 17. This incident happened as he was driving from Moffat to Lancaster, which he denied.
Police also told him that a search of his home found many bloodstains on the stairs, railings, and carpets, even though the house had been heavily cleaned. Some walls around the staircase had been recently repainted. They also found traces of human fat and body tissue in the drains, especially from the bathroom.
During the questioning, police in Lancaster talked with their Scottish colleagues. The Scottish police had already taken items from Ruxton's house, like wallpaper, carpets, and silverware, for detailed forensic tests at Glasgow University. In the early hours of October 13, fingerprints found on the second set of human hands matched prints from items Mary Jane Rogerson regularly handled at Dalton Square.
When Ruxton heard this, he was formally charged with Mary Jane Rogerson's murder. He said, "Most emphatically not! Of course not! The farthest thing from my mind! What motive and why? What are you talking about?" He was then held in custody.
On November 5, he was also charged with his wife's murder. Her remains were identified using a special technique where an X-ray of her skull was placed over a photograph of Isabella Ruxton taken when she was alive. Scientists also made models of the victims' feet. The model of the first victim's foot fit Mary Jane Rogerson's shoe perfectly, and the second victim's foot model fit Isabella Ruxton's shoes.
The Trial
On March 2, 1936, Buck Ruxton's trial began at Manchester's High Court of Justice. He pleaded "not guilty" to the murder of Isabella Ruxton.
The lawyers for the prosecution argued that Ruxton, driven by jealousy, had murdered Isabella Ruxton and Mary Jane Rogerson in their home. They said he then drove their bodies more than 100 miles away to the Gardenholme Linn stream in Scotland.
The prosecution suggested that Mary Jane Rogerson might have seen Isabella's murder, which is why she also died. They said Isabella was strangled and hit, and Mary Jane was hit on the head and then killed, possibly with a knife. They pointed to the large amounts of blood found from the staircase to the bathroom as evidence.
Ruxton's defense lawyers argued that the bodies had been wrongly identified and were not Isabella Ruxton and Mary Jane Rogerson. They also claimed that any bloodstains found in the house or on the suit were from Ruxton's medical practice over the years and were not related to the murders.
Witnesses and Evidence
Many witnesses spoke for the prosecution, including medical and forensic experts. They explained their findings carefully. The defense lawyers questioned them closely, trying to find any mistakes or offer other explanations for the evidence.
Despite the tough questioning, most of the prosecution witnesses, especially the scientists, stood firm on their conclusions. They were sure about the victims' identities and that the murders happened at 2 Dalton Square.
Ruxton's Testimony
Buck Ruxton was the only person to speak for his defense. He testified on the ninth day of the trial. He admitted that he had lied to people about his wife and maid's whereabouts.
However, Ruxton insisted that both women would be found alive. He strongly denied the earlier testimony of other witnesses, often accusing them of lying or being wrong. He gave confusing and changing stories about his own actions before his arrest.
Final Arguments
The trial lasted eleven days. Most of the evidence came from eyewitnesses and scientific experts. The prosecution summarized how the victims were identified and how items used to hide the bodies were traced back to Ruxton's home. They pointed out how Ruxton's stories about his wife and maid's disappearance kept changing. They suggested his motive was extreme jealousy and a violent temper.
Ruxton's defense lawyer argued that while some evidence suggested the bodies might be his wife and maid, it was mostly circumstantial. He stressed that the prosecution had to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The judge then gave his final instructions to the jury, telling them to consider all the evidence. He reminded them that if there was any reasonable doubt in their minds, Ruxton should be found innocent.
Verdict and Execution
After the final arguments and the judge's instructions, the jury thought about the case for just over an hour. They then returned a verdict of "guilty" against Buck Ruxton. The judge sentenced him to death. When asked if he had anything to say, Ruxton replied, "I am very sorry," and thanked the court. He then said he would appeal the decision.
The Appeal
Ruxton did appeal his conviction. He argued that the judge had not properly instructed the jury about all the evidence, especially about bloodstains that might have come from innocent sources. He also pointed out that his car, which the prosecution said was used to move the bodies, had no traces of mud or blood. He believed these issues meant the verdict should not stand.
His appeal was heard on April 27, 1936, but it was dismissed the same day. The court found no significant mistakes in the original trial.
Execution
Hours before his execution, Buck Ruxton wrote a letter to his main defense lawyer, Norman Birkett. In the letter, he thanked Birkett and stated, "I know that in a few hours I shall be going to meet my Maker. But I say to you, sir, I am entirely innocent of this crime."
Even though over 10,000 people from Lancaster signed a petition asking for mercy for Ruxton, he was executed by hanging at HM Prison Manchester on the morning of May 12, 1936. The executioner was Albert Pierrepoint.
The day after Ruxton's execution, a newspaper published a short confession he had written the day after his arrest. He had instructed it to be opened only if he was executed. In this confession, Ruxton admitted to killing his wife in a fit of jealousy and then killing Mary Jane Rogerson because she interrupted him.
After the Case
Despite extensive police searches, Mary Jane Rogerson's torso was never found. It likely flowed into the Solway Firth. The parts of her body that were found were buried in a churchyard in Overton, Lancashire.
The area around the Gardenholme Linn stream where Ruxton had left the body parts became known locally as "Ruxton's Dump."
The house on Dalton Square where the murders happened remained empty for many years. In the 1980s, it was renovated and became architects' offices. The building is no longer a home. The bathtub where Buck Ruxton dismembered his victims was removed from the property to be used as evidence in his trial. It was later used as a horse trough by the police and is now on display at the Lancashire Police Museum at Lancaster Castle.
Elizabeth, Diane, and William Ruxton, the children of Buck and Isabella, are believed to have been raised in an orphanage in the Wirral.
Images for kids
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The Bridge above Gardenholme Linn stream, seen on 29 September 1935.
Media and Books
- The "Bodies Under the Bridge" case was turned into a radio crime drama called "Dr Ruxton Axe Killer" as part of the Secrets of Scotland Yard series around 1950.
- The American TV show American Justice also featured an episode about the Buck Ruxton murders in December 2000.
- A BBC Four forensics series called Catching History's Criminals broadcast an episode about the case, titled "A Question of Identity," in June 2015.
- The first book specifically about the murders, Medico-Legal Aspects of the Ruxton Case, was written by John Glaister Jr. and James Couper Brash in 1937. It focuses on the new forensic methods used to identify the victims and prove where the murders happened.
See also
- Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
- Domestic violence
- HM Prison Manchester
- List of executioners
