Foul Play: Crime Series – Details, episodes & analysis

Quick Synopsis (appears in most podcast apps)

In 1772 Portugal, an 18-year-old caregiver named Luísa de Jesus turned the era’s child-welfare “foundling wheel” into a murderous money scheme. Before authorities intervened, at least 33 abandoned infants lay buried on Monte Arroio or hidden beneath her cottage floorboards. We expose the systemic cracks, the killer’s psychology, and the reforms her crimes set in motion. 

Episode Breakdown

00:00 Opening scene on Monte Arroio

04:15 How foundling wheels worked—and failed

09:02 Luísa’s early life & public façade

15:30 The money trail: 600 réis per child

22:47 Forensic discoveries: graves & hidden clay pots

30:18 Confession to 28 murders

36:55 Trial, garrote, and public execution

43:20 Child-welfare reforms that followed

48:05 Today’s take-aways on safeguarding the vulnerable

Why This Case Still Resonates

• First female serial killer executed in Portugal—and the last woman ever put to death there.
• Exposed lethal flaws in 18th-century child-protection policy, triggering nationwide reform.
• Challenges myths that women “only poison”; Luísa strangled newborns for profit.
• A cautionary tale of how financial incentives plus lax oversight can weaponize charity.

Fast Facts

• Years active: 1771–1772
• Confirmed victims: 33 infants (one child remains unaccounted for) 
• Method: Strangulation or suffocation within days of state payout
• Motive: Collecting stipends meant for wet nurses
• Sentence: Hands severed, garroted; body burned, ashes scattered (1 July 1772)

Sources & Further Reading

• National Archives, “Casa da Roda” foundling-wheel records, 1760-1775
• António Barata, Infanticídio e Justiça em Portugal Setecentista (2018)
• Royal Chancellery of Coimbra trial transcripts, 1772–1773

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SEO Keywords

Luísa de Jesus, Foundling Wheel Killer, Coimbra infanticide, 18th-century serial killer, female serial killer history, child-welfare reform, Foul Play podcast

Myths & Malice illuminates truth with empathy. Thank you for listening.

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In the 18th century paradise of Jamaica, Lewis Hutchinson, an immigrant from Scotland, became the island's first documented serial killer.

Known as the Mad Master of Edinburgh Castle, Hutchinson's strategic property in Saint Ann Parish became a deathtrap for wealthy travellers. He would invite them into his home or shoot them from his gunports, dispose of their bodies in underground chambers, and proudly display their possessions.

His reign of terror ultimately resulted in a manhunt, arrest, and a sensational trial that exposed the flaws in colonial law enforcement. Hutchinson was sentenced to death in 1773, leaving a dark legacy in Jamaican history.

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In this episode of Foul Play: Casey Anthony - Truth or Lies, we delve deeper into the six-week trial that captivated the nation. Witness testimony reveals insights from Casey's friends, housemates, and her mother, Cindy, painting a chilling portrait of events leading up to Caylee's disappearance. Emotional moments in court highlight Cindy Anthony’s distress and Casey’s unsettling jailhouse demeanor. With 116 witnesses and 400 pieces of evidence presented, the prosecution and defense make their closing arguments. Was justice served? Stay tuned for the jury's verdict in the next episode.

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As Robert was taken to be booked into jail he made further comments to Detective Sanchez. He told him he had lied again in one part of his confession. He said Emily had woken up when he reached the ranch and began to fight him. He had said that’s why he hit her with the bicycle pump. The truth was Emily had never regained consciousness. She posed no threat to him at all. His continued brutal attack had been his active choice.

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Detectives were beginning to look more closely at Robert Earley. They asked him to come to the station for an informal recorded interview. Robert was happy to cooperate. At the station, he was shown into a square interview room with a round table in the corner and a chair on either side. Wearing a red baseball cap, grey sweatshirt with black long sleeves, and black faded jeans, Robert went in and casually hung his jacket over the back of the chair. Sitting down with his back to the wall, he is facing the camera pointing straight at him from its quiet position in the top corner of the room.

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In the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico in March 2014, Emily Lambert, a beautiful mother of two, would vanish without a trace. Desperate pleas from her family, friends, and boyfriend begged for information and her safe return. Behind the eyes of one individual, there was an undercurrent of violence. It simmered on the surface, occasionally bubbling up before settling back down. A menacing threat just waiting to explode. When that moment came, there was a loss of temper so violent the results were catastrophic.

When control was regained, the violence didn’t stop. The level of callous cruelty was taken up a notch again and again as the focus shifted to self-preservation. A monster is defined as a wicked being. Exerting control and power while carrying out truly heinous acts intended to cause ultimate harm. We go through our lives day to day believing people around us are inherently good. It makes the unmasking of a true monster all the more terrifying. The anguish and fear of those first days searching for Emily were followed by a deeper everlasting horror. When the truth was finally revealed, the devastation was a double blow. Support our podcast by becoming a patron. Find us on all platforms. Visit us online. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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Shocking revelations from the Emily Dimmock case left not one but two people heartbroken. The trial of Robert Wood had the public gallery filled with actors, writers, and artists jostling for reserved seats while members of the general public, who had been following the case closely, flooded the streets outside. On the terrible night of September 11th, 1907, Emily Dimmock was killed in her sleep by a man she knew well. The home that she shared with Bertram Shaw was ransacked, and her prized possession, a collection of postcards from around the world, was strewn about the bedroom floor. It looked like someone had made an effort to find a particular one and left unsuccessful. Support our podcast by becoming a patron. Find us on all platforms. Visit us online. Visit us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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The investigation into Emily Dimmock’s murder wasn’t an easy one… at least not for Bert Shaw, who was convinced Emily had left her dark past behind and was living an honest life with him in their home in Camden. The police asked him several rather uncomfortable questions, ranging from Emily’s past as a sex worker named Phylis to how they met and decided to live together.

It was clear, during the questioning, that Bert had no reason or motivation to ever hurt Emily. When they first met, Emily was working the streets, and Bert offered to give her a good, comfortable life if she left the profession. Some people, however, don’t want to be rescued from their lives and enjoy their situation, even if it seems unconventional to others.

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Bertram Shaw's life was torn apart when he opened the door to his bedroom and found the love of his life, Emily Dimmock, pale and ashen on their shared bed with her throat slit. Somewhere in his heart, Bertram knew this girl was trouble… and even then, he couldn't quite grasp just how dark and twisted Emily's past had been. At the age of 22, Emily Dimmock was leading a double life. By day, she was Mrs. Shaw, the dutiful young housewife, and by night, she was Phyllis, London's most sought-after escort.

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Broken promises, broken hearts, and a heart-wrenching, horrifying scene. This is what greeted young Bertram Shaw when he opened the door to his home on Saint Paul's Road in Camden Town. It was early morning on September 12th, 1907, and Bertram had just come back from his night shift at Midland Railway as a dining car cook.

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