Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Archibald Thomson Hall Pt. 2

Episode Date: December 9, 2019

Archibald Hall carried out his murderous rampage across the U.K. in 1977 and 1978, killing five people in search of notoriety and wealth. As his clients would soon find out, their affable butler was not all he seemed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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And now you can try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash killers. That's ziprecruiter.com slash killers. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Due to the graphic

nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode, includes discussions of murder and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. December 8, 1977, London. After several exhausting days at the hospital, Lady Scott Elliott was thrilled to settle into her own bed. Her joints ached as she pulled the covers over her legs and sank into her pillows. She was almost asleep when she heard a strange noise outside her bedroom.

Lady Scott Elliott got out of bed to investigate. She opened her bedroom door and came face to face with her butler, Archibald Hall. Her heart settled a bit at the familiar face, but then a gentleman she didn't recognize came into view. The men were laughing and carrying on, quite obviously drunk. Lady Scott Elliott confronted her butler, stating that this was no way for him to act. She wanted to know who this strange man in her house was. Lady Scott Elliott's interrogation got louder and louder, and Hall began to panic. But Lady Scott Elliott did not know what the desperate man was capable of.

Without warning, Hall struck Lady Scott Elliott and sent her crashing to the ground. As the arthritic woman writhed on the floor, Hall leaped to the bed and snatched a pillow. With efficient brutality, the butler pressed it over Lady Scott Elliott's face, smothering her until she stopped fighting. He would never have to answer to her again. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. This is serial killers, a podcast original. Every Monday, we dive into the minds and madness of someone. serial killers. Today we finish exploring the life of Archibald Thompson Hall, also known as

the Bloody Butler. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Parcast originals for free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To stream serial killers for free on Spotify, just open the app and type Serial Killers in the search bar. At Parcast, we're grateful for you, our listeners, you allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing. Reach out on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. And if you enjoyed today's episode, the best way to help us is to leave a five-star review wherever you're listening. It really does help. Last week, we covered Archibald Hall's early life as a thief, who was in and out of prison

for decades. We discussed how his obsession with wealth drove him to a career as a butler, who robbed his wealthy employers at every opportunity. But it was never enough for Hall. He was eventually driven to kill. This week will cover the aftermath of Hall's first murder, his four subsequent murders in 1977 and 1978, and how he was finally captured by police. Archibald Thompson Hall was born in 1924 in Glasgow, Scotland. Hall preferred the cinema to school and became upset. with the lovable rascal archetype that often graced the silver screen. He idolized criminal anti-heroes, as well as the life of luxury he saw in American movies. Inspired, Hall began a career of petty theft as a teen and took on the name Roy Fontaine,

believing this was his path to the upper class. His mother was fully aware of his crimes and never punished him, leading Hall to believe he could do no wrong. Despite being diagnosed as insane at age 19, Hall spent the next 34 years of his life, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, the poor being exclusively Hall himself. He was a butler by day, jewel thief by night. He was in and out of prison, sometimes escaping, never reforming. And in 1977, when Hall was 53, he committed his first murder.

In his memoirs entitled The Wicked Mr. Hall, Archibald Hall claimed he killed his lover, David Wright, after the two had a disagreement about when to steal from Hall's employer, Lady Hudson. Hall claims Wright shot at him while he was sleeping, and the two fought for control of the gun. Hall managed to subdue Wright for the night, but killed him the next day. It should be noted, however, that Hall's autobiography is full of inconsistencies. Hall gave different accounts of the same event on several occasions, making it hard to determine what actually happened. For example, Hall told Paul Pender, author of The Butler Did It, My True and Terrifying Encounters with a Serial Killer, that it was hard to dig a grave for right because the ground was frozen solid.

However, the murder took place in July or August, making this detail highly dubious. Hall also expressed extreme remorse to Pender about the murder of his lover and said he cried over his grave. But when Pender asked Hall how it felt to take a human life, Hall replied, Murders like sex, you always remember the first time. Author Peter Vronsky posits criminals like Hall often suffer from some kind of early childhood trauma

that makes them suppress their emotional responses. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychologist, here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. According to Vronsky, criminals like Hall grow up not knowing how to feel and learn instead how to manifest what they think are emotions or the correct appearances of emotion. Hall most likely pretended to be remorseful in his retelling to Pender about Wright's death because he knew he should, should feel remorseful.

Hall went on to say that killing was his destiny, and whatever will be will be. He then sang Pender a verse of K. Sarasura, the key song from the Hitchcock thriller, The Man Who Knew Too Much. The brightly fatalistic song is about how we are unable to change our destinies. Hall's love of cinema was evident, but even more so, his lack of remorse. Archibald Hall claimed his victim, David Wright,

made him do it, and that he had no choice in the matter. He had to kill Wright because Wright gave him no choice, and Wright also had it coming. In doing so, he didn't have to feel guilty or ashamed, even though he claimed he was. Regardless of how Hall actually felt about Wright's murder, he quickly changed the subject and bragged about how he got away with it,

further feeding his own ego. He boasted Depender about how he had hoodwere winked everyone on the estate, even the dog. The day after David Wright's murder, Hall found Lady Hudson's dog, Tessa, sniffing around the shallow grave. Hall said he came back that night, stripped, dug a deeper grave in the nude,

and rinsed off in a stream after to mask any scent. He also put rocks and gravel on top of the new grave to further confuse the dog. However, the next day the dog went right back to Wright's grave. Hall claims he added more and more rocks until the dog lost interest. Convinced he'd gotten away with murder, Hall returned to his earlier scheme of robbing Lady Hudson. However, on September 7, 1977, a month and a half after Wright's murder, Lady Hudson received a phone call that ruined Hall's carefully laid plan.

An anonymous voice warned Lady Hudson that her butler was a con man and she was in grave danger. The voice belonged to Colin Patterson, the son of one of Hall's many former lovers. At the time, Colin had no knowledge of Wright's murder, but as a young boy, Colin had been sexually assaulted by Hall. He wanted Lady Hudson to know she shouldn't trust her butler. Lady Hudson already had her own misgivings about Hall. And this phone calls solidified her worries. She immediately phoned the police and was surprised to learn of his lengthy criminal record. Lady Hudson locked herself in her bedroom, waited for the police to arrive, and had the police escort Hall off her property for good. Hall claimed to have listened

to both conversations through another receiver. But if Hall knew the police were coming for him, why didn't he run away? Hall more than likely didn't hear the phone conversations and was caught by surprise when the police showed up to escort him off the premises. He then fabricated a version of the story to save face. In his account of events, he was an innocent victim who let the police take him without putting up a fight. Either way, Hall was released the next day, after a single night in jail. No one was the wiser about David Wright's murder. He was no longer welcome at Lady Hudson's. So Hall sought employment elsewhere. He started going by the name Robin Thompson and rented a cottage in Newton-Arloch, Cumbria. Hall claims he chose the name Robin,

because that is exactly what he was doing to people, robin them. About two months later, in late October, 1977, Hall answered a magazine ad for a live-in-butler position with the wealthy Scott Elliott family in London. Sir Walter Scott Elliott and his wife Dorothy hired Hall on November 1, 1977, without bothering to check his references. Sir Walter was 82 and had a distinguished military career, serving as a captain in the Coldstream Guards during World War I, and had been a member of Parliament for Ackrington. He got along quite well with his new butler and enjoyed reminiscing about the war with him. His 60-year-old wife, Dorothy, had chronic arthritis

and was believed to have early-onset Alzheimer's or dementia. She and her husband both needed live-in care and help remembering to take their medications. They were perfect marks, and Hall was soon making plans to rob them and run away to Brazil. But like all his large-scale robberies, he was waiting for the right opportunity. In the meantime, he decided to break.

into the other neighborhood houses. However, Hall wasn't as agile as he once was. He determined he needed a partner in crime to assist him. In November of 1977, the same month he began working for the Scott Elliott's, Hall ran into his ex-lover, 51-year-old nurse Mary Coggle, who had been hired as a housekeeper. She was also working at a local pub that had turned to a life of crime as well, stealing credit cards and checkbooks from her bar patrons. Coggle recommended an accomplice for Hall, 39-year-old small-time thief Michael Kiddo. The pair instantly hit it off.

On December 8, 1977, Hall invited Kiddo to scope out the Scott Elliott home. Lady Dorothy was staying at a clinic to receive treatment for her arthritis. Sir Walter fell asleep early with the assistance of sleeping pills, believing he was in the clear, Hall and Kiddo proceeded to get drunk in Hall's room. When they ran out of Scotch, they snuck downstairs to get more. They passed Dorothy's door, and something happened that neither of them expected. Her door opened. Dorothy stepped out and demanded to know what was going on.

Hall and Kiddo were absolutely stunned to see her there and froze. She was still supposed to be in treatment, not witness, their clandestine bad behavior. Her voice carried down the hallway, louder with each question. Hall was trapped. He knew if Sir Walter learned of the situation, he'd be out of his comfortable new job almost as quickly as it had started. What happened next isn't entirely clear. In Hall's initial version of the story, he stated that in a moment of panic, Kiddo hit Dorothy and knocked her to the ground. Hall claims this blow killed the woman. as she was already very feeble.

However, in his account to author Paul Pender, Hall claims he was the one who knocked Lady Dorothy down and then suffocated her with a pillow to silence her screams. He implored Kiddo to help him so that Sir Walter wouldn't be awakened. Kiddo held her down while Hall smothered her to death. Hall decided to make it look like Lady Scott Elliott died in her sleep. Together the men lifted her lifeless body into her breast, bed and tucked her in. Just then, Hall heard Sir Walter stirring in his room. He quickly composed himself

and went to his employer's bedside. Sir Walter inquired about the noise. Hall told his master that Lady Scott Elliott had awakened from a nightmare, but was sleeping soundly now. To Hall's relief, Sir Walter believed him. Walter accepted a sleeping pill and went back to bed. Hall returned to kiddo, panicked, not because Lady Scott Elliott was dead, but because yet again, the murder was about to ruin his plans to get rich quick. He had to get rid of this body immediately. Coming up, Hall devises a plan to dispose of Lady Scott Elliott's body that sets him on a path to yet another murder. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination

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You in? Must be 21 to enter. Now back to the story. On December 8, 1977, with the assistance of his lover, Michael Kitto, Archibald Hall murdered his second victim, Lady Dorothy Scott Elliott. Like with his first victim, the bloody butler struggled to find a way to hide the body without alerting his employer. Though Dorothy had been one of his bosses, her husband, Walter, was still very much alive and would have questions about his missing wife. Archibald Hall still had the Scott Elliott fortune in his sights, a fortune he believed he deserved. Hall quickly devised a plan. He knew the Scott Elliott family was about to take a vacation. So the next morning at breakfast, Hall told Sir Walter that his wife had left early with a friend.

He said that she wished for them to follow behind by car that morning. Then he served Sir Walter a cup of tea, laced with Valium. Hall and Kiddo waited for Walter Scott Elliott to fall asleep before loading him in the back seat of a rented car. Kiddo posed as the chauffeur, and Hall pretended to be Sir Walter's godson. Wary of any neighbors who might be watching, Mary Coggle dressed up in Dorothy Scott Elliott's expensive fur coat

and pretended to be the dead woman. To any onlookers, it would simply appear as if the Scott Elliott's were leaving for their trip. They loaded Lady Dorothy's body into the trunk and made their way to Archibald Hall's cottage in Newton Arlush, England, to stay the night. Hall brought Sir Walter's medication and regularly drugged him along the way.

The next day, Mary Coggle stayed at the cottage with Sir Walter while Michael Kitto drove Archibald Hall and Dorothy's corpse over the Scottish border to the village of Comrie. Hall and Kiddo dumped the body there and returned to England. Hall later said he chose to dump the body in Scotland because of the possibility of a not-proven verdict. A Scottish trial has three possible verdicts, guilty, not guilty, or not-proven. Not-proven can be used by a judge or jury if they believe the accused was guilty

but felt the prosecution didn't fully prove or establish guilt. it is still considered an acquittal. To Hall, this meant there was a two out of three chance of walking free, if caught, rather than a 50-50 chance in English court. Back at the cottage, Hall continued slipping Sir Walter unnecessary medication to keep him in a days. Hall quite relished his new role with Sir Walter, who was so drugged up he was practically inarticulate and extremely confused. In his rare moments of lucidity, he would question Hall about where they were.

Hall lied, getting him to sign blank checks and treating Sir Walter like a child. Hall told author Paul Pender, the old man did what I told him to do. Now, I was the master, and he was my servant. This was most likely Hall's first experience, with being in control of someone who had more social power and wealth than himself. It was an addictive feeling Hall likely wasn't ready to let go of just yet. In his book, Why We Love Serial Killers, the curious appeal of the world's most savage murders, criminologist Dr. Scott Bond states that most serial killers are motivated by power and control. They enjoy stalking, capturing, and torturing their prey, they're patient, and kill their victims

slowly in order to prolong their own sadistic pleasure. This continued for six days. The group drove north into Scotland, seemingly without a plan. The group stopped at several pubs and inns along the way, whining and dining on Sir Walter's dime, leaving the poor man in a drug-induced sleep in the car. For Hall, everything was going smoothly. Until Walter woke up,

dazed from the drugs, he got out of the car, and stopped a passerby, asking where he was. Sir Walter then asked the Good Samaritan to go into the pub and find his driver. He wanted to go home. The kind soul found Hall inside and conveyed Sir Walter's message. Shocked that Sir Walter had woken up, Hall flew into a rage. He was incensed, worried Sir Walter had revealed their identities. He hadn't, but Hall knew this was merely luck. The medications he was drugging his boss with would eventually run out, and Sir Walter was a ticking time bomb. Hall gave several different accounts of what happened next as he, Michael Kitto, and Mary Coggle, drove their hostage, Sir Walter Scott Elliott, North. In one version, Sir Walter

asked that they pull the car over so he could relieve himself on the side of the road. Kiddo obliged and Hall helped the drugged elderly man out of the car. Sir Walter walked a few paces away and began to unbutton his pants. Hall quietly followed. Then he attacked Sir Walter from behind, attempting to strangle him. The two men struggled and fell to the ground. Kiddo cracked Sir Walter over the head with a shovel. Then Hall stood on the poor man's neck.

satisfied that Sir Walter was dead, they returned to the car. Hall told the second version of this story to biographer Paul Pender. In this telling, Hall ordered Kiddo to drive them to a remote location with the specific purpose of killing Sir Walter. Once they arrived at a suitable location, Hall forced Sir Walter from the car and made him sign several blank checks. But Sir Walter would only sign three, which sent Hall into a blind rage.

He dragged Sir Walter toward a nearby fence and pushed him over. Then, with the assistance of Kiddo, he strangled Sir Walter with his own scarf. Partway through the strangling, Kiddo took hold of the scarf, and Hall repeatedly kicked Sir Walter in the chest. When they thought the man was dead, Hall and Kiddo began to walk back to the car, but stopped when they heard Sir Walter groan. Hall pulled a shovel from the trunk of the car,

handed it to Kiddo, and told him not to return until Lord Scott Elliott was dead. Kiddo bludgeon Sir Walter repeatedly. Afterward, they hid the body in some nearby bushes. Regardless of the exact details, one fact stands. Archibald Hall killed both of his employers, then he defrauded them. Hall drove them back south, stopping at several banks.

He had told Mary Coggle to dress in Lady Dorothy's clothes again. Posing as the dead woman, she made large withdrawals from the Scott Elliott bank accounts, but Hall noticed Coggle was getting carried away with the act, attracting attention. Hall reminded her several times to keep a low profile. After all, he was on the run after committing three murders, and Mary Coggle was an accomplice in two of them. In mid-December 1977, mere weeks after the murders of both the Scott Elliott's, Hall, Kiddo, and Coggle made their way back to Hall's cottage in Newton-Arloch, England.

There they dropped Mary Coggle off. In the morning, Hall and Kiddo drove to the Scott Elliott flat in London and took everything of value they could find. While Hall and Kiddo were out, Coggle called several friends in England to brag about her new wealth. She also made sure she was seen around town wearing Lady Scott Elliott's fur-coated jewels, despite Hall's warnings. When Hall and Kittle came back that night and learned of Coggle's behavior, Archibald Hall was barely able to control his anger. He gave Coggle another warning and asked her not to wear the coat anymore, for fear it could be traced back to the Scott Elliott's. Not only was it a very fine mink coat, it had the ladies' initials embroidered in the

lining. He said if Mary Coggle agreed to sell the coat, he would buy her a new one, just like it. Coggle agreed and helped sell the coat, as well as the stolen Scott Elliott antiques around town. The next day, Hall and Kiddo returned to the Scott Elliott flat. They gathered and collected as many valuables as they could, then went to the cottage with their possessions in tow. However, as they entered the cottage, they were shocked to find Mary, still wearing the mink coat she had promised to sell. Mary admitted she had worn it all day. She then followed this dark news by announcing she was traveling to London the next day, and she was taking the coat along with her. Hall tried to dissuade her, but despite his please,

Please, Coggle refused to give up the coat. Hall was furious, but he hit his rage beneath a false indifference. He offered to drive Coggle to the train station that very night. Ecstatic, Coggle left the room to pack her bags. When she was safely out of earshot, Hall told Kiddo that Coggle had to go. He silently retrieved a poker from the fireplace and put it on the mantle. When Coggle returned from packing, Hall snatched the poker and struck her with all his might. Hall aimed for her head, but caught her shoulder instead.

She crashed to the floor, then tried to get to her feet, but Kiddo jumped on her. He tied her hands behind her back, trapping her on the floor. Coggle pleaded for her life, insisting the men could trust her, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Hall beat Coggle with the poker until she lay motionless upon the ground. He stepped over her lifeless body and poured himself a drink. Archibald Hall and Michael Kitto

drank well into the night while Mary Coggle's lifeless body remained in a bloody heap on the floor. Eventually, Hall stripped the clothes from Coggle's body, then dressed her in a men's dress shirt. They secured a plastic bag over her head and shoved her body under the bed until they could figure out what to do with her. Sometime between December 16th and December 20th,

Hall and Kiddo wrapped Coggle's lifeless body in plastic sheeting and put it in the trunk of the car. By night, they drove about an hour north to Middleby, Scotland, and stopped at a bridge near the Black-esque. The two men hauled Coggle's body from, the trunk and tossed her over the bridge to a watery grave below. She was still dressed in the men's attire, which Hall thought would be a clever ploy to trick the police. He believed officers would take one look at what she was wearing and assumed she'd been involved in, quote,

some kind of lesbian murder. Detectives would investigate female suspects, thus ruling Hall and kiddo out. Mary Coggle was Archibald Hall's fourth victim in six months. Hall had become a fully-fledged serial killer. After murdering Mary Coggle, Hall and Kiddo made their way back to the cottage. They lied low. On Christmas Day, a 17-year-old farm worker discovered Mary Coggle's corpse in the river. The teenager alerted the authorities, and they pulled coggles bloated body from the water. An autopsy revealed she had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and neck. This beating had caused a massive hemorrhage to the back of the brain,

which was ruled as the cause of death. By this time, Hall and Kiddo were already moving on to their next scheme. In January of 1978, they brought in a new conspirator, Hall's stepfather, John Wooten. Hall still wanted to rob his former employer, Lady Hudson, and he thought now was finally his chance. No one had discovered David Wright's body on her property, and he'd been out of her employ long enough that she wouldn't suspect him.

But those plans would have to be put on hold. On January 12, 1978, Hall got a phone call from Wooten, informing him that his younger brother, Donald, was getting out of prison the next day. Donald had served three years in prison for housebreaking. Clearly, crime ran in the family. Archibald Hall had never liked Donald and didn't even see him as a brother. He believed Donald was a pedophile and the product of an affair Hall's mother had when the family lived on a military base.

However, Donald and Wooten saw things differently. On January 15, 1978, John Wooten brought Donald Hall to Archibald Hall. Archibald relented and allowed Donald in on the plans to rob Lady Hudson. He even took Donald on a drive by the estate that afternoon to fill him in on details. That night, the threesome went drinking. Donald became incredibly intoxicated, which worried Hall. He believed Donald had a history of alcoholism and wondered if he would brag about the robbery while inebriated.

Archibald Hall quickly realized Donald was a liability. Just like Mary Coggle, Donald had to go. According to Hall, he discussed his worries with Kiddo, who seemingly agreed that Donald needed to be taken care of. They eventually returned to the cottage, where Hall, Kiddo, and Donald discussed the robbery plans late into the night. It's not known if John Wooten was present. Hall never mentions him at this location in his memoirs.

But at some point that night, it was decided that they'd have to tie Lady Hudson up to carry out the robbery. Donald became very excited about this idea and went into the bedroom to grab some cord. Either Hall or Kiddo suggested they should practice tying each other up to prepare for the robbery. Donald went first, allowing Kiddo to tie his hands behind his back. Hall saw his opportunity and pounced. He said he covered Donald's mouth with a cloth soaked in. chloroform until Donald passed out. Much like with Mary Coggle, Hall secured a plastic bag over his half-brother's head and

stripped him naked. Hall in Kiddo then placed the body in the bathtub and filled it with water. Due to the contradictions in Hall's various versions of the narrative, it's unclear exactly why they put him in the tub. It could have been to ensure Donald truly died by drowning him or to wash off the chloroform and prints destroying evidence. It could have been to stave off rigor mortis. Either way, not long after, Hall and Kiddo wrapped Donald's naked body in plastic sheeting, and hid it in the trunk of the car. On January 15th, 1978, they then drove about three hours

south to the Blenheim House Hotel in North Barrack, England. The pair dressed in the finest clothes they had and checked into the hotel for the night. Then they proceeded to to the bar and ordered several drinks, as if they didn't have a car parked outside with a dead body in the trunk. But while Hall and Kiddo were happy to live in denial, someone at the hotel was on their trail. Coming up, Archibald Hall's trunk is opened.

Now back to the story. On January 15th, 1978, Archibald Hall and his accomplice Michael Kiddo killed Archibald's half-brother, Donald Hall. Donald was Hall's fifth victim since July of 1977. Hall had murdered his former lover, David Wright, his wealthy employers, the Scott Elliott's, his ex-lover and partnering crime, Mary Coggle,

and now his half-brother, Donald, all within about six months. Now Donald's dead body lay in the trunk of Paul's car, wrapped in plastic sheeting. The pair stopped at the Blenheim House Hotel that evening for a night's rest. They tried to be inconspicuous while checking in with the hotel's owner, Norman White. White immediately noticed Hall in kiddo's haphazard appearance. Their clothes are obviously expensive, but they were unkempt and wrinkled.

White recalled that the men looked rather nervous. He also noticed that Hall seemed particularly hesitant about writing down the customary information about his car. On high alert, White just couldn't let this feeling of unease go. His wife agreed something was off. At the very least, White suspected the two might try to skip out on the hotel bill, so he called the police. Unbeknownst to Hall and Kiddo, who were still feasting at the bar, the police arrived, spoke to White, and ran the license plate of Hall's car. However, Hall had switched the plates a long time ago, as they were still using the car they'd rented to transport Lady Scott Elliott's body back in December. Seeing plates did not match the registration, the police approached Hall and Kiddo and asked them about the discrepancy.

Thinking on his feet, Hall told the police they were borrowing the car from his sister Violet's husband, John Harvey. But that name didn't match the registration either. So the police brought the duo down to the station for questioning. At the police station, the police let Hall use the restroom unaccompanied. They didn't suspect him of anything serious. In the restroom, he cleaned out his pockets, destroying sketches of Lady Hudson's estate and the list of dealers he planned to sell the stolen possessions to. On his second unescorted trip to the bathroom, Hall saw his advantage and took it.

He managed to squeeze out the narrow window and ran from the police station. He fled into the night, leaving Kiddo to take the fall for him. While all this was happening, the Metropolitan Police of London had begun looking into the disappearance of the Scott Elliott's. Members of their extended family had reported them missing after they failed to show up for their holiday in Scotland. When the police went to the Scott Elliott flat in London, they found that it had been ransacked. and there were blood stains on the carpet. Neighbors reported seeing the butler and another man going in and out of the flat. To make matters worse for Hall, police were actively working Mary Coggle's case.

Coggle's associates knew she had been with Hall and kiddo and told the police as much. In spite of Hall's best efforts, justice was closing in. But Hall knew none of that as he escaped police custody. outside the station, Hall hailed a taxi to a nearby hospital, stating that he was in a tremendous hurry because his wife was having an emergency. He ran into the hospital and waited a minute before heading back out to the cab. He told the driver his wife had been transferred to a hospital in Edinburgh, and he needed a ride out of town. Back at the station, police quickly realized Hall had escaped the bathroom. They were surprised to find he hadn't taken his car.

So they searched it. When they opened the trunk, they were met with a horrific surprise. Wrapped in plastic was the nude, decomposing body of Donald Hall. The police put out in all ports warning for Archibald Hall. Every officer in the city was given his description and instructed to be on the lookout. In the meantime, the police had a whole new set of questions for Michael Kiddo, who had remained quiet up to that point. When they confronted him about the body, Kiddo seemed relieved.

He recounted the sordid tale, starting with the murders of the Scott Elliott's, then Mary Coggle, and finally, Donald Hall. With his co-conspirator conveniently missing, Kiddo told the version of the story that made him seem the most sympathetic. On the road to Edinburgh, the taxi carrying Archibald Hall was stopped a roadblock in Hattington put up in response to the all-ports warning. When the police questioned the driver, he told the police the same story Hall had told him. Police noticed that Hall fit the description of the man they were looking for and asked for his name. Hall said his name

was Mr. Thompson and that he was headed to Edinburgh. The police detained the taxi while they called the hospital to check for a Mrs. Thompson. After they discovered there was no there was no patient by that name. They took Hall into custody. The police interrogated Archibald Hall, pressing him for answers, but Hall remained stone-faced. It seemed that Hall might never have broken had he not learned Kiddo had already confessed. Once Hall knew the jig was up, he boasted to the police that he wasn't guilty of four murders, but five. In addition to those Michael Kiddo had participated in, Hall confessed to the July 1977 murder of ex-lover David Wright. While Hall was confessing, he bragged of his accomplishments and told police,

this was the biggest case they would ever work. He smoked a cigar, a brand he claimed, wasn't fine enough for him, and regaled the police with his tale of murder and mayhem. According to preeminent researcher Dr. Jack Levin, to a serial killer, his crime, are often his greatest accomplishments in life. By confessing, he gets to relive his crimes. Levin says he wants to reminisce about the good times he had

inflicting pain and suffering on his victims. Hall was doing exactly that. He took pleasure in the retelling of each event and bolstered his tales with fanciful details. Hall was also feeding his ego and feelings of megalomania. Hall stated many times he believed he was the greatest thief and killer the world had ever seen. These grandiose statements revealed a level of narcissism that is characteristic of many serial killers.

He even offered to take the police to the Scott Elliott's and David Wright's bodies. By uncovering undiscovered bodies for the police, he could fuel his own self-importance. Hall did make good on this promise and led the police straight to the bodies. He showed no remorse. In fact, Hall blamed each person for their own murder, stating that they made him do it in some way or another. He blamed society for being unfair to him. He blamed his upbringing and bullying. He blamed Donald for being born. But he never blamed himself. He still pictured himself as a hero. evidenced by his next action.

While awaiting trial in jail, Hall attempted to overdose on barbiturates. He hoped to have an honorable suicide above capture and punishment by enemies. He was rushed to the hospital where a medical team successfully saved his life, and once Hall was well enough to appear in court, he and Kiddo were tried for their crimes. Michael Kiddo was sentenced to life in prison, with the judge's recommendation, that he served at least 15 years for his involvement in the crimes. Archibald Thompson Hall was also sentenced to life in prison. However, the judge highly recommended that he'd never be released.

Unlike in the movies he'd grown up with, Hall was finally being brought to justice. Hall served the remainder of his days in prison and gave different accounts to whichever newspapers and biographers would listen. His tales were so outlandish and almost farcical that many didn't believe him. One potential biographer even quit because they never knew what was fact and what was fiction. However, writer Trevor Holt was more successful. In 1999, he was able to publish Hall's memoirs titled A Perfect Gentleman,

The True Confessions of a Serial Killer, which was an invaluable source for this episode. Hall died of a stroke on September 16, 2002, in Kingston Prison. He was 78 years old. He had lived a fast, thieving lifestyle like his childhood movie heroes. But rather than escaping the law and getting the girl, he died in prison, a lonely old man. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back Monday with a new episode. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other podcast originals

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Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler and is a parcast studio's original. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Anthony Valsick, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro and Carly Madden. This episode of serial killers was written by Vanessa Pigram, with writing assistance by Maggie Admeyer, and stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Want to hear something?

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