Money Crimes with Nicole Lapin - Scammed to Death: Acid Baths and Estate Fraud Pt. 1

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

In the mid-20th century, serial killer John George Haigh charmed his way into the lives of wealthy people across England -- then murdered them in cold blood, dissolved their bodies in acid, and forged his way into their assets. When he met 69-year-old Olive Durand-Deacon, John thought he'd found another perfect victim. But she would prove to be his undoing. Scams, Money, & Murder is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Don’t miss out on all things Scams, Money, & Murder! Instagram: @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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First impressions are everything. They have a huge impact on how we perceive others and set the tone for the beginning of any relationship. If you're not impressed by someone at first glance, that opinion can be hard to change. But if you find them charming and likable, you're much more inclined to trust them. Believe what they say. Take their word for truth without question. That's what serial killer John George Hay relied on to lure in his victims.

On the surface, John was a gregarious, likable gentleman. fun to be around and worthy of unshakable trust. In reality, he was a vicious murderer, preying on his unsuspecting victims in order to steal their money. And when he met a wealthy widow named Olive Duran Deacon, John was under the impression that nobody would care if she vanished without a trace. He was wrong. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

It's not just a saying. It's a means of survival, because in the world we're entering, trust is a trap, and betrayal is often fatal. I'm Carter Roy, and this is scams, money, and murder. And I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Thursday, we'll explore the story of a money-motivated crime. gone wrong, whether it's a notorious con, fraud, burglary, or even murder. From the archives of Crime House, the show, Murder True Crime Stories, and Killer Minds, these are some of our favorite cases that have kept us lying awake at night wondering,

if money didn't make the world go round, could all this have been avoided? And as always, at Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following, scams, money, and murder wherever you get your podcasts. This episode comes from our show Murder True Crime Stories and is the first of two episodes on Olive Duran Deacon, the final victim of serial killer John George Hay, better known as the Acid Bath killer.

Hay targeted wealthy people so he could profit from their deaths. Today, I'll introduce you to Olive and explain how she crossed paths with John Hay in 1949. I'll dive into what led her to become the target of a serial killer and the disturbing string of murders John committed in the lead-up to Olive's death. Then, next time, I'll bring you along as detectives narrow in on John and discover how deep his crimes really went. All that and more coming out. With Instacart, you get groceries that over-deliver, so you can over-share your preferences. Want russet potatoes with no brown spots? You got it.

Want turnips that look light, but feel heavy? Easy. Want honey-crisp apples that are firm, green, and definitely not Macintosh like last year when you lost the fall bake-off to perfect Penelope Johnson? Okay, a bit TMI, but we're here for it. So download the app today and get zero-dollar delivery fees on your first. three orders, Instacart, groceries that over-deliver. Service fees, exclusions, and terms apply. The new BMO ViPorter MasterCard is your ticket to more. More perks, more points, more flights, more of all the things you want in a travel rewards card, and then some. Get your ticket to more

with the new BMO ViPorter MasterCard and get up to $2,400 in value in your first 13 months. and conditions apply, visit bemo.com slash the iPorter to learn more. With its proximity to the Royal Palace and Cultural Sites, Kensington has been one of London's most prestigious neighborhoods for over 200 years. This was certainly the case in 1949 when wealthy Londoners flocked to the area. Many of them owned luxury homes or apartments, but others chose to reside in hotels, including one named the Onslow Court Hotel. Some of these residents were older and wanted help with daily tasks, or maybe they didn't want to deal with the hassle of managing a household. For one of these reasons or another, 69-year-old Olive Durand

Deacon chose to live at the Onslow Court Hotel. Technically, her name was Henrietta, Helen, Olivia Robart Durand Deacon, but most people just knew her as Olive or Mrs. Durand Deacon, the wealthy widow of a wartime hero. Back in the day, Olive was quite the woman. She was an active suffragette fighting for women's voting rights, once she'd even thrown a brick through a window and landed herself in a jail cell overnight. But that was back then. Now, Olive spent her days in the Tudor lounge of the Onslow Courtsville.

hotel, sipping tea and gossiping with friends. But recently, she'd noticed a new face popping up around the hotel. Olive learned his name was John Hay. From the moment Olive met John, she could tell he didn't come from money. With his northern accent and loud clothing, it seemed like John was desperately trying to fit in with the Onslow Court crowd. and yet he was a well-mannered young man who all have found interesting, the highest compliment she could give. But like so much of John's persona, the respectable gentleman image was all

an act. John Hay was born 40 years earlier on July 24, 1909. He grew up in the small village in Yorkshire, England, and was the only child of Emily and John Hayes, Sr. John's childhood was defined by his family's religious beliefs. The Hayes were puritanical members of the extremely conservative Plymouth Brethren. The Bible was the be-all-end-all for them. John Hayes Sr. believed the outside world was evil and full of sin. He would do anything to protect his family from the awful temptations that lurked beyond their gates. To that end, he built a ten-foot fence around their property to keep everyone else out and to keep his wife and young son in.

With such a paranoid father, John's childhood was defined by fear. Fear about sinning, fear about not fitting in, fear about not reaching heaven. In fact, Hay Sr. told his son that the blue blemish on his head was the mark of the devil himself as a punishment for sinning earlier in his life. And if John Jr. wasn't careful, he would get the same mark. And for a long time, John followed his father's strict rules. Of course, that wasn't hard to do when he was confined to his family's fenced in property. But once John enrolled at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, and then eventually Wakefield Cathedral for high school, his attitude began to change. Teachers called him mischievous, and said he liked testing boundaries. At first, he would do little things like tell white lies, before long those small fibs turned into elaborate ruses.

To cover up his tracks, John would tell more tall tales. But to John's surprise, no blue blemish appeared on his skin. At that point, he either started to believe his father had lied to him, or he just thought he was above reproach. Invincible, in fact. He could sin however he wanted, and nothing bad would happen to him. While John may have been a troublemaker, he was a problem-maker. also a pretty good student. At Wakefield Cathedral, he became interested in engineering. After

graduation, he worked as an apprentice at an auto engineering firm, but John quickly realized he didn't like all the physical labor it involved. So after a year, he left and shifted to sales and advertising. But John found the work boring. He wanted to push the boundaries, to see what he was capable of getting away with. So in 1930, when John was 21, he decided to steal from his company. He didn't cover his tracks very well, though. When money disappeared from the company's petty cash reserve, John immediately fell under suspicion. His boss wasn't able to prove John was the thief, but he was still fired. Rather than learn from his mistakes, John doubled down. He saw a newspaper article about a fraudulent car selling scheme and thought to himself,

he could pull something like that off. So he started forging car documents. In simple terms, here's what he did. First, John would find an auto garage that had financial problems and offered to buy some of its cars on behalf of clients. He told the garages he would pay in installments. Then John would forge the signature. of those fake clients and put the cars in their fake names. Then, after one or two small payments, he would go and sell the cars in full before disappearing

into the wind. At this point, John was making good money, especially from the car scheme. He could finally support himself, which must have been a relief because this whole time, he was still living with his parents in Yorkshire. and when he was home, he had to abide by their rules, including attending Plymouth Brethren assemblies. John had sinned and sinned again, and frankly, he liked it. Now he was ready to pull away from the church and his parents. He decided it was time to move out and start his own family.

It's not clear how they met, but in 1934, 24, 24. four-year-old John married 21-year-old Beatrice Hamer. They moved into their own place in Yorkshire, but without his father looking over his shoulder, John didn't have anyone to keep him in check. And it wasn't long before the authorities caught up with him. after launching a scheme after launching a scheme selling stolen cars john george hay was making more money than he'd ever seen before with the influx of new cash john decided it was time to move out of his parents home in

yorkshire england and start his own family in july 1934 24-year-old John married 21-year-old Beatrice Hamer. But he wasn't exactly a sophisticated criminal, and in November, just four months after marrying Beatrice, he got caught for his car swindling scheme. He was arrested and sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud and forgery. While John was incarcerated, Beatrice gave birth to a baby girl, but she had no intention of staying with Joe.

John and no plans of raising a child on her own. Beatrice put her baby up for adoption and then left John altogether. In 1936, after finishing his sentence, 26-year-old John decided to start fresh, and there was nowhere better for a new start than the big city. That year, John packed his bags and moved to London, only he didn't have a job or a way. way to support himself. That's when he saw a job posting in the newspaper. A man named William McSwan needed a chauffeur. William, who went by Mac, was also 26 years old and hailed from Scotland. His father owned some amusement arcades, and Mac managed them. He also helped maintain his family's various properties. When Mac met John, he liked him right away. John was well-dressed,

and well-groomed, exactly the type of respectable gentleman one would want as a chauffeur, so Mack hired him. In addition to his chauffeur duties, John helped Mac maintain the pinball machines at the arcades and collect rent for the McSwan properties. Mac thought his new hire was charming and fun, too. When they weren't working, they would drink at a local pub called The Goat. John moved on from his chauffeur work. It's not entirely clear why, but knowing John, he probably just got bored of it. Working for Mac was fun,

but an honest day's work was still a lot more tiring than the scams John had grown accustomed to running. After a pleasant parting of ways with Mac, John started posing as a lawyer. Then he sold fraudulent stock shares. Once again, John's careless, got him in trouble. This time, he aroused suspicion from a typo on his letterhead. He mistakenly left out the D in Guilford Surrey. That was enough for one of his clients to look

into him and learn that John wasn't who he said he was. The client reported him to the police and John found himself back behind bars for fraud. This time, he was sentenced to four years in prison. That gave him plenty of time to think about what he'd done and how to do it better in the future. John determined that his biggest problem was people. Every time he got caught, it was because someone he'd tried to defraud ratted him out. If John could just find a way to get rid of them, the problem would be solved. It seems like that's when John started to think about murder. He quickly became fascinated by a French murderer named Georges Alexandre, who killed two people, then disposed of their bodies using sulfuric acid.

This is a colorless yellowish liquid that's used in everything from explosives to batteries. It's very toxic and can cause severe burns. According to reports, John decided to test this method out himself. work duty was in the prison's repair shop, which kept a stock of sulfuric acid. John collected a few jars of it, and when nobody was around, he dropped dead mice into the jars. Then he waited to see how long it took for the mice's bodies to fully dissolve. It was about 30 minutes. From there, he calculated how long it would take if he weren't dealing with mice, but human bodies instead. After serving his four-year sentence, 34-year-old John Hay was released from prison in

1943. He was determined to use what he'd learned in his experiments to never end up behind bars again. After his release, John found work as an accountant with an engineering firm and rented an apartment. He knew it was important to keep up appearances. Plus, this way he could make a little bit of money while he prepared to return to a life of crime. After securing his job at the accounting firm, John stumbled into his old drinking haunt, The Goat. Some say this was random. Others say he went there for a very specific reason, because he knew he'd run into his old friend and boss, William Mack McSwan. sure enough mac was at the goat and he and john struck up a conversation mac apparently had no idea that john had spent the better part of the last four years in prison he found his old buddy as charming as ever the two rekindled their friendship and over the next few weeks they went back to the goat several more times mac even introduced john to his parents donald and amy

Mac was still collecting rent on their London properties, living the good life. John wanted what his friend had. He figured if he got rid of Mac, he could then forge fake documents and take his assets. So John decided it was time to put his plan into action. On September 6, 1944, 35-year-old John rented out a basement workshop, at 79 Gloucester Road in Kensington. He told the landlord he needed the space to work on his, quote, inventions. Once the space was secured, John called in a favor with an engineer he knew.

He asked the engineer to get him a few barrels of sulfuric acid. It doesn't seem like the engineer asked any questions about why he needed it. He just went ahead and got John what he asked for. Three days after he moved into the workshop, John went out drinking with Mac at the goat. Afterward, he invited Mac back to the workshop. According to John's later confession, he hit Mac over the head with a lead pipe while his friend's back was turned. Mac fell to the ground, dead. John stripped him of his watch and valuables, then dropped Mac's body into a 40-gallon

drum filled with sulfuric acid. Two days later, John returned to his workshop to check on the status of the body. It had almost completely dissolved, just as he'd anticipated. He went ahead and drained the acidic sludge down the drain. John had gotten away with murder, but there was one thing he hadn't considered. People have loved ones. Not long after Mack's murder, his parents, Donald and Amy, came to John asking if he'd seen their son. John thought on his feet. He told them Mack was hiding out in Scotland to avoid being drafted to fight in World War II. It was a believable lie.

Five years earlier, Mack had registered as a conscientious objector, someone who refuses to serve in the military due to their moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. John even sent Mac's parents fake postcards from Scotland pretending to be their son. That was enough proof for Donald and Amy McSwan. As far as they knew, Mac was safe and out of harm's way. Meanwhile, John was systematically emptying Mac's bank accounts, forging his old friend's signature to take control of his money and properties. Several months into 1945, it looked like the war was coming to an end. But Mack was nowhere to be found.

Donald and Amy wondered why their son wasn't returning to London. He had no reason to hide, and yet they hadn't heard from him in a while. John's lies were catching up to him. That's when he realized he had two options. He could come clean, or come. go all in and kill Donald and Amy too. In July of 1945, almost a year after murdering Mack, John told the McSwan's that their son had finally come back to London. He said Mac was still nervous about getting caught for evading

the draft, so he was hunkering down in John's workshop. But they could come see him if they wanted to. Of course, Donald and Amy said yes. they took the train and met John at the station. John said he'd bring them to his workshop one at a time. That way they'd attract less attention. The McSwan's agreed, and John took Donald to the workshop first. There John killed him the same way he killed Mack with a blow to the head. Then John went back for Amy and did the same thing to her.

Like with Mac, John put both of their books. bodies in acid, then dump the dissolved remains down the drain. Using his forgery skills, John took everything the McSwan's had. He stole their pension checks and sold their properties, bringing in between 5 and 6,000 pounds for the entire fortune. Back then, that was a big chunk of change. For context, the average home at the time cost a little over 500 pounds. With his new fortune, John decided it was time to upgrade from his rented apartment.

He wanted to be somewhere more upscale, surrounded by wealthy people. He set his sights on the Onslow Court Hotel in Kensington. He moved into Room 404 and enjoyed the life of luxury he always wanted. He told the hotel staff and guests he was a successful businessman. but that couldn't have been further from the truth. In reality, on top of being a murderer, he was a serious gambler who spent his money left and right. By 1947, two years after killing the McSwan's,

38-year-old John was once again looking at a dwindling bank account. If he wanted to stay at the Onslow Court Hotel and keep financing his lavish lifestyle, he needed to find another victim. In August 1947, John went to see a house that was for sale. The sellers were 49-year-old Dr. Archibald Henderson and his wife, 39-year-old Rose. Of course, John couldn't actually afford the property. He told them he wasn't interested in purchasing it, but he did want to get to know them better.

The Henderson's were a lovely couple, and it seems like John genuinely enjoyed spending time. with them, and they were very wealthy. Archibald was a widower, and his first wife had left him the rest of her 20,000-pound inheritance in her will. One day in February, 1948, John invited Archibald over to his workshop under the guise of showing him an invention. By now, John had moved into a new space in Crawley, about an hour away from the hotel in Kensington. When Archibald got there, John shot him in the back of the head. Then John contacted Rose, feigning panic. He told her Archibald had fallen ill and said she'd better come quick. She rushed over to the workshop, only for John to shoot her too. Just like before, John put the Henderson's bodies into the 40-gallon

drums of acid. Then he forged their signatures and sold all of their possessions for another 8,000 pounds or so. But it didn't last him long. Within a year, John was once again desperate for an influx of cash. That's when he set his sights on the wealthy widow at the Anzlo Court Hotel, Mrs. Olive, Doran, Deacon. Tragically, Olive would become John's next victim, and his last. When you support Movember, you're not just fundraising. You're showing up for the men you love.

Your dad, your brother, your partner, your friends. It isn't just a men's issue. It's a human one. That's why Movember exists to change the face of men's health. From mental health and suicide prevention to prostate and testicular cancer research and early detection, Movember is tackling the biggest health issues facing men today. Join the movement and donate now at Movember.com. Scary Story podcast brings original short scary stories right to your ears every week,

like Dead of Night, the story of a man who moves into a new apartment building only to discover its sinister foundation. For another recent one, Sessions, where the classic tale of an imaginary friend turns even darker. You can join us by searching for Scary Story Podcast on your app right now. It's a show by Scary FM. I'll see you over there on Scary Story Podcast. By 1949, 40-year-old John Hay had committed at least five murders, dissolving his victims in sulfuric acid. acid, so he could steal their fortunes. But he had a gambling problem and an insatiable appetite for luxury, so within a year of killing

Dr. Archibald Henderson and his wife Rose, John was already looking for his next victim. That's when he narrowed in on 69-year-old Olive Durand Deacon. John would watch Olive as she socialized around the Onslow Court Hotel in Kensington where they both lived. Each night for dinner, Olive donned a new gown and draped her neck with heavy jewels. She reportedly wore the equivalent of 500 pounds worth of jewelry at once. Remember, that's how much the average home in London cost at the time. John had spoken to Olive here and there, and he knew her living situation was far superior to his. He paid about five pounds a week for his room. Olive, on the other hand, paid more than twice that, just over 12 pounds a week for her double room

on the first floor. To put that into perspective, that was about one and a half times more than the weekly wage of an average worker. John also probably assumed Olive was an easier target than his other victims. She was a widow, so no husband to worry about. And although Olive had a sister, her, she didn't talk much about the rest of her family. She had friends at the hotel, but if any of them noticed she disappeared, John figured he could cook up a believable lie about her whereabouts. But if John was going to go after Olive's fortune, he needed to act sooner rather than later. He was late on rent. He'd overdrafted his bank account and couldn't write any more checks without them bouncing. Hotel management was on him to pay, and he knew he had a matter of weeks,

if not days, before he was out on the streets. He had to figure out some way to get Olive out of the hotel and into his workshop. Luckily for him, he didn't have to work too hard, because Olive came to him. Every Monday, Olive had lunch with her friend. Gwendolyn Beeren. On this particular Monday, February 14, 1949, they were having lunch when John passed by their table and Olive invited him to sit down. Olive didn't normally interrupt her lunches like that, but she had something she wanted to share with John and it couldn't wait. She pulled a small box out of her coat pocket and gave it to him. Inside, there were artificial fingernails made of plastic.

Olive explained to John that artificial nails were the newest trend, and she wondered if there might be a business opportunity there. John agreed and promised to meet her in the lounge later to discuss it further. Later that day, John met with Olive. He listened intently as she pitched him on the acrylic nails. She wondered if he could make and market the products she had in mind. John told her it was a great idea but in an effort to not seem too greedy he told her that he would think about it and come back to her with an answer soon in reality John just wanted some time to prepare he needed to restock his barrels of acid so he called up his old engineering friend the same one who'd helped him get the acid before John brought the acid back to his workshop with everything in place, he went back to Olive and told her that he was interested in partnering with

her. She should come down to his workshop to talk about the details. On Friday, February 18th, 1949, 40-year-old John picked 69-year-old Olive up in his car and drove her out to his workshop in Crawley. She wore a Persian lamb coat, an expensive dress and handbag, and her standard plethora of jewels. For Olive, it was pretty much the same thing she wore every day, but for John it was an opportunity. He was prepared to kill Olive and take everything she had. By the end of the day, John Hay had claimed his next victim. He thought everything had gone according to plan, and he could spend Olive's fortune as he wished. He had no idea that his horrific killing spree was about to come to an end and although it was too late to save olive her legacy was about to save many others

thanks so much for listening i'm carter roy and this is scans money and murder if you enjoyed this episode. You can check out more just like it by searching for murder true crime stories wherever you get your podcasts. Scams, money, and murder is a crime house original. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime House on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Scams, money, and murder and murder true crime stories wherever you get you. podcasts. And to enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of Murder, True Crime Stories, ad-free, along with early access to each

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