Prime Crime: Solved Murders - “Murder on the Mignonette” Richard Parker

Episode Date: December 15, 2021

When an aging yacht is shipwrecked in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the crew will do anything to survive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this murder case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes dramatizations and discussions of murder, assault, and cannibalism. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On the morning of July 29, 1884, a cargo ship called the Maktizuma cut through Atlantic waters off the coast of Brazil. Her crew was carrying a shipment of lumber from South America to their home of Hamburg, Germany. Captain P.H. Simonson had steered the triple-masted ship on a number of merchant jobs. From Hong Kong to San Francisco to Bordeaux, he'd visited much of the world, and he thought he'd seen it all. Until a few hours into that day's journey, when something on the horizon caught his eye.

At first, the captain thought he'd spotted a piece of driftwood or some old wreckage. But as the tiny speck drew closer, he realized, it was a lifeboat. The crew intercepted the flimsy 13-foot dinghy. They found three men inside. All were weak, weather-beaten, and extremely grateful for the unexpected rescue. The captain offered the men food, water, and beds.

It was the least he could give these lost sailors, presumably the survivors of a shipwreck. But he had no idea who he'd just invited. onto his vessel. When Captain Simonson hoisted the lifeboat aboard, he made a gruesome discovery. Welcome to Solve Murders, True Crime Mysteries, a Spotify original from Parcast. I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie. Every Wednesday we step into the world of true crime's most fascinating murder cases and tell the tale of how real-life detectives close the case. You can find episodes of Solve Murder,

and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free exclusively on Spotify. This is our only episode on the tragic voyage of the Mignonette. We'll cover the freak accident that sank the ship, the weeks-long stranding of its four-person crew, and the complicated murder on their lifeboat. We have all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari.

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On July 29, 1884, Captain P.H. Simonson of the Moctezuma fished three shipwreck survivors out of the Atlantic Ocean. The men were exhausted, hungry, and traumatized. Whatever had happened to them, it hadn't been good. Captain Simonson examined the men. Then he oversaw the collection of their tiny lifeboat. As his crew hoisted the dingy up, something rolled along its floor. The captain likely thought that the starving men had forgotten some of their belongings.

He planned to grab whatever was left behind and send it to their rooms. But when Captain Simonson reached into the lifeboat, he touched something cold, wet, and sticky. It was a bloody chunk of human flesh. The captain's hand shook as he stared at the ghastly scene. There was more blood, more flesh, and an entire human rib. Captain Simonson held back a wretch. He made a beeline for the three men and demanded to know why human remains floated at the bottom of their vessel. The three men locked eyes. After a tense silence, one finally stepped forward. His name was Captain Thomas Dudley, and he had quite a story to tell.

To explain what had happened, Dudley had to go all the way back to his hometown. He was from a village in England called Tolesbury. It was located on the Essex Coast between the English Channel and the North Sea. Its proximity to the water meant its people were practically built for seafaring. In the late 1800s, Tollsbury was a center for yacht racing. The sport was popular amongst the upper classes, giving them both entertainment and a way to display their vast wealth. They came to Tolesbury to find skilled captains and crews. And in 1884, 31-year-old Thomas Dudley had a reputation as one of the best yacht racers around. He was a skilled captain able to deftly navigate the seas. But after excelling at the sport for almost a decade, Dudley was burnt out. He had a wife and three children. Yachting

kept him away from home many months out of the year. He wanted something more stable. And a perfect Opportunity arose in the spring of 1884. A wealthy Australian lawyer named John Want was on the hunt for a British yacht and a crew to bring it back home to Sydney. With some money to burn, want offered a contract to the locally famous Thomas Dudley who discussed it with his wife. It's a 200-pound contract, Philippa. It's another 120 days without my husband, our children without their father. The route takes me all the way to Sydney. I'd be able to look around, maybe start putting down roots. We've needed a change. We need you here. It's four months gone, Tom. It may be my last voyage, and then we can be done. When I get to Sydney, I'll visit your aunt. You've already

talked about taking over her business. This is the perfect opportunity. Just trust me, my love. Fine, fine. I know you're only thinking of us. What's four more months, I suppose. Now, let me get back to supper. Dudley accepted the shipping contract from John Want. The yacht he'd be sailing to Australia, a trip of approximately 15,000 miles, was called the Minionette. The Minionette had originally been built in 1867 as a cruising yacht, meaning it was equipped as a luxury vehicle. For John Want, it was a status symbol. But as rich as he was, Want still had to make some compromises. Shipping an English yacht to Australia would be expensive, so new boats were out of his price range. The aging minionette was the perfect match. She had some years on her, but Want could afford the cost

of the boat, a crew, and shipping. Some Tolesbury locals considered sailing an aging yacht all the way to Australia foolish. However, despite the naysaying, Captain Dudley sought out a crew. Finding men for the trip wasn't easy. The first two people that agreed to the journey, two brothers, only sailed the minionette from Tolesbury to Southampton, about 200 miles. After the ship docked, they suddenly refused to go further, for reasons that are still unclear. Frustrated, Dudley saw replacements.

On May 15th, he hired three men, a mate, James Haynes, age 29, an able sailor, Edmund Brooks, H-39, and Richard Parker, a 17-year-old orphan who dreamed of seeing the world. But the next day, James Haynes dropped out. His reason for doing so is also unknown. In any case, he'd been the third person to refuse the journey. Whatever intuition these sailors had about the trip, Dudley was blind to it. He marched forward. soon after he filled out his crew. To replace James Haynes, he hired Edwin Stevens, age 37. Of the final four, Dudley and his two seamen were more than a decade older than the cabin boy

and far more experienced. Yet in Richard Parker's young life, he had already faced many difficulties. Both of Parker's parents had passed away. His mother when he was seven and his father when he was 14. At that point, his three older brothers were grown enough to head off to work. Parker came under the care of a foster family. They lived in a fishing village like Tolesbury, and he soon grew into a boater. Of course, Parker had never taken a voyage like this.

One of his brothers and his foster mother cautioned him. It was a big jump from working on local fishing boats to sailing a yacht to Australia. But Parker wouldn't be dissuaded he was young, unmarried and child-free, and felt he had little to lose. He was ready to see the world, so he kissed his family goodbye and took off for the trip of a lifetime. On May 19, 1884, the Minionette set sail from Southampton, England for Sydney, Australia. 15,000 miles lay between the crew and their destination. Captain Dudley mapped out a route, but he made some unconventional choices.

We'll go due south around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, then east onto Australia. Captain, if I may, should we not swing further west towards South America? We can take advantage of the trade winds there to carry us the rest of the way. Were we a cargo ship, I'd agree with you. But that weighs best for deep-sea sailing ships. Our little minionette isn't cut out for that. You're concerned whether she's seaworthy? Not at all.

She's a fine vessel. But best to be safe and avoid the Easterlies until we reach South Africa. Hugging close to the coast will give us the best weather. I suppose this way does provide some safety should storms approach. All right, Captain, full speed ahead. I'll head up to inform the others. For nearly a month, the Mignonette sailed without incident. In June, the men stopped in Madeira, Portugal, to resupply and report to their families back home.

But when they set off again, their fortune took a bad day. turn. As the Minionette entered the South Atlantic, a wind kicked up. This area of the ocean was notorious for tricky waters. It was only a matter of days before the Minionette had a storm at her heels. On June 25th, strong winds battered the ship and Dudley fought to keep her in hand. For a full ten days, the crew raced against the storm, doing their best to put distance between themselves in the winds. Finally, on July 5th, it seemed their prayers were answered. The winds that had plagued them suddenly stopped. Captain Dudley took this as a good omen. Heaf too, lads. We'll stay put for the night. We could all use a bit of sleep. Aye, Captain. Stevens and I will

bring the sails around. You're sure this is where you want us tonight, Captain. Could the storm really be behind us? We're through the worst of it, I'm sure. The winds are calm, and we can pick up in the morning. Captain, is there anything I can do to help? You've got the most important job of all, Parker. I need you below deck to make us some tea. But as the men prepared the ship for a night in, an enemy far more brutal than wind loom just out of sight.

That evening, in the blink of an eye, a massive rogue wave reared up over the ship with the full weight of the ocean, It crashed down on the Mignonette. Up next, the four men battle the elements and each other for survival. Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid. They're all iconic Disney movies. But did you know the original versions of these stories did not end with a happily ever after?

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Just snap a few years. few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying. Someone on Deepop wants what you've got. Start selling now. Deepop where taste recognizes taste. And now back to the story. On May 19th, 1884, 31-year-old Captain Thomas Dudley set off from Southampton, England, sailing a yacht called the Minionette. The trip to Australia, carried some inherent risk, but 31-year-old Dudley had an able crew, 37-year-old Edwin Stevens, 39-year-old Edmund Brooks, and the 17-year-old orphan Richard Parker.

It was smooth sailing at first. Then on the evening of July 5, 1884, a gigantic rogue wave struck the ship 1,600 miles off the coast of South Africa. As the wall of water broke over the Minionette, the men clung to any wood and rigging within reach. When the wave receded, it washed away the sides of the deck that protected them from the sea. The crew was in mortal danger. My God, her top size are stove in. She's sinking.

Stevens, Brooks, lower the dinghy. We haven't much time. Aye, Captain. Parker, find one of our water barrels and hoist it to the sea. We're to abandon ship. Captain, where are you going? The barrel will float. We can nab it from the dinghy. I'm going below. We need the sextant. But Captain, surely she'll roll. Captain! In an act of sheer bravery, Dudley waded through chest-deep water below deck to secure the most necessary navigation tools.

He grabbed the compass, a specialized clock known as a chronometer, and the sextant, which was used to determine the ship's position. then Dudley high-tailed it back to the lifeboat with only seconds to spare. Just five minutes after the rogue wave punched a hole in its side, the minionette sank beneath the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Though they'd escaped with their lives, the men had no time to rejoice. They were back in the middle of a storm and had to fashion a sea anchor out of bits of fabric and rope. The anchor would secure their position amongst the waves, ensuring that they wouldn't topple over into the ocean.

Hopefully they could ride out the storm until morning. With no idea how long they'd be on the water, the men checked their provisions. Their casks of water had been lost. The same went for a number of turnip tins. Dudley had managed to bring up from below deck. Only two floated within reach. To make matters worse, their lifeboat was only 13 feet long

and constructed with the thinnest plywood. Just a quarter inch of flimsy materials stood between the crew and a watery death. And in their effort to escape quickly, a hole had been kicked into the side. They only had a bit of cotton to plug it. The storm raged around their boat, tossing waves as high as mountains towards them.

They bailed water as fast as they could, praying they'd make it through. After an excruciating six hours, calm fell over the water, and the moon shone bright in the sky. It seemed like the men could finally rest. But in the darkness of the vast ocean, a new hazard swam their way. At about 11 p.m., the men felt a knock against their tiny lifeboat. Peering into the water, they were horrified to spot a massive shark circling them. With oars as their only weapons, Dudley and his men fought off the present. predator. To the sailors, the shark had been an omen of impending death. After such a terrifying

encounter, the precarious reality of their situation truly set in. They had no fresh water. They had nothing to eat except two small tins of turnips, and even with the compass and sextant, they had no idea where they were. Their only hope was rescue from a passing ship. However, since they'd taken a route less traveled by commercial captains, the chances of interception were slim. Dudley knew their only shot at salvation was to maintain hope. He led by example, tearing off the bottoms of his pants to construct a more thorough plug for the hole in the dinghy.

He also removed his shirt and several planks of extra wood from the floor of the lifeboat to construct a makeshift sail. Taking off his shirt was a risky bed. it left him exposed to yet another enemy of the shipwrecked crew, the sun. Exposure to the elements could kill them as quickly as starvation or thirst, and his men were staring down the barrel of all three. But Dudley persuaded them to give up their clothing to the cause. The sail went up, and they prayed it would help bring them closer to land.

Those tasks completed, Dudley turned to the next issue. Food. They rationed out their two tins of turnips. Still, in three days, their stores were gone. Water was also a serious issue. Even surrounded by the ocean, they had nothing to drink. Any good sailor knows ingesting the salty brine of the sea only speeds up the process of dehydration and death.

With each passing day, the crew's thirst and hunger grew more extreme. Then on July 9th, four days after the crash, they came across a turtle in the water. First mate Stevens captured it with his bare hands and wrestled it onto the boat. The men slaughtered the animal and shared the meat. The flesh, bones, skin, and fat of the turtle sustained them for a few more days, and they quenched some of their thirst with drops of rainwater they'd collected. But as more time passed, without any sign of rescue, the men eventually turned to drinking their own urine to slake their ravishing thirst.

Twelve days passed. Dudley and his men were weak beyond what they'd thought possible. The endless sun had burned their skin, which now cracked and peeled. The long nights froze their extremities. The flickers of hope Dudley had fanned, now faltered. As the men's bodies were pushed to the extreme, their minds were. minds followed suit. Starving, dehydrated, and desperate, they likely experienced hallucinations. The four men were sure of it. They would soon meet their end. After two weeks adrift,

17-year-old Richard Parker fell victim to a mine driven mad by hopelessness. Of the crew, he was by far the least experienced and could no longer deal with a lack of fresh water. Crayed with thirst, he scooped handfuls of salty seawater into his mouth, gulping them down in a panic. Dudley, Brooks, and Stevens warned him not to do it, but they were too weak to stop him. Parker drank and drank, shoveling as much water into his dying body as he could. He was soon met with a violent illness. Vomiting and diarrhea followed, and in his already weakened state, these symptoms sent Parker over the edge. He fell to the bottom of the lifeboat drifting in and out of a coma.

Days continued to pass, each worse than the one before. Captain Dudley looked at his men. They were weak, starving, sunburned, and half dead. He knew they were staring down a grim decision. Brooks, Stevens, come around here. We need to speak. Aye, Captain. What do you need? Well, lads, I'm afraid to say,

it, but I worry our luck has run out. It's been 18 days and no sign of rescue. It looks to me we may die out here. I never should have come on this godforsaken trip. We shall have to draw lots, boys. Captain, what are you saying? Choose one of us to die? It's a custom of the sea, lads.

If one of us dies, it could provide enough sustenance for the rest of us to live a while longer, perhaps long enough for rescue. Better for us to all die together. I can't entertain such a terrible thing. The Parker boy. He's already as good as dead. Weaker than the rest of us?

Perhaps? No, I won't hear of it. I won't. Quiet down. It was only a suggestion. Sleep on it. Dudley waited as Brooks and Stevens contemplated his proposal. It wouldn't be the first time shipwrecked survivors sacrificed one of their own to save the rest.

but the idea of killing and cannibalizing a friend was almost impossible to think about. Brooks refused to discuss it further. He preferred they all die of natural causes than resort to killing. But Dudley and Stevens had a more pragmatic view. They were husbands and fathers. They had families back home depending on them.

In their eyes, the orphaned Richard Parker had the least to lose. If one of them had to die so that the others could live, dutally reasoned it should be the one that was both the weakest and the most alone. But even with this justification, carrying out the act seemed unbearable. These men were on death's door, forced to make the grievous decision of their lives. On one hand, without any food or water, all four were about to die. If three of them killed and ate the other, then perhaps only one of them would perish.

On the other hand, they had no way to know how likely a rescue might be. They could kill Parker, survive a bit longer, and die as murderers. Or they could be rescued the next moment rendering the unforgivable act unnecessary. Parker lay barely conscious on one end of the lifeboat as the others weighed his fate. On the 19th day, Dudley and Stevens made an executive decision. If no rescue came the next day, July 25th, Parker would die and his body would be consumed. As the sun rose over the lost sailors the following morning, no rescue came. No ships crested on the horizon.

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What does that one mean? Oh, that's just piggy. He gets excited when we talk about Rewards. Satings of up to $1 per gallon redeemable with $20 rewards dollars in your loyalty account. At participating locations, terms and conditions apply. And now, back to our story. After escaping the sinking of the minionette, the ship's four-man crew found themselves stranded on the open ocean in a flimsy lifeboat. With no food, fresh water, shelter, or means to orchestrate a rescue, Captain Dudley did his best to lead, but after 20 days, he was forced to make a grisly decision,

sacrifice the cabin boy so that the rest could eat his body and survive. Dudley, is that a knife? Brooks, you should go to the other end of the boat, and have yourself a nap. But, but I cannot stop you. As Brooks turned away, Dudley approached part of the first. clutching a small penknife in his hand. His decades of seafaring hadn't come close to preparing him for this moment. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Forgive me, Lord, for what I'm about to do, amen. Stevens, be ready to hold his feet if need be. Richard! I'm afraid your time has come. What? Me, sir? Yes. Forgive me, poor boy. Parker was too weak to fight back,

with a single slice of his penknife, Dudley slid across the cabin boy's jugular. Having faced certain death and the immense pain of exhaustion, exposure, starvation, and thirst, the three remaining men were driven to the brink of insanity. The sight of fresh blood pouring from the dead boy's neck offered them salvation.

Dudley, Stevens, and Brooks drank ravenously, all veneer of civility stripped away. This was about survival, and Parker had died so that they could live. They treated the dead boy's body as meat. They disemboweled him and consumed the most nutritious organs first, the heart and liver.

Dudley, Stevens, and Brooks did not relish the meal as they fed on 17-year-old Richard Parker's body. They hid their bloodied faces from each other. When they were full, they butchered what remained, storing the flesh out of sight. For four days, they survived on their crewmate's body. The scene looked like it was ripped from the pages of a gothic horror novel, but this was the reality Dudley and his men were living. Thankfully, their nightmare was about to turn a corner.

I suppose we should call this our breakfast then. I don't think I can eat this morning. It's too horrible. You must keep your strength up, Stevens. We're quite different men now. No sense in this going to waste. A sail! I see a sail!

By God, he's right! Here! Over here! Stevens, wave our sail! We're rescued! Dudley and his men were soon pulled aboard the Moctizuma, a German cargo ship carrying lumber from South America to Hamburg. They were less than a thousand miles off the coast of Brazil. Their tiny life raft had floated 1,050 miles across the ocean.

Before boarding the ship, the men had tossed most of Parker's remains overboard. All they left behind was a single rib and some chunks of flesh. These last few pieces of Richard Parker had ignited the, the curiosity of the Moctezuma's captain, P.H. Simonson. And that same captain now stood slack-jawed, floored by the incredible story. While Dudley and his colleagues harbored no joy in rehashing their trauma, they assumed their actions were understandable, even justified. The crew believed they'd operated under a custom of the sea, an unofficial set of rules practiced by sailors under diet. circumstances. It was well known, especially in seaside villages, that shipwrecked seafarers would

sometimes resort to cannibalism to survive. These acts weren't considered crimes, but grim necessities. While we don't know exactly what Dudley and Simonson said to each other, it's likely that Simonson agreed with the men's reasoning. He knew the sea well and its hardships even better. The captain ordered his men to nurse these survivors back to health. The Mokazuma would pass England on its trip back to Germany, and Simonson agreed to take the crew of the Minionette home. On Saturday, September 6th, four months after leaving home, Captain Dudley and his men arrived at a port in Falmouth, England.

The three went straight to the customs house, following protocol for all sailors coming in and out of port. They reported the loss of the ship to officials and gave an account of what happened to them. But as Dudley issued his report, someone else listened in. The ship was a total loss, you say, and you had to resort to cannibalism to survive?

Yes, sir. The boy was chosen to die so that we could live. Excuse me, gentlemen. Sergeant Laverty, local police. I've heard rumors of your story, but I'd like to know myself. How was the boy? killed. It was a terrible thing. I had to use this penknife here. Might you be kind enough to hand that

penknife over to me? Well, I think I'd like to keep it, a reminder of what we've been through. I understand. Just hand it over a while as we get things sorted here. I assure you I'll return it soon. Sergeant James Lafferty was the officer on duty when the Moctezuma landed. He listened to the extraordinary tale, and doubt nodded him. Dudley said that he killed Parker so that he and his other men might survive. It didn't sound like Parker had consented. They hadn't fairly drawn lots, and Dudley clearly hadn't acted in self-defense, merely self-interest. Whether or not it was a custom of the sea didn't matter to Laverty, he saw it as a homicide. So just a few hours later, the three men were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Dudley couldn't conceal his shock. He'd already sent word to his wife that he'd be on his way home that night. He'd felt certain the three of them would be protected by the dire reality of their situation. As the Minionette's crew stood behind bars, Sergeant Laverty built the case against them. He had the murder weapon, and he also collected signed declarations from the Customs House that included the story of the killing. Additionally, he'd inspected Dudley's belongings aboard the Moctezuma and discovered a number of letters Dudley had written.

These were intended as explanations for the destroyed yachts owner and other officials who needed to know what happened. Each note contained a detailed account of the deadly affair. In other words, they served as clear confessions. A few days later, Dudley, Stevens, and Brooks were charged with murder on the high seas. The decision sent a shockwave through the coastal village of Falmouth. Every local was well acquainted with the trouble sailors could face. Villagers felt only sympathy for what the Mininet crew had endured.

This opinion included the town's mayor, Henry Liddycoat, who visited the three men in prison to apologize for the arrest. But even he was upstaged by another visitor. Richard Parker's older brother Daniel had received word of his brother's fate. He'd also learned that his brother's killers had been denied bail. He traveled to the small jailhouse in Falmouth, and rather than confronting his brother's killers with anger, he warmly shook their hands.

Daniel's display of sympathy and understanding towards Dudley and his men only strengthened their standing in the community. The public became invested in the case, viewing it not only as a matter of interest, but also a source of gruesome entertainment. Dudley and his men became folk heroes. People raised funds for their defense and even wrote ballads inspired by their story. Although national sentiment favored the so-called cannibal crew, the Crown's law officers had a very different view. Prior to this instance, customs of the sea had treated survival-based killings as necessary, but higher-ups in the court system worried about deeming necessity a defense for murder. In their eyes, it could set a dangerous precedent.

For this reason, they chose to prosecute two of the sailors to the full extent of the law. Luckily for Brooks, the court dismissed him as a defendant. Upon reviewing the known information, it was clear that he hadn't actively participated in the killing. Instead, he would serve as witness for the prosecution, the only set of eyes other than the defendants that had seen what had gone on. Finally, on November 3, 1884, Regina v. Dudley and Stevens opened an Exeter to a packed courthouse. Arthur Collins, a lawyer with the Queen's Council, represented the captain, and his first mate, they pleaded not guilty. Gentlemen of the jury, I ask you to put yourselves in their situation.

Is it not true that every man has an instinct for self-preservation? Is it not true that we value our own lives above the lives of others? It is only natural, and if you are honest with yourselves, you'll know that I am right. As such, this charge against them cannot hold. Sir, if I may speak. Certainly, this is your life on the line, after all. Well, I just want to say that Stevens and I, we are not guilty in all of this. We took Parker's life, yes, but it wasn't murder, and we did not relish in it, I can assure you.

And I can also assure you, I shall never forget the sight of my two unfortunate companions over that ghastly meal. We were like mad wolves for who should get the most, and for men, fathers of children, to commit such a deed, well, we could not have had our right reason about us. The necessity of the situation has justified what we've done. Collins did the best he could for Dudley and Stevens. The jury clearly favored the men, but an unsympathetic judge held their fates in the balance.

Baron Huddleston presided over the case and wanted to make an example of the men before him. The judge sought to establish that necessity was an insufficient defense for murder, so a guilty verdict was needed. He even called for a special verdict in which he would make the final call as to Dudley and Stephen's fates,

regardless of the jury's feelings. And despite an entire country wishing to see the sailors go free, Baron Huddleston found Thomas Dudley and Edwin Stevens guilty of murder, a sentence punishable by death. In one fell swoop, the court case changed the way so-called murders of necessity would be tried forever. But luckily, the lawyer for the prosecution had recommended an appeal to royal clemency, which Arthur Collins immediately pursued. The lawyer's appeal and the power of public.

opinion led to a reversal of the death penalty ruling. On December 12, 1884, Dudley and Stevens had their sentences commuted to just six months in prison. Still, Captain Thomas Dudley likely resented being sentenced at all. He believed he'd made the best choices for himself and his men. They did what they had to do, to survive. Even though over a century has now passed, The ethical dilemma raised aboard the Mignonette has yet to be answered, and the case of Regina V. Dudley and Stevens is still studied in law schools today. It illustrates a real-world example of a thought experiment called the trolley problem. The question of whether it is just to sacrifice the life of one to save the lives of many.

Few can know what they would do in such a dire situation. but we can all agree that the gruesome tale of the Minionette and its crew is a tragedy unlike any other. Thanks again for tuning in to Solved Murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with a new episode. For more information on the tragic voyage of the Minionette, amongst the many sources we used, we found cannibalism and the common law, the story of the tragic last voyage of the Minionette and the strange legal proceedings to which it gave rise by AW Brian Simpson extremely helpful to our research. You can find all episodes of Solved Murders and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify.

We'll see you next time. If we live till next time. Solve Murder's True Crime Mysteries is a Spotify original from Parcast. It is executive produced by Max Cutler, sound design by, Michael Langsner, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly, Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of Solve Murders was written by Kayla Westergard-Dopson, with writing assistance by Karis Allen and Giles Hofsef, fact-checking by Claire Cronin, and research by Mickey Taylor. The amazing cast of voice actors includes Melissa Medina,

Joe Hernandez, Brian Kim, and Brian Green. Solve Murder stars Wendy McKenzie and Wendy McKenzie and and Carter Roy. Walt Disney had a gift for storytelling that resonated with audiences. From a puppet who wanted to become a real boy to a mermaid who yearned to be part of the human world, Disney has developed relatable and unforgettable characters. Hi, it's Alastair from Parcast. Join me for Once Upon a Time, a special collection of Parkast episodes celebrating the original Imagineer himself, as well as the origins of Disney's most iconic characters and stories. Follow the Spotify original from Parkast once upon a time and catch new episodes Mondays free and only on Spotify.

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