Last Man Hanging
The Salacious Spectacle of Guernsey's Most Scandalous Murder Trial of the 19th Century
At 9.00pm on the night of 18 October 1853, Elizabeth Saujon opened the door to her murderer. Around the same time, John Charles Tapner was seen lurking in the vicinity.
Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time?
In the aftermath of Elizabeth's murder, John's carefully constructed double life unravelled. His secret affair and mounting debts were splashed across the pages of Guernsey's newspapers.
His trial became a public sensation, his sentence a topic of fierce debate, and his execution quickly turned from spectacle into horrific debacle.
John was a sinner, but was he also a murderer?
Follow the investigation, examine the evidence, and decide for yourself...