Easy as Pie

Easy as pie – it’s a saying that’s been used time and time again. And in this instance, it had an eerie sense of foreshadowing.

Margery Radford had been married to her husband, Frederick, for a number of years before she fell ill. Her husband did what he thought best – he put her in care.

In April of 1949, Margery had been ill for seven years, suffering from tuberculosis. She was placed in Surrey County Sanatorium, on the grounds of St. Thomas’ Hospital.

Her husband, father, and many friends would often stop by to visit. By all accounts, she seemed in good spirits despite her illness.

Except for the times when her husband would stop by to visit. He often brought her treats – pies, cakes, and foods of all sorts. Her illness always seemed to get worse after partaking in the treats her husband brought her. Margery’s father at one point even noticed feeling a little off after eating a pie made by Frederick.

But Margery thought it was more than the pie being slightly off. She confided her fears in her friend, Mrs. Formby. Margery told her that she thought Frederick was poisoning her food. She asked Mrs. Formby to send the latest edible gift – a fruit pie – to Scotland Yard for analysis.

Mrs. Formby had good intentions, but didn’t quite manage to follow Margery’s instructions to the letter. Instead, she left the pie on the desk of the superintendent of the sanatorium, with a note saying that a letter would follow which would contain an explanation about the pie.

On April 9th, 1949, Dr. Alison saw the pie on his desk, and figured it was a nice treat. He ate part of the pie and became violently ill. He was ill for most of the weekend, but felt well enough on Monday, the 11th, that he went to work.

Upon his arrival, Dr. Alison received Mrs. Formby’s letter stating the purpose of the pie, and that Margery Radford feared her husband had been poisoning her over time. Margery confirmed that the remaining bit of pie was the pie she’d given to her friend. Dr. Alison immediately sent it for analysis, and enlisted the services of DI Crowhurst of Godalming to get to the bottom of it.

The results came back the following day, April 12th, showing that the pie contained arsenic, at three times the fatal minimum dose. No sooner had DI Crowhurst and Dr. Alison received the results, they discovered that Margery Radford had passed away. She was 43 years old.

Medical examiner Keith Simpson confirmed that Margery was in an advanced stage of tuberculosis, but he also confirmed that her frail body was full of arsenic.

DI Crowhurst theorized that the medical staff at the sanatorium figured Margery’s worsening state was due to her advanced illness. They didn’t find it suspicious that she would suffer greatly following a visit from her husband. No one took her claims that he was responsible for her ailment seriously.

Frederick Radford was brought in for police questioning. When asked if he wanted to kill his wife, he replied: “Why should I want to kill my wife? I knew she was going to die anyway.” A very cold and calloused way of viewing one’s spouse.

Frederick, the arrogant man he was, claimed during the questioning that he wouldn’t be stupid enough to use such an obvious substance in order to kill Margery – he worked as a laboratory technician, after all. He knew his way around such things.

Frederick was sent away with instructions to return the following day for a follow-up interview. When he didn’t turn up, investigators went searching. He was found in his room at the hospital where he was employed. He’d committed suicide by taking cyanide – a much quicker death than he’d allowed for his wife.

On May 19th, 1949, a jury deliberated over the case for four hours. They came to the conclusion that Frederick had murdered his wife, despite leaving a note that he had not, and then killed himself in turn. They theorized that his motive was the affair he’d started with another woman. Frederick wanted a new start, and he didn’t want to care for his ailing wife any longer. Seeing no way out, he ended his life.

A piece of pie turned out to be Frederick Radford’s downfall. I guess some things really aren’t so easy.

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Sources:

The Mammoth Book of Bizarre Crimes – Robin Odell
Medical Detectives – Robin Odell
International Centre for the History of Crime, Policing, and Justice
Surrey Murders – John Kiste