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It was a crime like no other, unleashing horrors not seen since Jack the Ripper. 

On a crisp autumn morning in 1935, a brother and sister out for a walk in the Scottish countryside stumbled upon dozens of packages containing dissected human remains. Who – or what – could have done this?

Now largely forgotten, the Ruxton case grabbed worldwide attention. A real-life Agatha Christie mystery, the gruesome details of the murders would shock the public and test the ability of police to keep the public safe.

The case was also the birthplace of modern forensic science. It would alter the course of how murders are investigated.

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The Recap!

Ever wonder what Detectives Dan and Dave, Paul Holes, and Yeardley Smith would make of the police work in “Beyond Recognition?” Well, the team recently sat down to discuss all the fascinating twists and turns at the heart of one of the most consequential murder investigations in modern history. Join them as they discuss the momentous strides made in forensic science and crime scene management, the tireless and often inspired work of the detectives trying to solve the grisly case, and a few missteps made along the way.



The Buck Stops Here

Lead prosecutor Joseph Cooksey Jackson sits with his right-hand man, Maxwell Fyfe, discussing their mounting concerns about the forensic evidence. Jackson knows the stakes are high. The success of their case hinges on presenting complex forensic evidence in a way that a jury of laymen can understand. They don’t want any doubts, reasonable or otherwise, sneaking in. Despite the damning evidence against Ruxton, the case is entirely circumstantial, and the defense is poised to challenge the identification of the bodies.



A Case for Forensics

John Milligan, a reporter from the UK’s biggest tabloid, News of the World, finds himself in the home of Dr. Buck Ruxton, now the prime suspect in the disappearance—and likely murder—of his wife Isabella and their nanny Mary Rogerson. Since the women vanished nearly a month ago, Ruxton has spun a web of lies, claiming they ran away to Scotland – or was it Blackpool? But with the discovery of the mutilated body parts found in Moffatt, suspicion has focused squarely on Ruxton. Milligan notes the doctor’s panic as he clings to his fabricated stories, unaware that the police are closing in.



Bodies of Evidence

Peter Rogerson is desperate and furious. His sister Mary, the Ruxton family’s nanny, has been missing for nearly two weeks. Peter, defying social norms, confronts Dr. Buck Ruxton at his doorstep, demanding answers. Despite Ruxton’s attempts to deflect him with tales of theft and a trip to Scotland for an illegal abortion, Peter is not convinced. He fears something terrible has happened and that Ruxton is behind it. Meanwhile, top forensic experts in the UK have begun to unmask the identities of the dismembered bodies discovered in a Scottish ravine. Using groundbreaking techniques, they piece together a puzzle as complex as any in the history of modern forensic science. And, in doing so, they begin to find a tragic answer to Peter Rogerson’s desperate query. 



Sunday, Bloody Sunday

In the early morning of September 15, 1935, Agnes Oxley, a housekeeper at the home of Dr. Buck Ruxton, is roused from her sleep by an unexpected visitor. Ruxton, usually composed and well-groomed, stands disheveled and agitated at her door. Oxley finds his nervous behavior and insistence that she stay away from the house for the day odd to say the least. Little does she know, this is the beginning of a macabre tale.