The discovery of a human skull during building work at Sir David Attenborough's Richmond home in 2010 has finally solved a chilling 131-year-old murder mystery that captivated Victorian England. The remains were identified as belonging to Julia Martha Thomas, a widow brutally killed by her housemaid in 1879, bringing closure to a case that had remained partially unresolved for over a century.
The Gruesome Discovery in a Celebrity Garden
In 2009, the esteemed broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough purchased a property in the affluent suburb of Richmond, South West London. During renovation work on October 22, 2010, builders made a shocking find when they unearthed a human skull in the back garden. Police immediately launched an investigation, which through forensic analysis confirmed the skull belonged to Julia Martha Thomas, whose murder had been one of the most notorious crimes of the Victorian era.
A Tale of Victorian Violence and Deception
The story begins on January 29, 1879, when Julia Thomas hired Kate Webster, an Irish immigrant with a history of petty crime, as her domestic help. Webster had initially caught Julia's attention while temporarily filling in for an ill colleague cleaning for another Richmond resident. Without conducting proper background checks, Julia employed Kate, seemingly unaware of her criminal past.
Within weeks, their relationship deteriorated dramatically, leading Julia to dismiss Kate on February 28. However, Kate persuaded her employer to let her stay for three additional days, a fateful decision that would seal Julia's tragic destiny.
The Fatal Confrontation and Grisly Aftermath
On March 2, 1879, Julia attended church appearing visibly distressed after an argument with her maid. Upon returning home, she confronted Kate about her unsatisfactory work standards. In her later confession, Kate described the violent altercation: "She had a heavy fall, and I became agitated at what had occurred, lost all control of myself, and, to prevent her screaming and getting me into trouble, I caught her by the throat, and in the struggle she was choked, and I threw her on the floor."
Following the murder, Kate embarked on a horrifying cover-up. She dismembered Julia's body, boiled the pieces in a laundry copper, and burned the bones in the fireplace. The remaining fragments were disposed of in the River Thames, with early theories suggesting the missing head had been among those discarded remains.
Macabre Claims and International Manhunt
Disturbing rumours emerged that Kate distributed rendered fat from the corpse to neighbours, local pub patrons, and even children in the street, presenting it as dripping and lard. Although she never confessed to this behaviour and it remains unproven, these allegations added to the case's notoriety.
For two weeks after the murder, Kate impersonated her deceased employer before fleeing to Ireland when her deception was uncovered and body parts began washing up along the Thames. Detectives eventually tracked her to her uncle's farm in Killanne, near Enniscorthy, where she was captured.
A High-Profile Trial and Public Execution
Kate Webster's trial generated enormous public interest across both England and Ireland, attracting attention from international figures including the future King Gustaf V of Sweden, then Crown Prince, who observed proceedings. Despite confessing to the crimes, Kate attempted to avoid execution by claiming pregnancy, but her plea was unsuccessful.
On July 29, 1879, she was hanged at Wandsworth Prison amidst cheering crowds. While the murder itself was solved within weeks, the mystery of Julia Martha Thomas's missing head persisted for 131 years until its accidental discovery in Sir David Attenborough's garden brought this dark chapter of Victorian history to its final resolution.
