Amelia Dyer

Rare card · No. 73616

Amelia Elizabeth Dyer (née Hobley; 27 November 1837 – 10 June 1896), popularly dubbed the Ogress of Reading, was a British serial killer who murdered infants in her care from 1869 to 1896. Trained as a nurse and widowed in 1869, Dyer turned to baby farming—the practice of adopting unwanted infants in exchange for money to support herself. She initially cared for the children legitimately, in addition to having two of her own. She allowed many children in her care to die through neglect, which resulted in a conviction in 1879 and six months' hard labour. Later, she directly murdered children she "adopted", strangling at least some of them, and disposing of the bodies to avoid attention. Mentally unstable, she was committed to several mental asylums throughout her life, despite suspicions of feigning, and survived at least one serious suicide attempt. Dyer's downfall came when the bagged corpse of an infant was discovered in the River Thames, with evidence linking back to her. She was arrested...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Unknown Police photographer, Public domain