Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes The Blackout Ripper PT 1
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Apr 15, 2026 A two-part Blitz-era murder mystery set in 1942 London during wartime blackouts. Grim crime scenes among bombed streets and shelters are reconstructed with period photos. Forensic work and autopsies reveal strangulation, mutilation, and puzzling evidence. A surviving attack and a dropped gas mask offer a tantalizing investigative lead heading into part two.
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Paul's Dermatologist Scare And Vigilance
- Paul Holes shared a personal dermatologist visit where a suspicious hand lesion was removed and found benign.
- He described lifelong sun exposure as a lifeguard and urged vigilance about skin checks from his own experience.
Blackouts Created Crime-Friendly Urban Gaps
- 1942 London blackouts and bombed-out buildings created vast, dim public spaces that increased crime opportunities.
- Kate describes rubble, empty shelters, and mandatory blackouts that left residents and patrols unnerved and vulnerable at night.
Bomb Damage Produced Broken Window Conditions
- War-damaged neighborhoods produced 'broken window' style blight that can harbor crime in disrupted urban infrastructure.
- Paul compares bombed London to modern blighted areas where neglected buildings invite squatters and criminal activity.
