Edith Alice Morrell
Encyclopedia
Edith Alice Morrell was a resident of Eastbourne
and patient of the suspected serial killer
John Bodkin Adams
. He was tried for her murder in 1957 but acquitted. There were indications of interference with the trial.
(a stroke) on 24 June 1948 while visiting her son in Cheshire
. She was partially paralysed
and was admitted to a hospital there the following day and Adams, her usual doctor, arrived on the 26th. The following day she was first prescribed morphine (given ¼ grains SOS (i.e. when necessary)) for pain. She stayed for nine days before Adams took her back to Eastbourne. On 9 July Adams increased the morphine dose to ½ grain and added 1/6 grain of heroin to ease symptoms of "cerebral irritation" and to help her sleep. These doses gradually increased. Adams suddenly withdrew the morphia completely on 1 November 1950 only to reintroduce it on the 6th, giving 2 grains.
On the 7th she was given 1½ grains of morphia and 2½ of heroin. On the 8th, 2 grains of each. On the 9th Adams gave 2 grains of morphia and 1½ of heroin. Then on the 10th she was given 1 grain of morphia and 4 grains of heroin, 5 on the 11th, and 3½ on the 12th. That day she was also given paraldehyde
to mask involuntary jerks, but which also acted as a mild sedative and depressant of the lungs. The latter was particularly dangerous since heroin also decreases lung functionality.
During the ten and a half months leading up to her death, Adams gave a total of 1,629½ grains
of barbiturate
s; 1,928 grains of Sedormid; 16411⁄12 grains of morphia and 139½ grains of heroin. Between 7 and 12 November 1949 alone, she was given 40½ grains of morphia (2624 mg) and 39 grains of heroin (2527 mg), according to prescriptions. This, according to the prosecution in the trial, would more than likely have been enough to kill her in itself despite any tolerance developed (the respective LD-50s are (in one dose) between 375–3750 mg for morphine and 75–375 mg for heroin based on a person of 75 kg ).
After a year and three months of treatment, Morrell died on 13 November 1950 aged 81. Adams certified the cause of death as a "stroke" following a coma that lasted two hours. On inspecting the body, Adams slit her wrist to ensure she was dead.
The day of her death, Adams arranged for Morrell to be cremated
. On the cremation form he stated that "as far as I am aware" he had no pecuniary interest in the death of the deceased, thereby avoiding the necessity of a post-mortem. That same evening, Morrell's ashes were scattered over the English Channel
.
s. In some of them, Adams received large sums of money, Morrell's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
(valued at £1,500) and furniture, while in others he was not mentioned. Finally, on 13 September 1950 a codicil
was written cutting Adams out of her will completely. Despite the last codicil, on the wishes of Morrell's son, Adams was given the Rolls-Royce, a Jacobean court cupboard and an antique chest containing silver cutlery worth £276, which Adams had often told her he admired. This was from a total estate worth £78,000. After Morrell's death, he also took away an infrared lamp she had bought herself, worth £60, which was later found at his surgery. Adams billed her estate for 1,100 visits, costing ₤1,674 in total. The police however estimated that Adams had visited Morrell a total of 321 times during her treatment.
, following a tip-off from her friend, actor Leslie Henson
. The police investigated various other patients' deaths and came across that of Morrell, which they considered highly suspicious. Adams was tried for Morrell's murder in 1957 but was found not guilty. The prosecution lost important evidence, which was then produced by the defence and two medical experts differed in their interpretation of Morrell's treatment by Adams. The Attorney General
then entered a plea of nolle prosequi
regarding Mrs Hullett.
Adams was never found guilty of any deaths, but the Home Office Pathologist Francis Camps
suspected him of killing 163 patients.
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
and patient of the suspected serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster and suspected serial killer. Between the years 1946 and 1956, more than 160 of his patients died in suspicious circumstances. Of these, 132 left him money or items in their will. He was tried and acquitted for...
. He was tried for her murder in 1957 but acquitted. There were indications of interference with the trial.
Medical History
Edith Alice Morrell was a wealthy widow who suffered a brain thrombosisThrombosis
Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel is injured, the body uses platelets and fibrin to form a blood clot to prevent blood loss...
(a stroke) on 24 June 1948 while visiting her son in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. She was partially paralysed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
and was admitted to a hospital there the following day and Adams, her usual doctor, arrived on the 26th. The following day she was first prescribed morphine (given ¼ grains SOS (i.e. when necessary)) for pain. She stayed for nine days before Adams took her back to Eastbourne. On 9 July Adams increased the morphine dose to ½ grain and added 1/6 grain of heroin to ease symptoms of "cerebral irritation" and to help her sleep. These doses gradually increased. Adams suddenly withdrew the morphia completely on 1 November 1950 only to reintroduce it on the 6th, giving 2 grains.
On the 7th she was given 1½ grains of morphia and 2½ of heroin. On the 8th, 2 grains of each. On the 9th Adams gave 2 grains of morphia and 1½ of heroin. Then on the 10th she was given 1 grain of morphia and 4 grains of heroin, 5 on the 11th, and 3½ on the 12th. That day she was also given paraldehyde
Paraldehyde
Paraldehyde is the cyclic trimer of acetaldehyde molecules. Formally, it is a derivative of 1,3,5-trioxane. The corresponding tetramer is metaldehyde. A colourless liquid, it is sparingly soluble in water and highly soluble in alcohol. Paraldehyde slowly oxidizes in air, turning brown and producing...
to mask involuntary jerks, but which also acted as a mild sedative and depressant of the lungs. The latter was particularly dangerous since heroin also decreases lung functionality.
During the ten and a half months leading up to her death, Adams gave a total of 1,629½ grains
Grain (measure)
A grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
of barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s; 1,928 grains of Sedormid; 16411⁄12 grains of morphia and 139½ grains of heroin. Between 7 and 12 November 1949 alone, she was given 40½ grains of morphia (2624 mg) and 39 grains of heroin (2527 mg), according to prescriptions. This, according to the prosecution in the trial, would more than likely have been enough to kill her in itself despite any tolerance developed (the respective LD-50s are (in one dose) between 375–3750 mg for morphine and 75–375 mg for heroin based on a person of 75 kg ).
After a year and three months of treatment, Morrell died on 13 November 1950 aged 81. Adams certified the cause of death as a "stroke" following a coma that lasted two hours. On inspecting the body, Adams slit her wrist to ensure she was dead.
The day of her death, Adams arranged for Morrell to be cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
. On the cremation form he stated that "as far as I am aware" he had no pecuniary interest in the death of the deceased, thereby avoiding the necessity of a post-mortem. That same evening, Morrell's ashes were scattered over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
.
Wills
Morrell made several willWill (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
s. In some of them, Adams received large sums of money, Morrell's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost refers both to a car model and to one specific car from that series.Originally named the "40/50 h.p." the chassis was originally produced at Royce's Manchester works, before moving to Derby in July 1908 and also, between 1921 and 1926, in Springfield, Massachusetts....
(valued at £1,500) and furniture, while in others he was not mentioned. Finally, on 13 September 1950 a codicil
Codicil (will)
A codicil is a document that amends, rather than replaces, a previously executed will. Amendments made by a codicil may add or revoke small provisions , or may completely change the majority, or all, of the gifts under the will...
was written cutting Adams out of her will completely. Despite the last codicil, on the wishes of Morrell's son, Adams was given the Rolls-Royce, a Jacobean court cupboard and an antique chest containing silver cutlery worth £276, which Adams had often told her he admired. This was from a total estate worth £78,000. After Morrell's death, he also took away an infrared lamp she had bought herself, worth £60, which was later found at his surgery. Adams billed her estate for 1,100 visits, costing ₤1,674 in total. The police however estimated that Adams had visited Morrell a total of 321 times during her treatment.
Arrest and trial
Adams was investigated in 1956 after the unusual death of another patient, Gertrude HullettGertrude Hullett
Gertrude "Bobby" Hullett , a resident of Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, was a patient of the suspected serial killer Dr John Bodkin Adams, who was charged with her murder but never tried for it.-Jack Hullett:...
, following a tip-off from her friend, actor Leslie Henson
Leslie Henson
Leslie Lincoln Henson was an English comedian, actor, producer for films and theatre, and film director. He initially worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and became a popular music hall comedian who enjoyed a long stage career...
. The police investigated various other patients' deaths and came across that of Morrell, which they considered highly suspicious. Adams was tried for Morrell's murder in 1957 but was found not guilty. The prosecution lost important evidence, which was then produced by the defence and two medical experts differed in their interpretation of Morrell's treatment by Adams. The Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
then entered a plea of nolle prosequi
Nolle prosequi
Nolle prosequi is legal term of art and a Latin legal phrase meaning "to be unwilling to pursue", a phrase amounting to "please do not prosecute". It is a phrase used in many common law criminal prosecution contexts to describe a prosecutor's decision to voluntarily discontinue criminal charges...
regarding Mrs Hullett.
Adams was never found guilty of any deaths, but the Home Office Pathologist Francis Camps
Francis Camps
Francis Edward Camps, FRCP, FRCpath was a famous English pathologist notable for his work on the cases of serial killer John Christie and suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams.-Early life and training:...
suspected him of killing 163 patients.
Cause of death
Dr Jane Mercer, pathologist at Eastbourne District General Hospital, reviewed Morrell's case from a modern perspective after the opening of the police archives in 2003. She concluded that while there was no conclusive evidence that would prove in court Adams' guilt, she was "convinced by the evidence that Dr Adams made at least one attempt to kill Mrs Morrell" before her eventual death. This took place on the night of 8/9 October when the nurses noticed what they thought might have been a stroke. Mercer contends (based on the semicomatose sleep that followed and the lack of paralysis or slurred speech) that it could have been an unsuccessful murder attempt due to Adams underestimating the dose which Morrell would tolerate at that stage of her addiction to the drugs he was prescribing.See also
- Edward Cavendish, 10th Duke of DevonshireEdward Cavendish, 10th Duke of DevonshireEdward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire, KG, MBE, TD , known as Marquess of Hartington , was the head of the Devonshire branch of the Cavendish family...
- died in Adams' presence 13 days after Morrell