On the night of 29 June, 1860 three-year-old Francis Kent was kidnapped from his
room, murdered and his body dumped in an outside lavatory. Eleven people were in
the house, two of them sleeping in the same room as Francis, and the building itself
was isolated and impenetrable. There were three possible suspects, and the case initially
appeared straightforward, but the police found themselves up against the dead boy's
mysterious family, who appeared to be covering up a dark secret from their past.
The ensuing investigation became legendary for its mismanagement, incompetence, infighting
and corruption. Eventually, amidst frenzied public interest, Constance Kent, Francis'
half-sister, was convicted and sentenced to death, but because of uncertainty over
her confession, this was commuted to penal servitude for life. Paul Chambers re-investigates
this famous case, and demonstrates conclusively who the murderer really was.
