My Victorian Nightmare

Host: Genevieve Manion
Episode 87: Trunk Murders and New England Vampires
Date: March 23, 2026
Podcast Theme: Morbid, witty, and deeply-researched glimpses into the ghastlier sides of the Victorian era.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Genevieve Manion explores two chilling criminological themes from the Victorian era: the rise of urban legends surrounding “vampires” in New England, and the gruesome phenomenon of “trunk murders.” True to her podcast’s macabre-yet-affectionate tone, Genevieve tells the story of the so-called vampire Nellie Vaughan and then dives into detailed accounts of two notorious American trunk murders: those of Albert N. McVicar (by Emma Ledoux) and Elsie Sigell. Genevieve’s narrative is richly atmospheric, blending historical dark whimsy with emotional insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Are These People? – The Curious Case of “Vampire” Nellie Vaughan

[03:39–09:57]

• Tuberculosis & Vampire Panics: Genevieve recounts prior episodes addressing how 1800s New England tuberculosis outbreaks fueled vampire folklore, notably leading to family graves being exhumed in superstition-fueled rituals.
• Nellie Vaughan’s Story:
  • Died of pneumonia at 19 in 1889—not tuberculosis, yet somehow posthumously labeled a vampire.
  • Her grave in West Greenwich, Rhode Island was unremarkable for decades, but in the 1970s, urban legends inexplicably flourished after a 1977 newspaper claimed her grave was unnaturally sunken and adorned with the inscription “I am waiting and watching for you.”
• The Making of an Urban Legend:
  • Claims of the grave’s unearthliness fueled vandalism.
  • Reports of "ghost sightings," such as Marlene Chatfield hearing “I am perfectly pleasant” next to the grave, adding an eerily human touch but followed by supposed supernatural scratches ([08:18]).
  • Another story: a mysterious woman at the grave repeatedly chanting “Nelly is not a vampire” in menacing tones before vanishing ([09:11]).
  • The legend led to black mass rumors and Sabbath-linked vandalism, forcing relocation of Nellie’s gravestone.

Notable Quotes:

• [04:53] “Spoiler alert: It did not work. Ever. But that didn’t stop them from doing this, for in some places, hundreds of years.” –Genevieve Manion, on anti-vampire grave rituals
• [08:18] “‘I am perfectly pleasant.’ End quote.” –Marlene Chatfield’s alleged encounter with Nellie’s ghost
• [09:11] “She began repeating, Nelly is not a vampire…in increasingly menacing tones.” –Genevieve, recounting a chilling encounter

Insight:
Genevieve makes clear that these urban legends, while “genuinely terrifying," are a product of cultural fears, misinterpretation of Victorian funerary language, and the human tendency to find meaning in tragedy.

2. Trunk Murder #1: The Black Widow, Emma Ledoux and the Death of Albert N. McVicar

[09:57–26:17]

• Case Introduction:

  • Emma Ledoux, described as “a real piece of work” ([14:59]), murdered her estranged husband, Albert N. McVicar, and stuffed his body into a trunk intended for train shipment in 1906.
  • This matched the grisly pattern of “trunk murders,” crimes Genevieve finds “strangely comforting,” given their Victorian horror flavor.

• Motive and Method:

  • Emma married young, quickly performed a succession of marriages and insurance frauds, and was a serial bigamist.
  • She lured Albert McVicar back by feigning interest in rekindling their marriage, convinced him to buy furniture, plied him with whiskey laced with morphine, killed him, and stuffed him into a trunk ([21:40]).

• The Investigation:

  • Emma’s mistakes abound: using her real name for purchases, leaving a photograph behind, being flamboyant at the hotel, and leaving a clear paper trail ([22:40]).
  • She was apprehended within two days and tried to deflect blame to an imaginary killer named Joe Miller ([24:19]).
  • Her defense team spun an implausible narrative of coercion and accidental overdose, dismissed by the prosecution.

• Conviction & Aftermath:

  • Emma Ledoux was found guilty and became the first woman sentenced to hang in California ([26:17]).
  • Her sentence was commuted to life after retrial, but after 14 years she was paroled, only to end up back in prison for further crimes.
  • She died in 1941, her grave as unremarkable as the conclusion to her disastrous crimes.

Notable Quotes:

• [15:02] “This gal was a real piece of work.” –Genevieve
• [17:25] “This woman was particularly not good at this [murder].” –Genevieve
• [23:03] “Oodles of witnesses. Oodles of paper trails. She did a bad job.” –Co-host voice
• [25:22] “‘She could not love that pop-eyed wood chopper who could neither read nor write and was deaf as a post. Just women don’t love men like that.’ What a dick. That sounds like Victorian manosphere content.” –Genevieve, on the defense’s argument

Memorable Moment:
Genevieve’s detailed “you are there” style reimagines the murder’s setting, guiding listeners through the hotel as if witnessing Emma’s fumbled plot in real time ([17:28–21:40]).

3. Trunk Murder #2: The Chinatown Mystery – Elsie Sigell

[26:17–38:47]

• Discovery:

  • In 1909, police in New York’s Chinatown found the body of young missionary Elsie Sigell in a trunk, strangled with a window cord. The murder’s complexity was immediately apparent.

• Societal Context:

  • Genevieve addresses the racist backdrop surrounding the incident.
    • White New Yorkers feared “opium dens” and Chinese men seducing white women—a myth which was exploited in press headlines and reinforced by laws like the Opium Exclusion Act ([31:13]).
    • Genevieve intentionally refrains from repeating historical racist tropes, instead highlighting their existence and impact.

• The Crime:

  • Elsie, involved in missionary work, was romantically entangled with William Leon (real name Leung), whose jealousy was public knowledge.
  • William Leon went missing the same time Elsie did. Witnesses and letters reveal jealousy and threats.
  • Clues included jewelry with her initials, witness testimony of William’s threats, and a confession by William’s cousin, Chong Singh ([35:18]), who chillingly recounted watching the murder and refusing to help dispose of the body.

• Aftermath:

  • William attempted to move the trunk through various locations, with accomplices who may or may not have known the horrific cargo's contents ([37:18–38:10]).
  • Despite a confession, William escaped to China and was never brought to justice. Elsie’s funeral was private; her mother was so distraught she was institutionalized and couldn't attend.

Notable Quotes:

• [31:13] “Liquid opium still perfectly legal, enabling white women to still get their opiates away from Chinese opium-smoking men was the main angle of laws like that one.” –Genevieve
• [36:37] “It adds an extra level of dehumanization to me, like removing their dignity.” –Genevieve, on victims’ undressing in trunk murders.

Memorable Moment:
The narrator’s empathy is palpable as she describes Elsie’s funeral and her mother’s devastation ([31:13–32:35]). She also connects the case to broader patterns of violence, sensationalism, and xenophobia.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 03:39–09:57 | “Who Are These People?” segment: Nellie Vaughan and the New England Vampire Panic | | 09:57–26:17 | The Trunk Murder of Albert N. McVicar by Emma Ledoux – Storytelling, investigation, trial, and aftermath | | 26:17–38:47 | The Trunk Murder of Elsie Sigell – Discovery, context, investigation, and conclusion |
| Various | Throughout: Insights on Victorian attitudes, gender, crime, and the mechanics of urban legend |

Memorable Quotes

• [04:53] “Spoiler alert: It did not work. Ever.” – Genevieve on anti-vampire rituals
• [08:18] “‘I am perfectly pleasant.’” – Marlene Chatfield’s purported ghostly encounter
• [14:59] “This gal was a real piece of work.” – Genevieve on Emma Ledoux
• [23:03] “Oodles of witnesses. Oodles of paper trails. She did a bad job.” – Co-host voice (Genevieve)
• [25:22] “‘She could not love that pop-eyed wood chopper who could neither read nor write and was deaf as a post.’... That sounds like Victorian manosphere content.” – Genevieve
• [36:37] “It adds an extra level of dehumanization to me, like removing their dignity.” – Genevieve, on trunk murder victims

Episode Tone & Style

• Genevieve’s tone is both darkly witty (“strangely comforting about the heebie-jeebies”), empathetic to victims, and bracingly honest about sensationalism and prejudice in historic crime reporting.
• She excels at weaving storytelling, period atmosphere, and critical reflection into a compelling narrative.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode offers a window into the intersection of Victorian superstition, gender, and sensational media—revealing how stories of vampires and lurid crimes like “trunk murders” reflected (and shaped) broader cultural anxieties. The show is rich in historical context, vivid characterization, and memorable, eerie storytelling, without ever glorifying the violence or echoing the prejudices of the era it describes.

Further Content:

• For ad-free listening, illustrated police news deep dives, witchy content, Dark Poetry, and more, join “The Fan Coven” at myvictoriannightmare.com.

“Until next time, be kind to yourselves and I will see you in your nightmares.” – Genevieve Manion