Scammed to Death: Amelia Dyer's Baby Farm Pt. 2

Podcast: Scams, Money, & Murder
Host: Crime House (Vanessa Richardson & Carter Roy with Dr. Tristan Engels)
Date: October 30, 2025

Main Theme/Purpose

This episode concludes the chilling case of Amelia Dyer, the notorious Victorian-era baby farmer turned serial killer. Hosts Vanessa Richardson and Carter Roy, joined by criminal psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels, dissect Dyer's final years, her manipulative use of mental health claims, and the investigation that finally ended her murderous career. The episode explores not only Dyer’s actions but the long-lasting impact her crimes had on British law and child protection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Amelia Dyer Goes on the Run & Family Fallout

Timestamps: 04:53–06:44

• In 1891, Amelia Dyer disappeared after being investigated for a missing baby. Her husband and children, especially daughter Polly, were left behind and struggled financially.
• Amelia’s daughter Polly attempted to sell a family piano to support her siblings, leading to her arrest for theft. Amelia eventually returned, relocated the family to evade authorities, and restarted baby farming.

Quote:

“Did she really care about her own family, to just abandon them the way she did, without a word?”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (05:52)

2. Escalation & Amelia’s Mental Health Manipulations

Timestamps: 06:44–13:51

• After police closed in, Dyer attempted suicide (opium overdose and throat-slitting with a potato peeler). She claimed to hear voices, leading to her being institutionalized.
• Dr. Engels analyses her behavior, suggesting these were likely manipulations (malingering) rather than genuine psychotic breaks, citing patterns of feigning illness for secondary gain.

Quote:

“If she really was intending to do something, she would be using an instrument that would have more effective results. So I’m more inclined to believe that this is malingering and that the secondary gain would be that she would go to an asylum in lieu of prison.”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (10:49)

3. Repeated Patterns: Baby Farming Continues & More Mental Health Claims

Timestamps: 13:51–18:35

• Dyer was calm and orderly in the asylum and released swiftly, but returned immediately to baby farming and substance abuse. Suicidal episodes and outbursts resumed whenever the police or former clients reappeared.
• Dr. Engels points out how Dyer’s “mental health crises” always align with the threat of arrest, reinforcing the argument for calculated impression management rather than true illness.

Quote:

“Anytime Amelia gets close to being caught, she makes attempts at suicide or asserts to others that she’s experiencing a mental health crisis. This… only happens when there’s a condition of her potentially being arrested and sent to prison.”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (18:35)

4. The Family Business & Near Capture

Timestamps: 19:44–22:33

• Dyer’s daughter Polly and son-in-law Arthur Palmer joined in, further expanding the family’s illegal baby farming. Abuse and neglect led to the near-death, and then abandonment, of a young girl named Queenie Baker.
• Authorities struggled to track the family due to frequent moves and aliases.

5. The Discovery in the Thames & The Net Closes

Timestamps: 23:33–30:29

• In 1895–1896, dozens of infant bodies were found in the Thames, sparking a police investigation.
• Breakthrough: On March 30, 1896, a baby’s body was found in a parcel with an address label linked to "Mrs. Thomas"—a known alias of Dyer.
• Police staged a sting with a decoy mother to confirm active baby farming. Evidence found included piles of baby clothes, vaccination forms, correspondence, and items matching those found with dumped infants.
• Dyer was arrested for murder.

Memorable Analysis:

“A normal person would probably concede, probably not say anything, probably just comply… But in Amelia’s case, somebody with antisocial personality disorder… has gotten this far because every time, changing names, using her own children, feigning mental illness or suicidal intent, has worked.”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (30:29)

6. Arrest, Feigned Suicide Attempts & Breakthrough Evidence

Timestamps: 32:52–35:33

• While in custody, Dyer attempted suicide again—unsuccessfully—using a shoelace, further pointing to manipulative behaviors as these attempts never posed real fatal risk.

7. The Evidence That Ended It

Timestamps: 37:35–39:15

• Letters led police to identify specific victims, including Doris Marmon and Harry Simmons; the testimony from bereaved parents provided solid evidence.
• Dyer wrote a partial confession, primarily to exonerate her daughter and son-in-law, which Dr. Engels interprets as another self-serving manipulation rather than genuine contrition.

Quote:

“Everything she’s done has been based on secondary gain... Like everything that Amelia has done throughout her life has been in Amelia’s best interest and her best interest only.”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (39:15)

8. Trial, Execution, & Aftermath

Timestamps: 40:52–45:10

• Dyer was found sound of mind, convicted, and executed on June 10, 1896.
• She was likely responsible for hundreds of infant murders.
• Her crimes contributed to the overhaul of child protection laws in Britain, including updates to the Infant Life Protection Act and the Children’s Act of 1908.

9. Nature vs. Nurture: Was Dyer Born Evil?

Timestamps: 43:02–45:10

• Dr. Engels concludes Dyer was “groomed” into evil from circumstance—poverty, desperation, and systemic exploitation—rather than born a monster.

Quote:

“I believe that this was groomed. I think she was a product of her environment, of survival, of desperation, of exploitation. She learned to become emboldened in her actions, arrogant, and selfish.”
—Dr. Tristan Engels (43:02)

10. Chilling Closing Story

Timestamps: 45:10–45:53

• At her trial, a heartbreaking story: a mother hands her baby to Amelia with coats to keep him warm and pleas, “You’ll be kind to him.” Amelia’s response: “Trust me for that.” The infant was dead in the river a week later.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dyer’s manipulation:

  “She does not know how to be pro-social, that she has no empathy or remorse, and that she is very manipulative, very cunning, very versatile, and a great chameleon.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels (13:51)

• On discovery of the bodies:

  “The psychological impact of finding a dead body, especially a young child, how does someone process that?”
  —Vanessa Richardson (24:44)

• On nature vs. nurture of evil:

  “She is somebody that I think was created more so than… innately evil.”
  —Dr. Tristan Engels (43:02)

Timeline & Timestamps (Quick Guide)

• 04:53–06:44: Amelia Dyer disappears, family crisis, and return
• 06:44–13:51: Suicide attempts, institutionalization, malingering
• 13:51–18:35: Immediate relapse, repeated mental health manipulations
• 19:44–22:33: Polly & Arthur join “family business,” Queenie Baker’s story
• 23:33–30:29: Discovery of Thames bodies, investigation breakthrough
• 32:52–35:33: Arrest, in-custody suicide attempts
• 37:35–39:15: Victim identification, Dyer’s partial confession
• 40:52–45:10: Trial, execution, reforms, and psychological assessment
• 45:10–45:53: Testimony of victim’s mother and Dyer’s chilling reply

Final Thoughts

The episode paints a deeply disturbing portrait not only of Dyer’s monstrous crimes but the social conditions and personal psychology that enabled them. By intertwining narrative with expert forensic analysis, the hosts highlight how manipulation and pathology can thrive when systems fail, forever changing the laws that govern child welfare.