Thomas Neill Cream
Thomas Neill Cream | |
|---|---|
Cream c. 1890 | |
| Born | 27 May 1850 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 15 November 1892 (aged 42) Newgate Prison, England |
| Criminal status | Executed by hanging |
| Spouse |
Flora Brooks
(m. 1876; died 1877) |
| Convictions | Murder (Illinois) Murder (England) |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment (Illinois) Death (England) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 5 known |
Span of crimes | 1881–1892 |
| Country | United States and England |
| States | Illinois and Middlesex |
Date apprehended | 3 June 1892 |
.jpg){kind=link}
Thomas Neill Cream (27 May 1850 – 15 November 1892), also known as the Lambeth Poisoner, was a Scottish-Canadian medical doctor and serial killer who poisoned his victims with strychnine. Cream murdered up to ten people in three countries, targeting mostly lower-class women, sex workers and pregnant women seeking abortions. He was convicted and sentenced to death, and was hanged on 15 November 1892.
A popular rumour, started by hangman James Billington, claims that Cream's last words were "I am Jack the...", seemingly a confession to being Jack the Ripper. However, Billington is the only source for this alleged statement, and official records show that Cream was incarcerated in Illinois during the Ripper murders.