This is very interesting because during the Victorian period arsenic was used in several things including wall paper and clothing. It allowed them to make prettier colors more rich or brighter colors. People who wore the clothing or lived in the homes with the wallpaper often got sick but it was not until later that they realized it was the surroundings and garments that were slowly poisoning them. Even the Queen of England had some of the wallpaper in guest rooms. Some guests got sick very quickly because of the arsenic in the wallpaper. So I wonder, could she have been innocent?

Though the deaths of 2 husbands and a baby in such a short time looks very fishy, having four trials was ridiculous. After the first hung jury, the death penalty should have been off the table. Maybe if the second jury had known Louisa wouldn’t be executed, they would have convicted her but with a long jail sentence. If she were completely innocent (although with 1st husband it seems unlikely), at least she would be alive to perhaps be exonerated by new evidence. I wonder who finished raising those poor children! 😢

Yo I have one four month old baby I'm exhausted af. How did this lady even get up after that many pregnancies??

That judge had it out for her from day one. He would keep bringing her back until he got a guilty verdict. They should have disbarred him.

Considering Arsonic was in so many things at the time, it is a huge jump to consider she gave anyone the poison.

This kind of interests me. I have watched enough doco's that mention how prevalent Arsenic was. Especially as around this era it was very fashionable to have the swanky green colour that poisoned a lot of people. They never seemed to mention the police questioning those occasions.

Every thing you touched in the Victorian times had aresenic in it from the clothes to the wallpaper. I think at least a small percentage of people convicted of poisoning someone where innocent

As soon as o hear “stomach pains” i already know where the story is going 😩😩

did they continue to try her until they got the verdict they wanted?

Hopefully australia has improved their justice system since. Trying a person 4 times for the same crime is a travesty

They were determined to get her one way or the other weren't they? By the fourth trial it sounds as if all that mattered to the prosecution was a conviction with true guilt or innocence becoming irrelevant and they'd get it any way they could. She probably was guilty by the sounds of it but that being said if three separate juries couldn't see enough evidence to convict her one has to wonder. I guess we'll never know for sure. The only person who does is Lousia who took the truth of the matter to her grave. Given it was a such a grey case as to innocence or guilt hanging her was rough.

1st one where I’ve felt unsure of. Who want to handle all those kids alone...and no life insurance

I've never heard of someone being prosecuted so many times...holy!

"If it weren't for bad luck, she'd had no luck at all..."

Sounds like a case of the prosecution determined to succeed no matter what the cost How awful.

Why bother having a trial at all if you're going to hang the victim whatever the outcome

The jury overheard her say “I’d rather die than sit through a 5th trial”

My first job was on Botany Rd. I used to wonder if the sidewalk could talk, how far back could it speak of. Such is my love of history and anything within the absurdly intriguing mindset of our ancestors sociopathic tendencies! Thanks for the upload Brief Case. Much appreciated .

There were a lot of women who were found guilty of poisoning people with arsenic in the Victorian era. While cases of poisoning still occur, I have difficulty believing that the practice was quite so wide-spread. As the defence noted in this case, there was arsenic in most houses. Apart from rat poison, it was also used to colour paint (lead wasn't the only toxin in paint in the Victorian era) and it occurs naturally. . So even if her first husband's work didn't involve arsenic, it is very likely that he would have been exposed to it. . Many of the guilty verdicts in poisoning cases trouble me and this one definitely has some troubling aspects, not least that this wasn't just double jeopardy, it was quadruple jeopardy and the N.S.W. government kept at it until they got the result that they wanted.

It's entirely ridiculous to claim that she had no motive to kill her second husband just because there would be no financial benefit, and I don't think it was the motive in the first murder, or at least not the main one. She had been in a relationship with Michael, her husband found out and forbade her to ever see him again, after the husband's demise she doesn't mourn and marries Michael... that's not financial motive, that's simply getting rid of an obstacle to be with Michael. Only, the romance probably went sour - either because there is a huge difference between a secret affair and everyday married life, or perhaps he knew she had offed the first husband and might have blamed her for their child's death, or perhaps he grew cold towards her... Either way, the arsenic had proved to be an easy way out, so she resorted to it again. The four trials... it was a mistake to run new trials without new evidence, like the one obtained for the fourth trial.

I wish you would put a string of these together as “bedtime stories” so I could just put them on when I’m trying to fall asleep. You’re my favorite narrator; super interesting with a super cool delivery 👍🏼. Just think about it 😉Thanks 😊 🙏🏻!

Thank you for covering an Aussie story. Love the old photos 😊

We know that Garfield the cat hates Monday’s. We need to tell him about Brief Case. He’ll love Monday’s!

This channel is the best you should make merch I'd totally would buy some.

There were no regulations for chemists back then, and MANY shops sold pills, tablets, suppositories ect with arsenic in, as they believed in was good for you in tiny doses. It was claimed it would fix just about anything, from back pain to depression.

Just to note: Yes , this case was about arsenic, but that is not the only poison that causes those gastro-intestinal horrors. Thallium does too. In fact, in Australia thallium was used as a rat killer most successfully in the 1960s (or thereabouts). Caroline Grills killed so many ppl with it, she became known in prison as "Aunt Thally" (brief case, if you haven't covered that one, it's a goody). It was not as prevalent as arsenic, but the only difference in the effect is that thallium makes you lose your hair.

Well if the papers reported enough of the evidence enough times, and you try someone enough times you will eventually get the result you want.

It is clear the law wanted to get her no matter what.Had she been able to pay a good defence this would not have been the case.!!!!! The double morality of victorian times ( also in Australia) judged her behavior,not so much the crime.Guilty or not this is outragious!!!! Thank you for once again a great video

My goodness. From November 1888 to January 1889, 4 trials then the death sentence was carried out. Wow! While money is saved the innocent have no chance to prove their case. Thank you BC. I honestly cannot say whether she guilty or not. ☹️

Maybe the kids did it... anyone ever think of that 🤔.. poor Louisa.

Wow, this is the first of all your videos I have watched, that in my opinion, the accused may be innocent. So many unanswered questions. Back then, divorce was probably not on the table so murdering your spouse was the only way out. If she was desperate enough to get rid of her first husband for love, insurance payoff wouldn't matter to her. There was no clear cut evidence against her for a guilty verdict 3 times. (It was obvious by how many trials there were) Prosecutors wouldn't let this one go..perhaps they knew more about the cases at the time than we do and did everything possible to seek justice. As for the death of her baby, that very well could've been from natural causes as the death rate for babies was pretty high at the time of the childs death. Once again, a great thought provoking story Briefcase! Per usual, well done! Thank you 🙂

I feel so bad for this woman. She had such a hard life and I don't believe she is guilty. What happened to all her children?

Oh my! They were stubborn to get her judge guilty right? This was very unfair... Hugs from Sweden

Although she may have killed her 1st husband, don’t think she killed her second. Sorry for the kids.

Thanx for a good story ❤️ greetings from Denmark

Good morning, Brief Case!! Hi, all!🌞🌞🌞

Good Morning, Brief Case! From Long Island, NY.

Thanks for all your time and effort. Right on time again and much needed after a long restless night. These always help me unwind and sleep well.

7 am Monday: Brief Case and medicine. After BC video ends : Back to bed to ponder how these “old cases” are still so relevant... Because people are committing the same crimes decades/100 years later. Cause you know there’s “Louisa’s” all over the world doing the same thing now...

Fantastic ! Wet miserable Monday (moanday) just became a lovely day 👍 Spot on another brilliant case ----+ I love Mondays now !!!!!!!

Not the first time juries have been told they have the wrong verdict in Australia. Even cases where juries have refused to find a defendant guilty, there are ways and means.

I have looked at Australian justice system and I am not impressed by it. This case speaks volumes about the Male dominated system.

And no one, not for a minute, considered the fate of the kids now left with no parents.

Goodmorning all you wonderful people..🤗.. Absolutely love Brief Case & i just cant get enough!! Keep up the Great Work!!

So, the first husband died just two months after she got pregnant with her lover? Sounds way too convenient to me. I think she feared the consequences of him finding out and killed him before he could. That was the motive, not insurance money. I am not so sure about the death of the second husband though. He too expected the same thing of her after the wedding as her first husband and she wanted to be free?

So many evil/sick people.

Yay x love this channel ❤️

I’ve been going to bed while listening to this channel for so long that now when I start one I can’t ever finish it because I’m instantly relaxed by his voice. It’s been wonderful until recently and now I dream about murder every night 😩 and I have super vivid dreams that I always remember. But I’m still choosing murder dreams over insomnia with no Brief Case at the moment.

Beauty sure was different back then.

She was framed for being a "loose" woman.

A horrifying AND outrageous case?! AND she's the Borgia of Botany? This one must be good! Thanks for the quality and consistency, Brief Case.

I found this case pretty confusing, but at least I enjoy Brief Case every Monday.

Hi from Australia, appreciate all the effort and research you put into these Brief Cases😊

Did she or didn’t she? I don’t think she did... plenty of reasonable doubt. Great as always brief case 👍🏼👍🏼

This is a very interesting and fascinating story about how the criminal justice system works in regards to a murder case of which there's "doubt" as to whether or not it was murder. Louisa Andrews Collins, probably had motive for the murder of her first husband but it's questionable about motive for her second husband, to me. Four trials is beyond what was necessary to either convict or acquit, period! Great investigation of this story.

That is so wrong. 😭

I've never heard of so many court cases against someone...it became malicious.

What a complete case of injustice! Seems to me the courts were very determined to see this woman found guilty!

Where do you get most of your research and case ideas? As a prior history major I’d be really interested to know your sources!!

I think her motive for killing her second husband was he was a witness to her killing her first husband.

What a mess. A very interesting case, BC. Thanks for the excellent Monday morning coffee break! Hope everyone out there has a great week! 😃😷😁

A new/old meaning to the motto; " If you don't succeed/ proceed try and try and try ( and try) again ." .

Thank you for your hard work. Love it ❤

Yay! Monday = Brief Case Upload Day!

Tacos, Horchata, and an episode of Brief Case on a scorching Monday morning!!

Hey briefcase hope your ok another great video to watch im from Birmingham UK haha oh god x

I had no idea that Botany is a place, so the tagline for this video was confusing for a bit. I assumed it would involve deadly nightshade or something.

Wow, we're gonna keep retrying her till we get what we want. The very definition of malicious prosecution.

I just love this channel and these older cases! Thank you for your work!

Really enjoy your channel Brief Case. Look forward to many more,also remembering the poor everyday souls that are otherwise forgotten.

So nice to come into work and see a new Brief Case to listen to before the office gets busy.

They were very intent on finding her guilty. I've never heard of 4 trials. Great work as usual. Thank you.

Now...a Monday that's perfect ! Wishing my dear Briefcase and all my lovely wonderful BC family continued health , perseverance, patience and the best week ever! It is entirely possible that one of her older children held a resentment or felt the need to vindicate the death (murder ) of their father...possibly having felt obligated to exact revenge upon her for their fathers killing and punish her shameful behavior by "removing" the man and child who were perceived as having brought about the destruction of the family.??

I really love your work. Every episode amazes me. It's always been a crazy world. I'm reminded every time I watch.

Just want to say thank you Brief Case - love your videos and you make my working day so much more interesting. Great work!

Thank you as always BC. Look forward to hearing from you with more interesting cases.

Personally it's an eye opener hearing all these herrendous stories, it has shown me the dark side of human nature, something that was never ever clear to me through out most of my whole life.

Hej Brief Case - everything you do you do it so well❣

After being tried 4 times for the same thing; ANYONE WOULD BE FOUND GUILTY. NO MATTER if they were Innocent or guilty.

Between Brief Case and 2x uploads a week from @TheCrimeReel, my weeks are so much better. I love your's and his channels so much.

I’m not sure if she was really guilty or not (but I lean toward not guilty, the evidence of poisoning with the intent to murder was slim at best and circumstantial at most and there was too much reasonal doubt)....but the New South Wales justice system was sure guilty of persecution toward Louisa...but not because she was a murderer. What was really on trial was her morality, and that’s what they truly wanted to see judged and condemned - and in fact they stopped trialing her when they got a guilty verdict - which is outrageous and disgusting. Awesome video as usual. 👍❤️

Thanks for another great video!

It is unbelievable that after three trials, they were able to have a fourth! We may not know the truth, but justice-wise, that was not fair. Thank you again Brief Case for an excellent case, and spot on narration.

Early. Ready to get my solving on.

Thank you Brief Case for your perfect narration of these historical tragic Crimes. I look forward to the next one, as well as going back through the older cases. I had a surprise here though, , when it was revealed that Louisa spent some time in my original home town of Merriwa NSW. I always pray for the victims, including the perpetrators and their families, living or deceased. Thank you Brief Case. Have a wonderful day, every day, and stay safe and well. Blessings. Amen

The Dr was amazingly thorough for this period.

I love your channel, alot days off I binge watch! Thank you for work and time on channel!! ✌

Man, if there were some Bailey Sarian fans in here, I know they’d say it was Aqua Tafonaaaa😭😭😭

Thanks Brief Case, had to wait all day to listen to this one as my husband wants to listen as well.

Thanks for all you do. Great cases, puts you right there in the moment with these people.

Thank U So Much BC! Awesome Video as Usual❤🤘💙😉

I love true crime , especially the cases before forensics and learning about how they solved the cases . Your channel is great , I am going through all of your videos I love them

As an Aussie i have never heard of this story. Thanks for sharing . Love your accent by the way.

Thanks Brief Case, another gem. You make my Mondays

To be fair the young woman was forced into a situation nobody should have had to endure.

On a Monday, time to open my brief case love they videos and its right on time. Thank you

Love your channel. It’s my favorite. I love to hear about older stories!

Another fabulous video! Amazing, thanks Brief Case.

Thanks BC! A great job as usual! 👍😊

Good going Brief Case, keep up the awesome work. Stay safe. 🇨🇦🐘🤗