Lady Killers

Madeleine Smith was a respectable spinster living in 19‑century Edinburgh, who at the time found herself accused of murdering her lover. The highly publicised trial concluded with the jury returning a verdict of ‘not proven’, leaving the case unresolved in the Scottish legal system.

The series titled Miss Madeleine Smith is presented as a programme in the form of an episode. It falls under the episode genre, offering a concise, self‑contained narrative. Though brief in description, the format suggests a focused look at a single historical incident, and it's packaged as a stand‑alone broadcast. The core of the story follows Madeleine Smith, a woman of respectable standing who lived as a spinster in 19th‑century Edinburgh. She becomes the focus of a criminal accusation, being charged with the murder of her lover. The narrative centres on how this seemingly genteel figure finds herself entangled in a serious homicide allegation. The legal proceedings concluded with a verdict of ‘not proven’, a distinctive outcome in Scottish law. This result left the case unresolved in the eyes of the court, it doesn't confirm guilt nor grant acquittal. The programme highlights this ambiguous judgment, underscoring the uncertainty that surrounded Smith’s fate after the trial. By concentrating on this singular episode from Edinburgh’s past, Miss Madeleine Smith offers a snapshot of a scandal that captured public attention. The programme refrains from adding extraneous detail, instead presenting the essential facts: a respectable spinster, an alleged murder, and a verdict that remains famously ‘not proven’.