In 1829, a notorious figure in Edinburgh's history was hanged for multiple murders related to supplying doctors with corpses for dissection. That man was William Burke, who, along with his accomplice William Hare, committed a series of killings in order to profit from selling the bodies to medical schools. The duo's crimes were uncovered when a lodger at their boarding house discovered a body hidden under the bed. This led to a full investigation, during which Burke confessed to the murders in exchange for immunity for his wife. Hare, on the other hand, turned King's evidence and escaped prosecution. Burke's trial and subsequent execution became a sensationalized event, with crowds gathering to witness his final moments. His body was publicly dissected as a form of posthumous punishment, and his skeleton is still on display at the Anatomical Museum of Edinburgh University. This case was significant not only for the brutal nature of the crimes but also for the impact it had on the practice of body snatching and the regulation of anatomical dissection. The Burke and Hare murders led to stricter laws regarding the procurement of cadavers for medical research, ensuring that such atrocities would not happen again. For more information on this infamous case and its repercussions, you can visit the National Library of Scotland's website (https://www.nls.uk/) or the Surgeons' Hall Museum in Edinburgh (https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/). These resources provide a deeper insight into the dark history of body snatching and the consequences faced by those involved in this macabre trade. In conclusion, William Burke's hanging in 1829 for multiple murders related to supplying doctors with corpses for dissection remains a chilling chapter in Edinburgh's past. His crimes served as a catalyst for change in the medical community, leading to greater oversight and accountability in the use of cadavers for research purposes.

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