Historical true crime, genealogical mysteries, and unsolved deaths await in this gripping episode of the True Fiction Project! I’m Reenita Hora, your host, diving into the mysterious world of true crime with author Michelle Graff and her book Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford. We’ll explore genealogical research, unsolved mysteries from 1899, and the dark reality of human trafficking and unwed mothers. Michelle uncovers parallels between her great-grandmother and 15-year-old Sarah Mumford through newspaper archives and primary source research. This blend of narrative nonfiction and historical fiction reveals the secrets of a Victorian-era death investigation. Then, hear an excerpt from the book as we witness Amelia giving birth to her daughter and, despite the shame of being unwed, courageously insisting that the baby’s father be recorded in the doctor’s records.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How genealogical research and newspaper archives can uncover historical true crime cases from the 1800s
How orphanage records reveal the dark history of human trafficking and exploitation of children in the Victorian era
The investigative techniques used in death investigations and forensic investigations during the 19th-century crime era
How narrative nonfiction and historical fiction blend to tell the stories of unwed mothers and hidden truths in family history
Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal
Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Michelle Graff explains how genealogical research on her great-grandmother led to discovering the 1899 historical true crime case of Sarah Mumford’s unsolved mystery
04:54 The death investigation reveals Sarah was dead before the train hit her, and the coroner uncovers that she was treated as an indentured servant
07:56 Michelle discusses using newspaper archives, primary source research, and orphanage records to piece together the narrative nonfiction story in Hidden
13:33 The themes of human trafficking, unwed mothers, hidden truths, and how children were exploited in the Victorian era
17:33 Michelle Graff reads an excerpt from Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Sarah Mumford’s death investigation in 1899 revealed she was dead before being placed on train tracks, transforming the case from suicide to a covered-up murder involving child welfare exploitation
Michelle Graff combined genealogical research techniques with historical true crime investigation, using newspaper archives and orphanage records to uncover the parallel stories of Sarah and her great-grandmother Amelia
The book exposes how children from orphanages were exploited as indentured servants for profit, drawing connections to modern-day human trafficking issues
ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Michelle is drawn to mystery and true crime novels. Like so many true crime lovers, she longed to solve a real-life mystery. Fellow fans of history, genealogy, research, puzzles, true crime, mystery, social justice, and child advocacy can contact her at resiliencyonline.com.
Cultivating Human Resiliency – Website
Hidden: The Unsolved Mystery of Sarah Mumford – Amazon
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/true-fiction-project/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
