In 1874, two savage murders rocked Ripon. In both cases, the formal murder investigation began with an inquest. In this talk, Sophie Michell will discuss how Victorian coroners worked, and how inquests formed the basis of a murder trial.Sophie Michell is a postgraduate student at the Open University, studying the Victorian coroner's court in Peterborough. Her research focuses on community dynamics at inquests, and she has a special interest in infanticide.Part of the Ripon Museums Online series of talks for Autumn 2021.