Bio

Buktyar Rustomji Ratanji Hakim, known as Buck Ruxton, was born on March 21, 1899, in Bombay, India. He had Indian and French parents and belonged to the Parsi community. Parsis are descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to India. Following his education in Bombay, he qualified as a doctor and worked as a Medical Officer for the Malaria Commission.

On May 7, 1925, Ruxton married a wealthy Parsee woman named Motan. However, this marriage was short-lived, and he eventually concealed all evidence of it. Seeking new opportunities, he moved to England. Ruxton later took a postgraduate course in medicine and surgery in Edinburgh, Scotland.

While in Edinburgh, he met Isabella Kerr, a young woman from Falkirk. Their romance blossomed quickly, and they were married by 1930. The couple settled in Lancaster, England, where they had three children: Kathleen, Diana, and Billy. They lived in a large house at 2 Dalton Square, which became a well-known residence in the area.

Ruxton was a practicing doctor and earned a reputation as a diligent general practitioner. He was well-liked and had many patients. However, his home life was troubled. Ruxton and Isabella had frequent arguments, and on more than one occasion, she left him to stay with her sister. Despite their conflicts, the family initially appeared happy, but tensions rose over time. Ruxton became increasingly jealous of Isabella’s popularity.

Murder Story

On September 15, 1935, Buktyar Rustomji Ratanji Hakim, known as Buck Ruxton, committed two murders in his home in Lancaster, England. He killed his common-law wife, Isabella Kerr, by strangulation. After that, to cover up his crime, he also murdered their housemaid, Mary Jane Rogerson, using the same method.

Following the murders, he dismembered both bodies to obscure their identities. He placed various body parts in a nearby stream, over 100 miles from Lancaster, near the town of Moffat in Scotland. The body parts were discovered on September 29, 1935, when a woman walking near the stream noticed something unusual. The police quickly investigated and found the remains wrapped in newspaper.

The bodies were identified through early forensic techniques, including fingerprint analysis and forensic anthropology. Experts from various universities in Scotland were involved in the investigation. They provided crucial information that linked the dismembered remains to Isabella and Mary.

Buck Ruxton was arrested on October 13, 1935, after a thorough investigation by the police. His strange behavior prompted authorities to examine his home, where they found additional evidence. The trial for his crimes began on March 2, 1936, and lasted for eleven days. The jury reached a guilty verdict in just one hour.

Buck Ruxton was sentenced to death by hanging. His appeals were denied, and he was executed at Strangeways prison in Manchester on May 12, 1936. His case remains notable for the innovative forensic techniques used during the investigation and trial.