Summary
Overview
Ash presents the unsolved 1857 murder of New York dentist Harvey Burdell, focusing on Emma Cunningham, his boarding house tenant and alleged wife. The case involves a brutal stabbing, a fraudulent marriage claim, a fake pregnancy scheme, and questions about Emma's guilt that remain unanswered to this day. The story unfolds with Victorian-era scandal, financial desperation, and an elaborate plot involving a stolen baby from Bellevue Hospital.
Emma Cunningham's Background and Desperate Circumstances
Emma Augusta Hempstead was born in 1818 to strict Methodist parents who valued piety, thrift, and restraint. She married George Cunningham, a liquor manufacturer 22 years her senior, against her parents' wishes. After bearing five children and enduring financial instability, Emma was widowed in 1854 when George died of a tropical disease. Left with minimal income from insurance money held in trust, the 36-year-old Emma became determined to rejoin Manhattan's upper class by finding a wealthy new husband.
- Emma was raised by devout Methodist parents who emphasized piety, thrift, and restraint, but she wanted luxury and comfort instead
- She married George Cunningham in 1837, a liquor manufacturer 22 years older, horrifying her religious parents
- The couple had five children but George proved terrible with money, forcing them to move from Manhattan to Brooklyn
- George died in 1854 from a tropical disease contracted returning from the California Gold Rush, leaving Emma with minimal income
- At 36, widowed with five children and estranged from her family, Emma looked to Manhattan to find a wealthy husband
" Emma learned the lessons well, but she fell short in practical application. She recognized the significance of these core tenets, but she really wanted a life of comfort, opulence, and luxury. "
Harvey Burdell: The Scoundrel Dentist
Harvey Burdell was born in 1812 and suffered an unstable childhood marked by his father's absence and his mother's remarriage to a man who forced him out at age 12. Despite limited formal training, he became a dentist in New York, possibly through fraudulent credentials. Harvey developed a reputation as a scoundrel who refused to pay debts, once demanding $20,000 from a bride's father on his wedding day and calling off the marriage when refused. He was known for his peculiar character, mood swings, and declared he would never marry.
- Harvey's mother abandoned him at age 12 when she remarried, forcing him to support himself with no resources
- He attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College but there's no documented evidence he formally graduated or attended
- Harvey demanded $20,000 from a wealthy bride's father on their wedding day in 1835, then threw them both out when refused
- He told a friend shortly before his death that he 'would not marry the best woman living'
" On his wedding day, Harvey demanded $20,000 from the wealthy father of the bride to be in order to go through with the wedding. Disgusted with Harvey's demand, the man refused to pay, and Harvey promptly threw both the father and his betrothed out of the house. "
📚 7 more sections below
Sign up to unlock the complete summary with all insights, key points, and quotes
Get this summary + all future Morbid episodes in your inbox
100% Free • Unsubscribe Anytime
Sign up now and we'll send you the complete summary of this episode, plus get notified when new Morbid episodes are released—delivered straight to your inbox within minutes.