John and Sarah Makin | |
|---|---|
 John and Sarah Makin, prisoner photographs (December 1892) | |
| Born |
|
| Died |
|
| Cause of death | John Execution by hanging |
| Occupations | |
| Known for | Baby farmers who murdered adopted infants |
| Children | 5 sons, 5 daughters |
| Parents |
|
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty |
|
| Details | |
| Victims | 15 infant bodies found |
Span of crimes | November 1891 – June 1892 (roughly) |
| Location(s) |
|
| Target(s) | Infants |
Date apprehended | 1892 |
| Imprisoned at |
|
John Sidney Makin (14 February 1845 – 15 August 1893) and Sarah Jane Makin (20 December 1845 – 13 September 1918) were Australian 'baby farmers' who were convicted in New South Wales for the murder of infant Horace Murray. The couple answered a series of advertisements from unmarried mothers seeking adoption of their babies, taking on the care of the infants on payment of a "premium". The remains of fifteen infants were found by police buried in the yards of houses where the Makins had resided. The exact cause of death was not determined but due to the bloodstains on the infants's clothing It's believed they had been stabbed in the heart with a large needle, hence the name "Hatpin Murders".[1][2]
The couple were tried and found guilty in March 1893 and both were sentenced to death, though Sarah Makin's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. After an unsuccessful appeal, which was confirmed by the Privy Council in Britain, John Makin was hanged on 15 August 1893. Sarah Makin served her sentence at Bathurst and Sydney. After eighteen-and-a-half years she was released in April 1911 when her daughters petitioned for her early release.[3]
- ^ "The Hat-Pin Murderers". Truth Newspaper. 29 March 1953. Archived from the original on 28 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ O'Shea, Ella (23 December 2020). "I lived in Sydney's most infamous murder house. It taught me about the horrifying history of 'baby farming'". SBS News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ Radi, Heather (2005). Makin, John (1845-1893). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.