#29: The Shark Arm Murders

In 1935 Sydney, Australia, Coogee Aquarium and Swimming Baths owner Bert Hobson needed a little extra something to attract customers during the summer. It was the Great Depression, and times were a little rough… Hobson’s son found a 14-foot 1-ton tiger shark off the coast and brought it to the business as an attraction for the customers. There had been many shark attacks in the area, and Hobson was sure this would satisfy the nervous sea-goer and save his business. A week had passed, and the shark was a hit with the customers… But after some time, the shark began convulsing and vomited several things, including a human arm.

With the use of fingerprint technology, the police were able to identify the arm of 45-year-old Jimy Smith, who had been missing since early 1935. It turned out that this whole investigation led to a rather shady mixup between Jimmy Smith and Sydney businessman Reginald William Lloyd Holmes. It appeared that the two had been in cahoots and ran several insurance scams as well as forging cheques and whatnot. No one knows what happened to Smith, although police allegedly stated that he was murdered at a cottage held by one of the men he was in business with.