John and Sarah Makin
John and Sarah Makin | |
|---|---|
John and Sarah Makin, prisoner photographs (December 1892) | |
| Born | John Sidney Makin 14 February 1845 Dapto, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia Sarah Jane Makin 20 December 1845 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | John 15 August 1893 (aged 48) Darlinghurst Gaol, New South Wales Sarah 13 September 1918 (aged 72) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Cause of death | John Execution by hanging |
| Occupations | John Drayman Sarah Midwife |
| Known for | Baby farmers who murdered adopted infants |
| Children | 5 sons, 5 daughters |
| Parent(s) | William Samuel and Ellen Selena Bolton Makin (John) Emanuel and Ellen Murphy Sutcliffe (Sarah) |
| Conviction | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | John Death Sarah Death; commuted to life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 15 infant bodies found |
Span of crimes | November 1891 – June 1892 (roughly) |
| Locations |
|
| Target | Infants |
Date apprehended | 1892 |
| Imprisoned at | John Darlinghurst Gaol (prior to execution) Sarah Darlinghurst Gaol, Bathurst Gaol & Long Bay Gaol |
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' clothing, it is believed they had been stabbed in the heart with a large needle, hence the name "Hatpin Murders".
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.