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Last Man Hanging
The salacious spectacle of Guernsey’s most scandalous murder trial of the 19th century.
At 9pm on the night of 18 October 1853, Elizabeth Saujon opened the door to her murderer. Around the same time, John Charles Tapner was seen lurking in the vicinity.
Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time? In the aftermath of Elizabeth’s murder, John’s carefully constructed double life unravelled. His secret affair and mounting debts were splashed across the pages of Guernsey’s newspapers. His trial became a public sensation, his sentence a topic of fierce debate, and his execution quickly turned from spectacle into horrific debacle.
John was a sinner, but was he also a murderer? Follow the investigation, examine the evidence, and decide for yourself. In this book, Kelvin Whelan guides you through the circumstances that led to John’s conviction, retelling the brutal murder and John’s own botched execution.
At 9pm on the night of 18 October 1853, Elizabeth Saujon opened the door to her murderer. Around the same time, John Charles Tapner was seen lurking in the vicinity.
Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time? In the aftermath of Elizabeth’s murder, John’s carefully constructed double life unravelled. His secret affair and mounting debts were splashed across the pages of Guernsey’s newspapers. His trial became a public sensation, his sentence a topic of fierce debate, and his execution quickly turned from spectacle into horrific debacle.
John was a sinner, but was he also a murderer? Follow the investigation, examine the evidence, and decide for yourself. In this book, Kelvin Whelan guides you through the circumstances that led to John’s conviction, retelling the brutal murder and John’s own botched execution.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 4, 2025
Kelvin Whelan’s Last Man Hanging is a captivating account of Guernsey’s most scandalous 19th-century murder trial. With meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Kelvin cleverly brought this historical case to life.
When he signed my copy, he wrote, “I hope you enjoy this scandalous tale” - and I truly did! It was a gripping and thought-provoking read. Well done, Kelvin.
When he signed my copy, he wrote, “I hope you enjoy this scandalous tale” - and I truly did! It was a gripping and thought-provoking read. Well done, Kelvin.
May 11, 2025
I can't begin to imagine the amount of research the author undertook to write this book. I knew very little about John Charles Tapner, having only learned a small amount about his crime and his execution during a class trip in secondary school.
What I did learn though has stayed with me ever since. Murder is a rarity in Guernsey and this is the most famous case I believe we've had.
on the 18th of October 1853, Tapner reportedly entered the home of Elizabeth Saujon, murdered her and stole most of her prized possessions. What followed was a sensationalised trial that picked apart the most scandalous aspects of Tapner's life, as well as the final hanging in Guernsey.
The author's conversational and informative tone makes this a hard book to put down as he carefully goes over every day of the trial, including the evidence shown against Tapner, and his and his family's feelings throughout the trial and his imprisonment.
The book carefully examines whether or not Tapner was guilty; was the evidence against him circumstantial? Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or, did his greed and financial worries get the better of him?
Victor Hugo, who had always been outspoken against the death penalty involved himself by writing beautifully worded, persuasive letters to our local newspapers, begging for mercy for Tapner. Guilty or not, the death penalty is no deterrent for others.
I feel very proud of our local talent after reading this book; there is a lot of it in Guernsey.
What I did learn though has stayed with me ever since. Murder is a rarity in Guernsey and this is the most famous case I believe we've had.
on the 18th of October 1853, Tapner reportedly entered the home of Elizabeth Saujon, murdered her and stole most of her prized possessions. What followed was a sensationalised trial that picked apart the most scandalous aspects of Tapner's life, as well as the final hanging in Guernsey.
The author's conversational and informative tone makes this a hard book to put down as he carefully goes over every day of the trial, including the evidence shown against Tapner, and his and his family's feelings throughout the trial and his imprisonment.
The book carefully examines whether or not Tapner was guilty; was the evidence against him circumstantial? Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or, did his greed and financial worries get the better of him?
Victor Hugo, who had always been outspoken against the death penalty involved himself by writing beautifully worded, persuasive letters to our local newspapers, begging for mercy for Tapner. Guilty or not, the death penalty is no deterrent for others.
I feel very proud of our local talent after reading this book; there is a lot of it in Guernsey.
October 21, 2025
Absolutely fascinating! I was unaware of this story prior to the book and I was hooked right in! It’s well written & researched. Worth a read if you are into real life crime & murder stories.
August 12, 2025
While I had obviously known that at some point capital punishment had stopped in Guernsey until a couple of years ago I’d had no idea when that actually was and I found thanks to a visit to the island from the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast.
While their explanation of the events was entertaining, in a macabre sort of way, their format didn’t really allow for a deep dive into the specifics so I was very glad to pick up Kelvin Whelan’s in depth exploration of the story, Last Man Hanging (published by Blue Ormer).
A story like this is always going to be a tough one to tell in a way that doesn’t feel outright exploitative (something ‘true crime’ in any media has to contend with) and as he sets the scene here with a stormy night in the English Channel and a boat running ashore, married with posing the question to the reader of was the subject here guilty or not, Whelan finds a reasonable balance early on…
https://tommygirard.wordpress.com/202...
While their explanation of the events was entertaining, in a macabre sort of way, their format didn’t really allow for a deep dive into the specifics so I was very glad to pick up Kelvin Whelan’s in depth exploration of the story, Last Man Hanging (published by Blue Ormer).
A story like this is always going to be a tough one to tell in a way that doesn’t feel outright exploitative (something ‘true crime’ in any media has to contend with) and as he sets the scene here with a stormy night in the English Channel and a boat running ashore, married with posing the question to the reader of was the subject here guilty or not, Whelan finds a reasonable balance early on…
https://tommygirard.wordpress.com/202...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews