The Murder of Elizabeth Chantrelle
2 Jan 1878
Elizabeth Chantrelle was the wife of Eugene Marie Chantrelle, who was a French teacher who Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, was acquainted with. Neither of these individuals, Eugene or Elizabeth, were particularly noteworthy or important until Elizabeth Chantrelle was found dead on the second of January, 1878. She was poisoned with Opium, which was something that was confirmed that Eugene had attempted to do on several occasions prior. Their marriage, for the most part, was not considered a stable one, which led to a swift trial process considering all of the circumstantial evidence. The trial in which Eugene was found guilty for the murder of his wife is speculated to have been a direct inspiration in the creation of the story of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. However, as the story was written eight years after the trial had occurred, it is possible that it was just a coincidence.
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