Home / Series / Weird History / Aired Order / Season 2018 / Episode 11

John Lee - How "The Man They Couldn't Hang" Survived His Death Sentence

After being accused of arson and the grisly murder of his former boss, John "Babbacombe" Lee was sentenced to death in 1885. Lee, while maintaining his innocence, stood at the gallows with his neck in the noose prepared for his punishment, hanging. However, the trapdoor refused to open. By all accounts, it should have worked, but after three failed attempts, Lee's life was spared. Was it mechanical failure or divine intervention? Here's the crazy true story.

English
  • Originally Aired April 30, 2018
  • Runtime 4 minutes
  • Created July 4, 2023 by
    josh42
  • Modified July 4, 2023 by
    josh42