John Darwin

11 Stories

Sky News: We Hacked 'in the Public Interest'

Channel is yet another Murdoch outlet to cop to the practice

(Newser) - But we broke the law for the good of the people! That is, indeed, Sky News' defense. Rupert Murdoch's channel today admitted to twice authorizing its reporters to hack into computers, a potentially embarrassing revelation that could further dent the media tycoon's hope of acquiring full control over...

Expert on Vanishing Acts Sees Rising Demand

(Newser) - Frank Ahearn just may be the world's top expert on vanishing without a trace—either finding people who have done so or helping others pull off the trick. In a profile of him and his craft, the Times of London notes that the California man has gotten so many inquiries...

Canoe Con Man, Wife Get 6 Years for Fake Death

Jury didn't buy her 'coercion' defense in insurance scam

(Newser) - John Darwin didn’t force his wife to help fake his death, a jury ruled today, convicting Anne Darwin on 15 counts of deception and money laundering before the two were each sentenced to 6 years in prison for their $500,000 insurance scheme. Anne’s “marital coercion” defense,...

Wife of 'Dead' Canoeist Behind Bars
Wife of 'Dead' Canoeist Behind Bars
Dec 12, 2007 4:37 AM CST

Wife of 'Dead' Canoeist Behind Bars

Awaiting trial for insurance fraud, mom pleads for reconciliation with her sons

(Newser) - The wife of back-from-the-dead canoeist John Darwin was sent to prison yesterday shortly after she issued a plea through her attorney for a reconciliation with her sons, who publicly disowned their parents after the scandal broke. Anne Darwin is charged with dishonestly obtaining life insurance benefits and a mortgage policy....

'Dead' Canoeist Reappears Again—in Court

Seeking help, police release photo from fraudulent passport

(Newser) - The British man who faked his own death in a canoeing accident only to resurface 5 years later appeared in court today to face formal charges of fraudulently obtaining a life insurance policy and lying to procure a passport, the Telegraph reports. A hearing date of February 4 was set...

UK Arrests Canoeist's Wife
UK Arrests Canoeist's Wife
Dec 9, 2007 1:29 PM CST

UK Arrests Canoeist's Wife

Canoeist's spouse apprehended at UK airport

(Newser) - John Darwin's wife was charged with fraud today upon her arrival at the UK's Manchester Airport, the BBC reports. Anne Darwin, the wife of the missing canoeist who turned up after being declared dead in 2002, was flying in from Atlanta, where she had sought refuge when her not-dead-after-all husband's...

UK Cops Charge Boater With Fraud
UK Cops
Charge Boater With Fraud
Dec 8, 2007 4:53 PM CST

UK Cops Charge Boater With Fraud

Back-from-dead Darwin hid in family home, using secret passage

(Newser) - UK cops today charged John Darwin, the 57-year-old former teacher who allegedly faked his death in a 2002 canoeing incident, with two counts of fraud—acquiring a money transfer by fraud and lying to get a passport—the  BBC reports. Darwin will remain in custody until a court appearance Monday;...

Darwins Were Planning Panama Canoe Resort

'Dead' boater and wife were working on a Panama paradise

(Newser) - The British man who faked his own death in a boating accident had been planning with his wife to open an eco-tourism resort offering idyllic canoeing holidays, the Times of London has discovered. John and Anne Darwin spent almost half a million dollars on property in Panama, including $390,000...

'Dead' Boater's Sons Set to Disown Parents

Kids fear they're victims in a scam by mom and dad

(Newser) - The two adult sons of John Darwin—the man who returned after being thought drowned five years ago—say they're furious with their parents and want nothing to do with them if John's disappearance was part of a plot between them. "How could our Mam continue to let us...

Wife in on 'Dead' Boater's Insurance Plot

Woman admits she banked benefits on 'missing' hubby

(Newser) - The wife of a British canoeist declared dead after missing for five years admitted yesterday that she knew her husband was alive before he walked into a police station last weekend claiming to be an amnesiac. Anne Darwin confessed when she was confronted with a photo of herself with her...

Police Charge 'Dead' Canoeist With Fraud

Photo surfaces on web showing missing man with wife in Panama

(Newser) - Police arrested John Darwin, the canoeist who reappeared in London after being presumed dead for 5 years, early this morning on evidence that he and his wife faked his death to defraud their life insurance agency. The mysteriously tanned and fit Darwin had claimed to have no idea where he'd...

11 Stories