William Dazley's body was examined and found to contain traces of arsenic. An arrest warrant was issued for Dazley, who fled to London. Conviction After being discovered in London by Superintendent Blunden of Biggleswade Police, Dazley insisted she was innocent of any crimes. She claimed she had no idea about any poisonings and never got hold of poisons or anything of that nature. She was arrested and returned to Bedford. Since the news of William Dazley's death had caused suspicion about the deaths of Jonah and Simeon Mead, their bodies were also exhumed. Traces of arsenic were found in Jonah, but Simeon's body was too decomposed to test. Sarah Dazley was committed to Bedford Gaol on 24 March 1843 and awaited her trial. She used this time to concoct defenses such as William poisoned himself, or he poisoned Jonah and Simeon, so she poisoned William as revenge for murdering her family. On 22 July 1843 Sarah Dazley was tried for the murder of William Dazley at Bedfordshire Summer Assizes. She was not tried for the murder of her son Jonah, but the case was kept if the first case against her were to fail. The chemists she bought arsenic from were able to testify against her, as well as Ann Mead and neighbor Mrs. Carver. They told the court what they had seen, including the pill making. William Waldock testified against Dazley about her statement that she would kill any man that hit her, after making claims that William Dazley had hit her. The Marsh test was used to detect the arsenic in William Dazley's body and the result was used as forensic evidence against Dazley. It only took 30 minutes for the jury to convict Dazley for the murder of her second husband. Death Judge Baron Alderson sentenced Sarah Dazley to death by hanging. She was executed on Saturday, 5 August 1843, at Bedford Gaol. She was the only woman to be publicly hanged at Bedford Gaol. Thousands of people came to watch the execution, and she became known as the Potton Poisoner. See also List of serial killers by country References 1819 births 1842 in England 1842 murders in the United Kingdom 1843 deaths 1843 in England 19th-century English criminals 19th-century executions by England and Wales British female murderers English people convicted of murder Mariticides People convicted of murder by England and Wales People executed for murder People