"I was very young when I realized I had a gift for chemistry. By the time I was in my teen years, I was starting to see life as it really was: a series of illusions only scientists could strip away. I wanted to see this hidden world, to lift the veil and hold the secrets of existence in the palm of my hand."
- from The Young Poisoner's Handbook, starring Hugh O'Conor
Graham Young, also known as The Teacup Poisoner, is known for the terrible murders he performed in 1962 and 1971.
He first poisoned his step-mother and then went on to attempt to poison his father, sister, and schoolfriend. For the murder of his family in 1962, he was committed to Broadmoor at the early age of 14. Whilst there, Young spent much of his time studying medical books, and any other books that could teach him more about chemicals and poisoning. By the time he was proclaimed cured, after nine years of imprisonment, he was an expert in the subject.
In 1971, he was given life imprisonment for poisoning Fred Biggs and Bob Egle. He also attempted to kill several others, including Jethro Batt and David Tilson. All these men worked at the same place as him.
How did he do it? Young poisoned his victims with continued doses of thallium, administered to them through cups of tea, which he kindly made for them at work.
Why did he do it? To conduct an experiment to measure the time between the dosage of poison administered and the first sign of discomfort.
What to know more? There isn't much else to tell. But, if you want to see a good movie about The Teacup Poisoner, check out The Young Poisoner's Handbook.