A Is for Acid: The John George Haigh Acid Bath Murders

The documentary 'A Is for Acid' depicts the macabre story of John George Haigh, one of Britain's most notorious serial killers, who terrorized England in the late 1940s.

Haigh became known as the 'Acid Bath Murderer' for his gruesome method: he murdered his victims and then dissolved their bodies in large vats filled with sulfuric acid. Haigh mistakenly believed he could not be convicted of murder without a body, but a thorough police investigation uncovered remains of his victims, including gallstones and dentures, which the acid had failed to dissolve.

The film follows Haigh's criminal career, from petty fraud to his arrest in 1949 following the murder of at least six people, though he confessed to nine killings. His motive was primarily financial gain - he killed his victims for their money and possessions.

The documentary examines both the murders and the ensuing trial, as well as Haigh's personality as a charming con man with psychopathic tendencies. Haigh was convicted and executed by hanging at Wandsworth Prison in August 1949, and his case became one of the most sensational criminal cases in British legal history.