The Rise and Fall of Infamous Serial Killer Mary Ann Cotton 

Mary Ann faced a grim reality when her terminally ill son, Charles Cotton, passed away within just five days. Suspicion arose immediately for Thomas Riley, leading him to urge the doctor to hold off on issuing Charles’s death certificate until further investigation could take place, hinting at a deeper story unspooling beneath the surface.

Following Charles’s death, Mary Ann promptly sought to claim her insurance payment, only to be met with a roadblock at the office. She learned the hard way that without a death certificate in hand, there would be no payment. This unexpected rule startled her and thwarted her plans, revealing a crucial procedural requirement.