In the year 1885 John Lee, a footman, was accused of the murder of his mistress, Miss Emma Keyes in Babbacombe, Devon, England. The case aroused great public interest, partly because Miss Keyes had been a maid of honor to Queen Victoria and the queen had actually on one occasion stayed a night at the house in which the murder to took place. When the jury brought in its guilty verdict, despite all the evidence been purely circumstantial, John Lee vehemently denied the charge.