 In addition to Mahon, Alfred Hitchcock (I) (qv) noted in the  modern interview that the 1910 case of Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen  also served as an inspiration for the film. Crippen, an American  living in London, poisoned his wife and cut up her body, then told  police that she had moved to Los Angeles. Crippen was eventually  caught after his secretary, with whom he was having an affair, was  seen wearing Mrs. Crippens jewelry, and a family friend searched  unsuccessfully for Mrs. Crippen in California. After Scotland Yard  became involved, Crippen and his mistress fled England under false  names and were apprehended on an ocean liner. Police found parts of  Mrs. Crippens body in her cellar.