- "I'm a killer. You know I'm a killer. But did you know I'm a cereal killer?"
- ―Smith, advertising cereals.
Culverton Smith[1] is an antagonist of Sherlock Holmes. He is one of the most prolific undetected serial killer in British Criminal History.
Biography
Culverton Smith is a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist, using his fame and fortune to help many charities. However Smith is secretly a serial killer, likely killing hundreds of people, who doesn't kill out of hate or love, but for the pleasure of killing. Using his wealth and unassailable power, he is able to use his charity-funded hospital as a way to go into patient's rooms and then kill them, taking inspiration from H. H. Holmes. Smith also has an uncontrollable need to confess to his crimes, going as far as to confess to his closest friends, even his daughter Faith, but making them forget his crimes by inducing them to a memory inhibiting drug. Sherlock comes up against Smith when Faith gives him a slip of paper that she wrote down, reminding her of fragments of the crimes Smith told her. Sherlock comes to suspect Smith of being a serial killer, garnering media attention, which forces Sherlock and John to go with Smith to his hospital. After Sherlock tries to attack Smith with a scalpel, he is taken in as a patient to recuperate from drugs. Smith attempts to kill Sherlock, believing him to be a threat. Sherlock manages to make Smith confess, his confession is recorded via a device hidden in John's cane, and thus is arrested. After being interrogated by Lestrade, Smith finds that confessing was more enjoyable than he imagined, and "should have done it sooner". He also realizes that this confession will make him even more famous, and that he may be able to "break America".
Relationships
Trivia
- He is based off Culverton Smith from The Adventure of the Dying Detective.
- In the episode "The Six Thatchers", his photo can be seen on a bus stop advertisement.
- Smith is a big fan of H.H.Holmes and recreates his Murder Castle by using his hospital wing.
- Smith is largely based on Jimmy Savile. Savile was a highly eccentric TV and radio personality who was famed for raising massive amounts of money for charity. After his death in 2011 it was revealed that he had sexually abused hundreds of children, adults and patients. He used his celebrity status to access hospitals, childrens wards and even morgues. He also tended to admit to certain aspects of his crimes, but was often dismissed as jokes as part of his persona.
Appearances
Series Four
- "The Six Thatchers" (photo)
- "The Lying Detective"