In 2011, his home became the key to solving a murder from 132 years earlier. In 1879, a widow was killed by her housekeeper and decapitated. She chopped up the body and fed pieces of it to nearby children. The housekeeper was arrested when a severed foot was found, and ultimately convicted and executed for the murders, but her victim's head was never found, until it was discovered buried under the grounds of Attenborough's house. Workmen found its remains while excavating for an extension on his home. It turns out his home was located near where the victim's house then stood, and his house itself used to be a pub frequented by the murderer.