After the murder of Crippen's wife, Cora, they fled the country on the SS Montrose on which the couple aroused the suspicion of the ship's master, who telegraphed their location to Scotland Yard.

Between his conviction and execution Crippen made a will, appointing Le Neve his executrix and leaving all his estate to her.

The probate court refused her application on the ground that, as Crippen would not have been permitted to profit from murdering his wife, anyone claiming under him was also debarred from benefiting from his crime.

[6] After the trial, Le Neve travelled to Toronto, working as a typist there for three years before returning to London under the name Ethel Harvey.

While working at Hampton's furniture store off Trafalgar Square, she met and in January 1915 married Stanley Smith, with whom she had two children.