Several months went by and the Marten family had no word from Maria. They could not understand how she could leave her son for so long. Corder's explanations were vague, unsatisfactory or improbable. He told them she was well; that she was staying with a Miss Rowland in Yarmouth. On October 18th 1827 he wrote in a letter to Thomas Marten from London (reproduced in Curtis, p.154) that they were man and wife. He told the family that Maria was staying in Newport, Isle of Wight, and expressed surprise that they had not answered Maria's letter describing the marriage. Trying to cover his tracks, he suggests in a post-script that Mr Marten take down the address for a reply and then burn the letters. In letters to Peter Matthews (the father of Maria's son) he wrote that she had hurt her hand and could not write. Her family felt increasingly alarmed.

Maria's stepmother at last asked her husband to search the Red Barn. She said that she had often dreamed about Maria. Twice, (once before and once after Christmas) she had dreamed that Maria was murdered and buried in the Red Barn. She had not wanted to tell her husband because he would have thought her superstitious. For some time he did nothing, but at last gave in to her nagging. With a friend he went to the barn. Prodding the floor with his mole-spud, he found a soft spot. He dug out some eighteen inches (50cm) of loose earth and discovered a body stuffed into a sack. A green silk handerchief showed through. Mr Marten recognised it as one belonging to Corder which Maria had been wearing when she left the house. They left the body where it lay and called in the constabulary.

The local constable, Ayres, knew that his brother-in-law was a friend of Corder. From him he got a contact address in London. From that starting point, Ayres and a London policeman, Constable Lea, traced Corder through a number of addresses until they found him at home in Ealing Road, Brentford. He was in his dressing gown, timing eggs for breakfast. The arrest was reported in the"Times" of April 24th 1828. Two articles in John Bull Magazine for Sunday April 27th 1828 give a fuller account of the arrest.

From "The Times", April 24th 1828

On Tuesday night, William Corder was brought before MATTHEW WYATT, Esq., at the Lambeth-street police-office, in custody of Lea, the officer, charged with the perpetration of the murder, the particulars of which were stated in our paper of yesterday.
His unfortunate victim was an inhabitant of Polstead, in Suffolk. Her name was Maria Marten, and the prisoner appears to have been impelled to the frightful act by his fear of the discovery of some former offence. He was yesterday brought up for a short examination of prior to his transmission to Suffolk. His age he stated to be 24. His complexion is florid ; but during the time he was at the bar it varied considerably. His dress was fashionable ; and when taken into custody, he, in conjunction with his wife, kept a boarding house for females, at the Grove House, Ealing Lane, Middlesex.
Information of the murder, which has thrown the village of Polstead into the greatest excitement, was at once communicated to W. Wayman Esq., the coroner, at Bury St. Edmund's. He instituted an inquiry, and from the circumstances that came out on it, he was induced to despatch Ayres, a constable, in pursuit of the prisoner. He arrived in town on Monday, and having applied at the above office for assistance, the business was placed in the hands of Lea. With a loose clue afforded him by the country constable, he traced the prisoner first to Gray's-inn-terrace, and from thence through a number of intermediate places to his residence, in Ealing-lane, near Brentford, where he apprehended him. A degree of stratagem was necessary to obtain an entrance, and he procured it by representing that he had a daughter whom he was anxious to place under the care of his wife. On going in, he found him in the parlour with four ladies, at breakfast. He was in his dressing-gown, and had a watch before him by which he was minuting the boiling of some eggs. Lea called him on one side, and told him that be was a London police-officer, and had to apprehend him on a most serious charge. He seemed somewhat alarmed, and at his request they retired into the drawing-room, but on his being made acquainted with the nature of the offence, he denied all knowledge of it, as also of his unfortunate victim. Lea, after having secured him, proceeded to search both his person and drawers, and discovered a number of letters from a person named Gardener, in which warnings were held out, and cautions given, of a singular description. He also found a case of detonating pocket pistols, maker's name " Harcourt, Ipswich," supposed to have been purchased on the day of the murder, together with a powder-flask, and a quantity of balls. It appears from a document found in his possession, he purposed leaving this country for the Continent, as he was provided with a passport, dated the 20th of December, 1827; from the French Ambassador. Previous to his removal to town, his brother-in-law, a most respectable man (whose name, not wishing to wound his feelings, we forbear mentioning), having ascertained the serious offence of which he was accused, questioned his sister as to the length of time she had known the prisoner before she had married him. She answered, only for three weeks, and that she first became acquainted with him through the medium of a matrimonial advertisement at a pastrycook's shop in Fleet-street, to which he had given preference. She married him at the church of St. Andrew, Holborn, In November last, and was quite unaware of his being guilty of any offence.
Yesterday, at three o'clock, the prisoners his the keeping of Lea, was transmitted to the county gaol of Suffolk. His wife, whose impression that the charge against him is that of bigamy, was with him in the lock-up room during the greater part of the forenoon.
The inquest has not yet terminated : it will be resumed on Friday next, to which day it adjourned in order to procure the fullest testimony.

HORRID MURDER.- A constable from Suffolk, made an application on Monday, at Lambeth-street Police Office, stating that a strong suspicion was entertained that a most diabolical murder had been committed in Suffolk, by a person named William Corder. An inquest had been that day holden on the body of the unhappy victim, which stood adjourned to Friday. In consequence of this communication, James Lee, an officer of that Establishment, in company with Ayres, apprehended Corder, and a few minutes before the Office closed on Tuesday evening, he was brought in custody before Matthew Wyatt, Esq., the Sitting Magistrate. From the statement on oath of the constable Ayres, it appeared, that the murdered woman, whose name was Maria Martin, aged 26, was decoyed, in male attire, on the 18th of last May, from the house of her parents at Polstead, in Suffolk, by the prisoner, who desired her to meet him at his red barn, when he promised her that they should go to Ipswich and be married by licence. The unsuspecting girl accordingly attended at the time and place appointed. From that day to this the girl had not been heard of. Since that time, however, many letters have been received by the parents of the unfortunate girl from the prisoner, in which he uniformly stated that he and their child were living most happily together in the married state; and in the last letter he wrote, he stated that he should soon return and resume the occupation of his farm. He feigned many excuses for the silence of the deceased, from time to time. The mother of the girl, however, became alarmed, and the subject preyed so much on her mind, that she dreamed that her daughter was murdered, and her body buried under the floor in the barn of the prisoner, where he had appointed to meet her on the 18th of May. The corn which was in the barn having been recently threshed, the mother requested that the floor might be taken up, which was accordingly done, when, to her horror she discovered, the remains of a sack, in which was the mangled body of Maria Martin ! The body was of course, in a state of decomposition, but it was identified by one of the teeth in the jaw being out, which was her case. She was also dressed in the same male attire which she wore on the fatal night. The prisoner was apprehended at Ealing, and is married. At his house were found a passport for France, dated the 17th of December last, and a brace of pistols, which were bought at Ipswich. The prisoner appears to leave been impelled to the frightful act by fear of the discovery of some former offence. He was on Wednesday brought up to Lambeth-street for a short examination, prior to his transmission to Suffolk, His age was stated to be twenty-four. His complexion is florid; but during the time he was at the bar it varied considerably. His dress was fashionable and when taken into custody, he, in conjunction with his wife, kept a boarding-school for females, at the Grove-house, Ealing-lane, Middlesex. Information of the murder, was communicated to W. Wayman, Esq., the coroner of Bury St. Edmund's. He instituted an inquiry, and from the circumstances that came out on it, he was induced to despatch Ayres, a constable in pursuit of the prisoner. He arrived in town on Monday, and having applied at the above office for assistance, the business was placed in the hands of Lea. With a loose clue afforded him by the Country constable, he traced the prisoner first to Grays-inn-terrace, and from thence through a number of intermediate places to his residence, in Ealing-lane, near Brentford, where he apprehended him. A degree of stratagem was necessary to obtain an entrance, and he procured it by representing that he had a daughter whom he was anxious to place under the care of his wife. On going in, he found him in the parlour with four ladies, at breakfast. He was in his dressing gown, and had a watch before him by which he was minuting the boiling of some eggs. Lea called him on one side and told him that he was a London police-officer, and had to apprehend him on a most serious charge. He seemed somewhat alarmed, and at his request they retired in to the drawing-room, but on his being made acquainted with the nature of the offence, he denied all knowledge of it, as also of his unfortunate victim. Lea, after having secured him, proceeded to search both his person and drawers, and discovered a number of letters from a person named Gardner, in which warnings were held out, and cautions given of a singular description. He also found a case of detonating pocket pistols, maker's name "Harcourt, Ipswich" supposed to have been purchased on the day of the murder, together with a powder-flask, and a quantity of balls. It appears from a document found in his possession, he purposed leaving this country for the Continent, as he was provided with a passport, dated the 20th of December, l827, from the French Ambassador. Previous to his removal to town, his brother-in-law, a most respectable man (whose name, not wishing to wound his feelings, we forbear mentioning), having ascertained the serious offence with which he was accused, questioned his sister as to time length of time she had known the prisoner before she had married him. She answered, only for three weeks, and that she first became acquainted with him through the medium of a matrimonial advertisement, at a pastrycook's shop in Fleet-street, to which he had given a reference. She married him at the church of St. Andrew, Holborn, in November last, and was quite unaware of his being guilty of any offence. At three o'clock, the prisoner, in the keeping of Lea, was transmitted to the county gaol of Suffolk. His wife, whose impression that the charge against him is that of bigamy, was with him in the lock-up room during the greater part of the forenoon.

From "John Bull", April 27 1828