I always wondered why the song was also known as the Oxford Tragedy since I, too, know of it as an account of an actual murder in the US of A. Naomi Wise (also called 'Omi Wise) is the second USA murder ballad I learned, the first being Pearl Bryan. Pearl became pregnent. Pearl's lover engaged the services of a close friend who was a dental student. They performed an abortion on Pearl who died in the process. In order to hide the deed, they cut her head off and disposed of it so it was never found. Story goes that her sister was overcome with emotion at the trial and screamed at the two young men to return her sister's head. They were convicted and, I believe, executed for Pearl's murder.

Does anyone know what crime the Oxford Tragedy describes?

CB