[notes 2] There, he murdered and ate the girl. I had the front of his body I liked best. Fish persuaded her parents Albert and Delia Budd to let her accompany him to his nieces birthday party that evening at his sisters home. I picked up four old potato sacks and gathered a pile of stones. I put strips of bacon on each cheek of his behind and put in the oven. Once there, he was publically beaten by his teachers in front of the other boys. services will be held tomorrow afternoon at thc Home for thc Aged. And when his father died in 1875, his mother left him in an orphanage, where he (and many of the other children) were . On his return to N.Y. he stole two boys one 7 one 11. George Anthony Fish 3 ( Moses,2 Albert1 ), born 9 February 1879 in Noank, New London County, Connecticut; 1, 2, 3 died 18 September 1919 in Groton, New London County, Connecticut. Ex-husband of Anna Mary Hoffman Albert Fish's grandchildren are documented. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down stairs. While its generally believed he killed anywhere between three and nine victims, Fish himself had another figure in mind. Bettmann/Getty ImagesThe house where Fish murdered Grace Budd. [2], Fish was a suspect in at least five murders during his lifetime. He said voices in his head told him to kill children and commit other horrendous crimes. He had been strangled by his own suspenders. The writer tortured Mrs. Budd with details about the empty house her daughter was taken to in Worcester, New York, how she was stripped of her clothing, strangled, and cut into pieces and eaten. He was executed on January 16, 1936, in the electric chair at the Sing Sing prison. Gouged out his eyes. However, it is not known whether he was referring to rapes or cannibalization, nor is it known if the statement was truthful. His parents were Randall and Ellen Fish. As expected, his defense pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. Fortunately, her mother saw him and chased him away. He claimed to have some farm work upstate that needed doing, and he was also looking for some help around the house. As a child, Fish was plagued by mental illness as were a number of his family members. His terrifying crimes earned him monikers like Gray Man, The Bogey Man, Werewolf of Wysteria, Brooklyn Vampire and Moon Maniac. Albert Fish - Wikipedia. John staid there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. In later descriptions of the affair, Fish would hint that Kedden was perhaps intellectually disabled though it was always difficult to sort fact from fiction in Fishs tales. In 1882, at age 12, he began a relationship with a telegraph boy. He confessed to two more murders, giving chilling accounts of how he abused his victims and later killed them for his sexual fetishes. Albert Hamilton Fish (May 19, 1870 - January 16, 1936) was an American sado-masochistic serial killer and cannibal. Fish developed a skill for house painting and often worked in states across the country. Quinn and his friend were playing box ball on a sidewalk when Fish asked them if they had eaten lunch. Around this time, he began to rape young boys. His uncle was diagnosed with mania,his brother was sent to a state mental institution, and his sister was diagnosed with a "mental affliction." Only 10 days after their initial meeting, Fish lured Kedden to an abandoned farmhouse under the pretense of an assignation. Fish began teaching his own children strange and oddly sadomasochist games, before developing an obsession with cannibalism. As if to provide solace to Mrs. Budd, the writer stated emphatically that Grace had not been sexually assaulted. In 1903, he was arrested for grand larceny and incarcerated in Sing Sing prison. We were unmercifully whipped. Albert Fish - A Vile Monster:Albert Fish is known for being one of the most vile pedophiles and killers of all time. Brother of Walter Fish; Annie Fish and Edwin Fish He responded that he did know but that it was a perverted knowledge based on his opinions of sin, atonement, and religion and thus was an "insane knowledge". He lived in Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States in 1900 and Athens Township, Crawford, Pennsylvania . It was there that he conceived a passion for pain. Owing to his mothers mental health issues, Fish was sent to Saint Johns Orphanage in Washington where he was often brutally beaten and tortured. But when they searched all over the neighborhood with no clues, they finally realized he had been abducted. Albert Fish was born in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 1870, to Randall (1795 - October 16, 1875) and Ellen (ne Howell; 1838-c. 1903) Fish. Her family was baffled until Albert Fish's letter to her parents arrived. At the same rooming house, a man named Albert Fish was renting a place. While Edward was mulling over his offer, Fish noticed a young girl standing behind her parents: 10-year-old Grace. Congressional Cemetery records show that he died on October 16 and was buried on October 19, in grave R96/89. For two weeks, Fish tortured Kedden. In 1898, his mother arranged for him to marry Anna Mary Hoffman, with whom he went on to father six children; namely Albert, Anna, Gertrude, Eugene, John and Henry Fish. [10] After his arrest, X-rays revealed that Fish had at least twenty-nine needles lodged in his pelvic region. Cannibal Serial Killers. I shall never forget his scream, or the look he gave me, Fish later recalled. Albert Fish moved to New York City in his early 20s and started working as a male prostitute. Johns Home for Boys, an orphanage located at Albany Avenue and St. Marks Avenue, where Albert Fish spent much of his childhood. That child would later tell police that the "boogey man" took Billy. To their surprise, Fish confessed in an instant, practically tripping over himself to reveal the precise details of what hed done to Grace Budd as well as dozens of other children. [4][5][6], Albert Fish was born in Washington, D.C., on May 19, 1870, to Randall (1795 October 16, 1875) and Ellen (ne Howell; 1838c. [10], None of the jurors doubted that Fish was insane, but ultimately, as one later explained, they felt he should be executed anyway. She wanted to ask him about her son's death, but Fish refused to speak to her. 1. Murderer. When his mother became mentally stable and financially self-sufficient enough to take him home in 1880, she removed him from the orphanage. [citation needed], Fish made no attempt to deny the murder of Grace Budd, saying that he meant to go to the house to kill her brother Edward. He also started writing salacious and vulgar letters to women from classified advertisements and matrimonial agencies. Then, Joseph Meehan, a motorman on a Brooklyn trolley, saw a picture of Fish in a newspaper and identified him as the old man whom he saw February 11, 1927; the old man had been trying to quiet a little boy sitting with him on the trolley. He began having auditory hallucinations, as well. The family dynamic was rather interesting. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. His mother was 32 years old when Fish was born, but his father, a . By 1890, at age 20, Fish moved to New York City. Here are 15 horrifying Albert Fish serial killer facts that might just keep you up at night. The letter, which had clearly been intended to cause panic within the Budd home, hastened Albert Fishs downfall. Albert Fish; six children: four sons (Albert, John, Eugene & Henry), two daughters (Anna and Gertrude), . Before his execution on January 16, 1936, Albert Fishs attorney Jack Dempsey refused to share his clients notes. Albert Fish was born Hamilton Fish in the late 1870s. When asked about the orphanage, Fish remarked, "I was there 'til I was nearly nine, and that's where I got started wrong. The non-suspecting parents agreed and dressed in her Sunday best, Grace, excited about going to party, left her house for the very last time. He specifically targeted victims who were either mentally challenged or of African-American descent because he assumed that these people would not be missed as much. [9] The defense called two more psychiatrists to support Wertham's findings. [9] Wertham then detailed Fish's cannibalism, which in his mind he associated with communion. After lunch, Fish explained that he had to attend a children's birthday party at his sister's home and would return later to pick up Eddie and his friend. Grace, excited about going to a party, left the house and was never seen alive again. Apparently, the old man was trying to quiet a little boy sitting next to him on the trolley who was crying for his mother. Before he died, Albert Fish wrote a detailed account of all his crimes for his lawyer, who never shared the writings because they were simply too horrific. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, May 19 1870 - Washington, District of Columbia, United States, Jan 16 1936 - Ossining, Westchester, New York, United States. Fish told the family that he was a Long Island farmer looking to pay a strong young worker $15 a week. Although he claimed to have 400 victims, Fish was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of 10-year-old Gracie Budd. He began to look for vulnerable children, such as intellectually disabled orphans or homeless Black children youths that he assumed wouldnt be missed. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The boy was not wearing a jacket, was crying for his mother, and was dragged by the man on and off the trolley. Albert Fish was first known as Frank Howard. Geni requires JavaScript! [11] Throughout his life, he would write obscene letters to women whose names he acquired from classified advertising and matrimonial agencies.[9]. He described what happened to Billy in a letter. March 12, 1935. The trial lasted for 10 days. Although Albert Fish molested and murdered kids, he raised six of his own as a single parent, seemingly without harm. Fish was a small, gentle looking man who appeared kind and trusting, yet once alone with his victims, the monster inside him was unleased - a monster so perverse and cruel, his crimes seem unbelievable. He admitted that he was ready to dismember the boy but he thought he heard someone approaching and fled the scene. Edward Budd, 406 West 15th Street." He once claimed that he had one victim in every state of the United States and that his victims were close to a hundred children. Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn CollectionSt. It was his belief that the police would spend less time searching for the killer of a African American child than a prominent Caucasian child. He then became involved in self-mutilation, often putting needles in his groin and flogging himself with a nail paddle. After two hours of asking him questions through his lawyer, James Dempsey, Mrs. Gaffney gave up. Charles Montaldo is a writer and former licensed private detective who worked with law enforcement and insurance firms investigating crime and fraud. He came back to the farm and was found trying to sleep in the barn. His little monkey was as sweet as a nut, but his pee-wees I could not chew. [citation needed], McDonnell's friends told the police that he was taken by an elderly man with a grey moustache. A search was organized and his body was foundhanging by a treein a wooded area near his home. below his behind. First I stripped her naked. NY Daily News Archive/Getty ImagesMedical Examiner Dr. Amos O. Squire holds bones of the slain Grace Budd after ghastly relics were dug up by cops in an abandoned house in Westchester Hills. in Washington, D.C., USA , United States, Died on January 16, 1936 According to Crime Museum, Albert Fish is believed to be responsible for the murder of a 4-year-old boy named Billy Gaffney. Albert Fish was an American serial killer born on May 19, 1870. March 12, 1935. admitted to the kidnapping and murder of Billy. Biography of Albert Fish, Serial Killer. He came to enjoy and associate the pain with pleasure, which would later seep into sexual gratification. The descriptions of these acts were so vile and disgusting that they were never made public even though they were submitted as evidence in court. Just below his belly button. How she did kick, bite, and scratch. Edward Budd was an 18 year-old boy d . I put onions, carrots, turnips, celery, salt and pepper. Sing Sing Prison MuseumAlbert Fish was held at New Yorks Sing Sing Prison before he was executed by electrocution. 2 George married, ca. The landlady of the rooming house said that Fish checked out of that room a few days earlier. "The Gray Man", was an American (possibly prolific) "vampirist"-type pedophilic and cannibalistic serial killer, serial rapist, lonely hearts killer, abductor, and one-time enucleator who targeted children in the 1920s. At that time they recalled Fish occasionally asking them to participate in his sadomasochistic games. We were unmercifully whipped. His parents abandoned him at a young age and he was sent to an orphanage. Small, quiet, and unassuming, he had a face that blended in with the crowd and a private life that would have frightened even the most hardened criminals. The last witness, James Vavasour, repeated Lambert's opinion. Man Dies Smith ivas followed to the chair by Albert, Funeral arrangements were being made today for former Congressman, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Albert Fish was one of the most notorious child serial killers of all time, molesting over 400 children and tortured and killed several others. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. Katie Serena is a New York City-based writer and a staff writer at All That's Interesting. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Then I cut him up. His chilling claim that he had a child in every state remains unconfirmed. In 1910, while working as a house painter in Delaware, Fish met Thomas Kedden. On May 28, Fish, then 58years old, visited the Budd family in Manhattan under the pretense of hiring Edward; he later confessed that he planned to tie Edward up, mutilate him, and leave him to bleed to death. Thus, he selected Black children to endure his torture using his "instruments of hell," which included the paddle, a meat cleaver, and knives. [9][38] They found him to be sane and guilty, and the judge sentenced the defendant to death by electrocution. 5054. Home made. American serial killer, also known as the Gray Man, the Werewolf of Wysteria, the Brooklyn Vampire, the Moon Maniac and The Boogey Man. Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish was known for being one of the vilest pedophiles, serial child killers, and cannibals of all time. I cut off his ears nose slit his mouth from ear to ear. Following her departure, he started to have auditory hallucinations. Birthdate: circa 1908. Fish. His final words were,I dont even know why Im here. Several psychiatrists testified about Fish's sexual fetishes, which included sadism and masochism, flagellation, exhibitionism, voyeurism, piquerism, cannibalism, coprophagia, urophilia, hematolagnia, pedophilia, necrophilia, and infibulation. I took the G boy there. Fish's defense counsel was James Dempsey, a former prosecutor and the one-time mayor of Peekskill, New York. Fish's mother then put her son into Saint John's Orphanage in Washington, where he was frequently physically abused. Fishs self-harm grew thereafter, from pressing more and more needles into his groin to stuffing wool covered in lighter fluid into his anus and setting it on fire. When asked what happened to Gaffney, Beaton said "the bogeyman took him." Died on January 16, 1936 in Ossining, New York, USA. After ten days, Fish took Kedden to "an old farm house", where he tortured him over a period of two weeks. We encourage you to research and examine these records . Albert Hamilton Fish (May 19, 1870 - January 16, 1936) was an American sado-masochistic serial killer and cannibal. Defense Alienists Say Budd Girl's Murderer Was And Is Mentally Irresponsible", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albert_Fish&oldid=1151579601, 20th-century executions by New York (state), People convicted of murder by New York (state), People executed by New York (state) by electric chair, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Francis X. McDonnell, age 8, July 15, 1924, Mary Ellen O'Connor, age 16, February 15, 1932, Benjamin Collings, age 17, December 15, 1932, Several songs about Albert Fish were recorded by American, This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 22:57. He kept him tied up for two weeks and cut half of his penis. She was still unconvinced that Fish was her son's killer. There is no house at #379, and the house pictured in the article is #359. Since he was frequently exposed to brutality, harsh beatings and torture during his growing up years, he began to associate these with pleasure. He testified that Fish was abnormal but sane. [citation needed], When Fish returned, he met Edward's younger sister, 10-year-old Grace Budd. His father was 43 years older than his mother and 75 years old at the time of his birth. She was about to leave the farm when her mother chased Fish away. How she did kick bite and scratch. There he engaged in male prostitution and began molesting and raping boys, mostly younger than six years old. He was eventually executed and according to rumors, he turned his own execution into a fantasy of pleasure. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a closet then burned everything they had on. Was Edward interested? [37], The first of four rebuttal witnesses was Menas Gregory, the former manager of the Bellevue Hospital, where Fish was treated during 1930. He regularly had sex with the prison inmates there. The kids led average lives until 1917, when Fish's wife ran off with another man. Dear Mrs. Budd, it read. The trial lasted for ten days. He had very little formal education and grew up learning to work more with his hands than his brains. [9] According to an autopsy, McDonnell had also suffered extensive lacerations to his legs and abdomen, and his left hamstring had almost entirely been stripped of its flesh. Howard was born on June 18 1891, in Washington, Daviess, Indiana, USA. American serial killer, also known as the Gray Man, the Werewolf of Wysteria, the Brooklyn Vampire, the Moon Maniac and The Boogey Man, Born on Thursday, May 19, 1870 Threw them in the toilet. Research genealogy for Ulysses Albert Fish of Tennessee, as well as other members of the Fish family, on Ancestry. . According to the letter sent to Delia Budd, along with his confession, Fish hid in an upstairs bedroom naked, so as not to get blood on his clothing while Grace picked wildflowers in the yard. You said Yes she could go. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Hisfamily had a long history of mental illness. In his insanity plea, Fish claimed that he heard voices from God who instructed him to kill children. The job seemed ideal, and the Budd . His uncle had mania, one of his brothers was confined in a state mental hospital, a paternal half brother, Lafayette (1824-1871) suffered from schizophrenia, and his sister Annie was diagnosed with a "mental affliction". While the two boys were wrestling on Fish's bed, they dislodged his mattress; underneath was a knife, a small handsaw, and a meat cleaver. [citation needed], Fish's trial for the murder of Grace Budd began on March 11, 1935, in White Plains, New York. New York State CorrectionsFish was executed on Jan. 16, 1936. He instead lathered peroxide on his wound, covered it with a handkerchief and left a $10 bill for his troubles. He died of a heart attack at Washingtons Sixth Street Station in 1875. Howard planned to come pick them up a few days . This amounted to several pages of hand-written notes that Fish apparently penned in the hours just prior to his death. A nail-studded paddle was his favorite weapon. It was good. Grace Budd was never seen alive again. It was only after his trial for Grace Budd and Billy Gaffney had ended that Fish admitted to raping and murdering Francis McDonnell. Short handle. I will never show it to anyone, he said. Although he knew Grace was female, it is believed that Fish perceived her as a boy. [27] He was found not guilty. Under cross-examination, Dempsey asked if coprophilia, urophilia, and pedophilia indicated a sane or insane person. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Everything about him seemed faded and grey. Fish and Kedden started engaging in a sadomasochistic relationship. Fish was the youngest child and had three living siblings: Walter, Annie, and Edwin. Albert Fish was born in Washington D.C. on May 19, 1870, with the original name Hamilton Howard, to Rendall and Ellen Fish with his 3 other siblings, Albert's father was 43 years older than his mother at the time of his birth.. Albert' mother was unable to financially support the family after Albert's father died at the age of 80 of a Heart Attack in 1975. I took her to an empty house in Westchester I had already picked out. The Grace Budd murder was by far the most infamous of Fishs crimes. 3. Fish pleaded insanity, and claimed to have heard voices from God telling him to kill children. Fish answered an ad by 18-year-old Edward Budd who was looking for part-time work to help out with the family finances. The bizarre, rambling letter that Mrs. Budd received on that cold November evening began with the tale of a deckhand who developed a taste for human flesh and ended with a harrowing description of Mrs. Budds daughter being murdered and roasted in the oven. "[9], Gallagher cross-examined Wertham on whether Fish knew the difference between right and wrong. I choked her to death, then cut her in small pieces so I could take the meat to my rooms, cook, and eat it It took me 9 days to eat her entire body.. Fish, smiling as he described the grisly details of tortures and murders, appeared to the detectives as the devil himself. He would claim at his trial and in later writings that God was speaking to him, commanding him to torture and consume young children. [9], The defense's chief expert witness was Fredric Wertham, a psychiatrist with an emphasis on child development who conducted psychiatric examinations for the New York criminal courts. Albert Fish committed his first attack on a boy named Thomas Kedden in Delaware in 1910. Not only was his brother in an asylum, but his uncle had been diagnosed with mania while his mother routinely experienced visual hallucinations. He said that he was named after statesman and politician Hamilton Fish, a distant relative. Move to Set Aside Verdict Denied", "Albert Fish: The Life & Crimes of One of America's Most Deranged Killers", "Police Try To Link Budd Girl's Slayer To 3 Other Crimes. Fish would lure children away from their homes, torture them in various ways including using a paddle laced with sharp nails, then rape them. He lured children from their homes, tortured them in various wayshis favorite was using a paddle laced with sharp nailsand then raped them. Fish is said to have helped the executioner position the electrodes on his body. American serial killer and cannibal (18701936), 18901918: Early adulthood and criminal history, Other crimes discovered after Fish's arrest. Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish (May 19, 1870 - January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer, rapist, child molester, and cannibal who committed at least three child murders from July 1924 to June 1928. On November 11, 1934, Mrs. Budd received an anonymous letter giving grotesque details of the murder and cannibalism of her daughter. Fish's father was American, of English ancestry, and his mother was Scots-Irish American. [4] He was buried in the Sing Sing Prison Cemetery. Albert was the youngest of 4 living children. Initially, he intended to kill Kedden, but decided against it when he thought that it would bring unwanted attention towards him. Edward was looking forward to having a job and providing for his family, and Howard even offered a job to Budd's friend, Willie. I came home with my meat. When asked about Billy Gaffney, Beaton said the bogeyman took him. Meat of any kind was from $1 to 3 Dollars a pound. Fish was arrested and immediately began confessing to killing Grace Budd and several hundred other children. Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish[1] (May 19, 1870 January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer, rapist, child molester, and cannibal who committed at least three child murders from July 1924 to June 1928. The chief investigator, William F. King, was waiting for him at his homes door when Fish charged at him with a razor blade. According to Crime Museum, Albert Fish is believed to be responsible for the murder of a 4-year-old boy named Billy Gaffney. I made up my mind to eat her, on the pretense of taking her to a party. How his exorbitant madness and murderous bloodlust came to be, however, is a tale as macabre and unimaginable as the death of Grace Budd itself. His body was found in the woods shortly thereafter. Around 1919, Fish stabbed an intellectually disabled boy in Georgetown. [9] When several eyewitnesses, among them the Staten Island farmer Hans Kiel, positively identified Fish as the odd stranger seen around Port Richmond on the day of McDonnell's disappearance, Richmond County District Attorney Thomas J. Walsh announced his intention to seek an indictment against Fish for the boy's murder.
