Genealogy for Hamilton Howard Fish (1870 - 1936) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. In his insanity plea, Fish claimed that he heard voices from God who instructed him to kill children. 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. 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. This information was used at trial to make the claim the kidnapping was sexually motivated, thus avoiding any mention of cannibalism. The job seemed ideal, and the Budd . The Grace Budd murder was by far the most infamous of Fishs crimes. First he killed the 11 yr old boy, because he had the fattest ass and of course the most meat on it. He took Kedden to where he was staying and the two began a sadomasochistic relationship; it is unclear whether or not Fish forced Kedden to do these things, but his confession implies that Kedden was intellectually disabled. [11], By 1880, Fish's mother secured a government job and was able to remove Fish from the orphanage. The next witness was the resident physician at The Tombs, Perry Lichtenstein. Albert Hamilton Fish (May 19, 1870 - January 16, 1936) was an American sado-masochistic serial killer and cannibal. Despite the numerous psychiatrists who described Fish as insane, the jury found him sane and guilty after a 10-day trial. "Took first train I could get back home. Gouged out his eyes. [22], Despite already being married, Fish married Estella Wilcox on February 6, 1930, in Waterloo, New York; they divorced after only one week. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. [10], None of the jurors doubted that Fish was insane, but ultimately, as one later explained, they felt he should be executed anyway. To the Budds, Mr. Howard seemed like a typical loving grandfather. When asked about Billy Gaffney, Beaton said the bogeyman took him. Detectives of the Manhattan Missing Persons Bureau were able to establish that Fish was employed as a house painter by a Brooklyn real estate company during February 1927, and that on the day of Gaffney's disappearance he was working at a location a few miles from where the boy was abducted. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Then I cut him thru the middle of his body. met with Edward and his family to discuss Edward's future. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a closet then burned everything they had on. . In 1898 he married and fathered six children. I took the G boy there. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down stairs. Just below his belly button. During 1924, the 54-year-old Fish, suffering from psychosis, felt that God was commanding him to torture and sexually mutilate children. Congressional Cemetery records show that he died on October 16 and was buried on October 19, in grave R96/89. "Biography of Albert Fish, Serial Killer." [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. In 1910, while working as a house painter in Delaware, Fish met Thomas Kedden. 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". Some believe he selected states largely populated with African Americans. 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. [5] He spent 108days in jail between his arrest and trial on December 22, 1930. At first, Fish denied the charges. [20] Fish tortured, mutilated, and murdered young children with his "implements of Hell": a meat cleaver, a butcher knife, and a small handsaw. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. He also started writing salacious and vulgar letters to women from classified advertisements and matrimonial agencies. There were other relatives too who were dealing with several mental illnesses. Francis McDonnell was reported missing on 14th July, 1924. Fish admitted to the kidnapping and murder of Billy in sickening detail: I took tools, a good heavy cat-of-nine tails. As a child, Fish was plagued by mental illness as were a number of his family members. He first lured them and then tortured them by smacking with paddles embedded with nails, eventually raping them. At that time they recalled Fish occasionally asking them to participate in his sadomasochistic games. You could go in any shop and ask for steak chops or stew meat. He introduced himself as Frank Howard, a farmer from Farmingdale, New York. 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. We had lunch. Remarkably, in 1898 Fish married a woman his mother had introduced him to and fathered six children with her. [17] Fish began to have auditory hallucinations; he once wrapped himself in a carpet, saying that he was following the instructions of John the Apostle.[11]. Fish failed to show up, but he sent a telegram to the Budd family apologizing and set a later date. S. C., Jan. 5, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, MO, USA, 28, 1935. The investigation into Grace's disappearance went on for six years before detectives received a substantial break in the case. Next day about 2 P.M., I took tools, a good heavy cat-of-nine tails. Fish was arrested and immediately began confessing to killing Grace Budd and several hundred other children. The Letter Writer: After his marriage ended, Fish spent time writing to women listed in the personal columns of newspapers. His intended victim was Edward Budd but when he arrived at his house in Manhattan for the second time, his gaze shifted to Grace Budd. The trial took 10 days and ended with a verdict that saw Fish executed by electrocution the following year. King disarmed Fish and took him to police headquarters. Half brother of Lafayette R. Fish. She said that Fish's son sent him money and he asked her to hold his next check for him. Albert Hamilton Fish (May 19, 1870 - January 16, 1936) was an American sado-masochistic serial killer and cannibal. I came home with my meat. [9] Wertham then detailed Fish's cannibalism, which in his mind he associated with communion. He was aroused by unmerciful whipping and flogging and began looking forward to it. Born on May 19, 1870, in Washington, D.C., to Randall and Ellen Fish, Hamilton Howard Albert Fish had many names: the Brooklyn Vampire, the Werewolf of Wysteria, the Gray Man. He then became involved in self-mutilation, often putting needles in his groin and flogging himself with a nail paddle. William F. King, the chief investigator for the case, waited outside the room until Fish returned. Gaffney's body was never recovered.[34]. 1. The caretakers at the orphanage regularly beat the children and even occasionally encouraged the children to hurt each other. Not much was assumed of his statement until an eyewitness came forward and identified Fish. https://www.thoughtco.com/serial-killer-albert-fish-973157 (accessed May 1, 2023). Wertham simply answered "He is insane. Then, learn about Fritz Haarmann who was a popular butcher in 1920s Germany until people found out he sold human meat. Since he was frequently exposed to brutality, harsh beatings and torture during his growing up years, he began to associate these with pleasure. It was at that time the children recall Fish occasionally asking them to participate in his sado-masochistic games. He worked as a house painter in the year 1898. I cut off his ears nose slit his mouth from ear to ear. Albert Fish was born on May 19, 1870, in Washington, D.C., to Randall and Ellen Fish. Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish, a.k.a. On July 11, 1924, he saw Beatrice Kiel, an eight years old girl, playing on her parents farm in Staten Island. Fish failed to appear on the day promised but sent a telegram apologizing and setting a new date to meet with the boys. (2021, September 8). His real name is Hamilton Howard but he is also known as the Gray Man, Werewolf of Mysteria, Brooklyn Vampire, Ham & Eggs, Moon Maniac, and The Boogeyman. Albert Fish was born Hamilton Howard Fish on May 19, 1870. Born Hamilton Howard FISH. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. [33], During the night of July 14, 1924, nine-year-old Francis McDonnell was reported missing after he failed to return home after playing catch with friends in Port Richmond, Staten Island. [36] Fish claimed the following in a letter to his attorney:[10], I brought him to the Riker Ave. dumps. Albert Fish was an American serial killer born on May 19, 1870. He admitted to being obsessed with mutilation after his male lover took him to a wax museum where he saw the bisection of a penis. "[21] According to one witness present, it took two jolts before Fish died, creating the rumor that the apparatus was short-circuited by the needles that Fish inserted into his body. Brother of Albert Fish; Anna Fish; Gertrude DeMarco; John Fish and Henry Fish. He was the youngest of his surviving siblings. He admitted that he was ready to dismember the boy but he thought he heard someone approaching and fled the scene. In 1898, Fish's mother arranged a marriage for him with Anna Mary Hoffman, who was nine years his junior. It was about this time that Fish began to indulge in self-harm by embedding needles into his groin and abdomen. Fish was the youngest child and had three living siblings: Walter, Annie, and Edwin. At the time of his birth, Albert's father was 75 years old, 43 years older than his wife. Fish persuaded her parents Albert and Delia Budd to let her accompany him to his nieces birthday party that evening at his sisters home. On March 11, 1935, Fish's trial began, and he pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. His step-daughter Mary Nicholas was also one of the witnesses who testified that he often made her brothers and sisters play games that were sadomasochistic in nature. However, he was also known to be a compulsive liar who couldnt separate fact from fiction. 1914, Etta May Burdick (born 13 May 1893 in Noank, New London County, Connecticut, the daughter of Walter Elsworth Burdick and Fannie E . She described how Fish taught her and her brothers and sisters several games involving overtones of masochism and child molestation. 5054. Many in his family including both of his parents and at least one sibling suffered severe mental illness. He then suggested that the Budd's allow him to bring their oldest daughter, ten-year-old Grace along to the party. Davis" and the "famine" in Hong Kong could not be verified. Grace Budd: After lunch, Fish explained to the family 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 to take to the farm. The trial lasted for 10 days. Short handle. Water is 3 to 4 ft. deep. The youth introduced Fish to such practices as urolagnia (drinking urine) and coprophagia (eating feces). On January 16, 1936, Fish was electrocuted at Sing Sing prison in Ossining, New York, reportedly a process Fish looked upon as "the ultimate sexual thrill," though later that assessment was dismissed as rumor. But the damage had already been done. He had very little formal education and grew up learning to work more with his hands than his brains. Frederick P. Close presided as judge and Westchester County Chief Assistant District Attorney Elbert F. Gallagher was prosecuting attorney. Billy had disappeared while playing with a neighbor in Brooklyn on February 11, 1927. His parents abandoned him at a young age and he was sent to an orphanage. When the child was left alone, either because of an adult's carelessness or by gaining his trust, he committed the crime. Bettmann/Getty ImagesSerial killer Albert Fish claimed to have murdered a child in every state. Around 1880, his mother managed to get a stable government job and brought him home from the orphanage. She was still unconvinced that Fish was her son's killer. In 1928, Fish abducted and strangled the . [10][12][13][14] They had six children: Albert, Anna, Gertrude, Eugene, John, and Henry Fish. While awaiting his fate behind bars in Sing Sing prison in Ossining, New York, Fish was permitted to write a series of notes regarding his crimes. After remaining in jail for 108 days, he was found not guilty. Wertham said that Fish believed that similarly "sacrificing" a boy would be penance for his own sins and that even if the act itself was wrong, angels would prevent it if God did not approve. I stuck the knife in his belly and held my mouth to his body and drank his blood. Threw them in the toilet. 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 My father was Captain Randall Fish, 32nd-degree. The beatings aroused him, which only resulted in more beatings. Then I split the cheeks of his behind open, cut off his monkey and pee wees and washed them first. Fish's father was American, of English ancestry, and his mother was Scots-Irish American. A family man. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except Head bones and guts. In his confession, he recalled wrapping himself in a carpet and saying that he was instructed by John the Apostle. He also found enjoyment from pushing needles deep into his skin. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. 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. It was through one of these advertisements that he found young Grace Budd. While he never violently abused his own, Fish continued raping and torturing other children throughout their childhood. The part of the letter concerning the murder of Grace, however, was found to be accurate in its description of the kidnapping and subsequent events, although it was impossible to confirm whether or not Fish had actually eaten parts of Grace's body. In 1882, at age 12, he began a relationship with a telegraph boy. Albert Fish was held at New Yorks Sing Sing Prison before he was executed by electrocution. His father had English roots, while his mother was of Scottish and Irish descent. Hamilton Howard "Albert" Fish was known for being one of the vilest pedophiles, serial child killers, and cannibals of all time. "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. A search was organized and his body was foundhanging by a treein a wooded area near his home. Fish was one of the most notorious serial child killers of all time. There he engaged in male prostitution and began molesting and raping boys, mostly younger than six years old. On Sunday June the 3 1928 I called on you at 406 W. 15 St. Brought you pot cheese strawberries. I whipped his bare behind till the blood ran from his legs. During his questioning, Fish never denied Graces murder. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them. Quinn and his friend were playing box ball on a sidewalk when Fish asked them if they had eaten lunch. He agreed to go to headquarters for questioning, then brandished a razor blade. Edward Budd was looking for work on a farm or in the country thats why he put out the ad Fish encountered. Around 1919, Fish stabbed an intellectually disabled boy in Georgetown. After two hours of asking him questions through his lawyer, James Dempsey, Mrs. Gaffney gave up. Genealogy profile for Albert Fish. [19] Fish would later claim to have occasionally paid boys to procure other children for him. Albert Fish, whose first name was . Dempsey in his summation noted that Fish was a "psychiatric phenomenon" and that nowhere in legal or medical records was there another individual who possessed so many sexual abnormalities. His little monkey was as sweet as a nut, but his pee-wees I could not chew. Shortly before Albert Fish was put to death, he confessed to being the one who lured Francis into the woods, later assaulting and strangling him. He kept him tied up for two weeks and cut half of his penis. My dear Mrs Budd, He originally intended to kill Kedden, cut up his body, and take it home, but he feared the hot weather would draw attention to him; instead, Fish poured peroxide over the wound, wrapped it in a Vaseline-covered handkerchief, left a $10 bill, kissed Kedden goodbye, and left. Dempsey objected to a doctor with no training in psychiatry testifying on the issue of sanity, but Justice Close overruled on the basis that the jury could decide what weight to give a prison doctor. One game included the nail filled paddle Fish used on his victims. in Washington, D.C., USA , United States, Died on January 16, 1936 [10] In 1903, Fish was arrested for grand larceny, convicted, and incarcerated in Sing Sing. An error has occured while loading the map. The story concerning "Capt. Grace Budd was never seen alive again. The house sold c.2016 for over a million dollars. In 1894 a friend of mine shipped as a deckhand on the steamer Tacoma, Capt John Davis. He was sentenced to die by electrocution. 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. Then I burned his clothes. The kids led average lives until 1917, when Fish's wife ran off with another man. Three other relatives were diagnosed with mental illnesses, and his mother had "aural and/or visual hallucinations". His trial lasted for 10 days with Frederick P. Close presiding as judge, Elbert F. Gallagher as District Attorney and James Dempsey the defence attorney. He left with Grace, only never to be found again. She was 32 and he, 75 years old. [11] Throughout his life, he would write obscene letters to women whose names he acquired from classified advertising and matrimonial agencies.[9]. He had a new plan, and he didnt waste any time. She was about to leave the farm when her mother chased Fish away. As time went on, the sexual fantasies he would act out on the children grew more fiendish and bizarre, and often ended in murdering and cannibalizing his young victims. He had been strangled by his own suspenders. Before his execution on January 16, 1936, Albert Fishs attorney Jack Dempsey refused to share his clients notes. Although he claimed to have 400 victims, Fish was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of 10-year-old Gracie Budd. He said that he was named after statesman and politician Hamilton Fish, a distant relative. Albert Fish Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki, Family 2023. An X-ray of Albert Fishs pelvis, showing 29 needles embedded into the area. Charles Montaldo is a writer and former licensed private detective who worked with law enforcement and insurance firms investigating crime and fraud. Not only was his brother in an asylum, but his uncle had been diagnosed with mania while his mother routinely experienced visual hallucinations. Fish began visiting public baths where he could watch other boys undress, spending a great portion of his weekends on these visits. I saw his thick grey hair and his drooping grey moustache. We had lunch. His . Albert Fish's grandchildren are documented. representing "New York Private Chauffeur's Benevolent Association". ThoughtCo. I was there til I was nearly nine, and thats where I got started wrong, Fish later recalled. [28] The unaltered letter (complete with Fish's misspellings and grammatical errors) reads:[10]. . Fish's Crimes Against Children Begins: According to Fish, in 1890 he relocated to New York City and began his crimes against children. I had a grip with me. Billy Beaton was later found on the roof of the apartment, but Billy Gaffney was never found. The man then dragged the little boy off of the trolley. For two weeks, Fish tortured Kedden. Birthdate: circa 1908. The job seemed ideal and the Budd family, excited about Edward's luck in finding the job, instantly trusted the gentle and polite Mr. Howard. Following her departure, he started to have auditory hallucinations. Fish told the family that he was a Long Island farmer looking to pay a strong young worker $15 a week. [23] Fish was arrested in May 1930 for "sending an obscene letter to a woman who answered an advertisement for a maid. He confessed to two more murders, giving chilling accounts of how he abused his victims and later killed them for his sexual fetishes. He told me so often how good human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it. He was convicted and executed by electric chair on January 16, 1936, at the age of 65. The 3-year-old boy described this boogey man as a slender, elderly man with gray hair and a gray mustache. The evil paedophile and serial killer confessed to the murder of three children and cannibalism of two, but bragged to authorities that he had abused or eaten a child "in every US state" - and claimed his victim count could be as many as 100. [9] The defense called two more psychiatrists to support Wertham's findings. His father, Randall, was 75 years old at the time. Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross, Profile of Serial Killer Tommy Lynn Sells, The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History, Herbert Richard Baumeister, Serial Killer, Deranged: The Shocking True Story of America's Most Fiendish Killer. Wikimedia CommonsAlbert Fish eventually started drinking his own urine and eating his own feces. Albert Fish was a convicted cannibal and serial killer. . 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. His father Randall Fish initially worked as a river boat captain, and he later became a fertilizer manufacturer. He started calling himself Albert after one of his dead siblings. [37], The first of four rebuttal witnesses was Menas Gregory, the former manager of the Bellevue Hospital, where Fish was treated during 1930. [8] His father was forty-three years older than his mother and aged 75 at the time of his birth. 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. That is, until her mother Delia Flanagan Budd received an anonymous letter. 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. The job seemed ideal, and the Budd family, excited by Edward's luck in finding the job, instantly trusted the gentle, polite Mr. Howard. How she did kick bite and scratch. Serial killer Albert Fish claimed to have murdered a child in every state. I made a stew out of his ears nose pieces of his face and belly. Home made. Ex-husband of Anna Mary Hoffman He began having auditory hallucinations, as well. ", "Fish is Sentenced. Fish spent most of his time at an orphanage, where he was allegedly beaten. Then I picked 4 onions and when meat had roasted about 1/4 hr., I poured about a pint of water over it for gravy and put in the onions. will bc m tho Knights of Py Uv laa plot at Greenwood cemetery. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. A missing persons pamphlet regarding Grace Budd. The next witness, Charles Lambert, testified that coprophilia was a common practice and that religious cannibalism may be psychopathic but "was a matter of taste" and not evidence of a psychosis. Eugene Fish. [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 was born Hamilton Fish in the late 1870s. long. As a precursor to consuming human flesh, he began to eat raw meat meals he often invited his children to share. Three days later, Fish killed Francis McDonnell, also on Staten Island. In 1927, Albert tortured a 4-year-old kid, Billy Gaffney. He eventually was executed and, according to rumors, turned his execution into a fantasy of pleasure. 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. Fish, smiling as he described the grizzly details of the tortures and murders, appeared to the detectives as the devil himself.