Albert Fish:
Gray Man
Werewolf of Wysteria
Brooklyn Vampire
Meghan Stallworth
Definition of a Serial Killer
A serial killer is someone who has killed typically more
than three people over an extended period of time.
Usually, serial killers get some kind of mental
gratification from killing their victims. Sometimes the
gratification is sexual in nature.
Childhood
Born on May 19, 1870 in Washington D.C.
Fish’s family had a long history of mental illness, he
was abandoned and sent to an orphanage where he was
beaten regularly.
He associated pain with sexual gratification, often
being made fun of by the other children for getting
“overly excited” after being beaten.
Work
Due to a lack of formal education, Fish learned to
work with his hands.
He developed a skill in painting houses. He also was a
basic handyman.
Description
Albert Fish was seen as a gentle, calm man by many
people. People automatically trusted him. He acted
completely normal around people he did not know, no
one suspected him of doing the heinous crimes he did.
Hobbies
Fish liked to partake in “Sado-Masochistic” games in which he
would ask his children to beat him with a club with nails
protruding from it until he was gushing blood.
He also liked to insert needles deep into his skin. When he
was arrested, an x-ray shows needles left in the pelvic area.
Who did he kill?
Fish was a pedophile, he was attracted to children.
Typically, he went after children, often of African
American descent, because he believed that “no one
would miss them”.
He claimed to have molested over 100 children in a 20
year time span.
Victims
Victims
Francis X. McDonnell, age 8, July 15, 1924
Billy Gaffney, age 8, February 11, 1927
Grace Budd, age 10, June 3, 1928
Possible Victims
Yetta Abramowitz, age 12, 1927
Mary Ellen O’Connor, age 16, February 15,1932
Benjamin Collings, age 17, December 15, 1932
Cannibalism
Albert Fish was a cannibal. He would kill his victims
and then cook them like regular meat in soups and as
roasts.
Typically he would strangle them.
Method/Pattern
His ways of getting children varied, he would lure them
to the house with promise of work, or food. He would
also simply take them. He would then kill them,
typically by strangulation, and then eat them after
cooking them.
In the case of Grace Budd he told her and her parents
that he was going to take her to a child’s birthday party.
The family saw him as a family friend and saw nothing
wrong with this. They never saw Grace again.
Evidence Used in Conviction
He wrote a letter to Ms. Budd (Grace Budd’s mother)
explaining exactly how he killed Grace and what
happened to her. The letter was traced back to Fish at a
boarding house and he was convicted of murdering her
as well as others.
Confession
Once Fish confessed to murdering Grace Budd, he
continued to confess. He told police of other victims,
describing times and locations.
Death
Fish was executed at Sing Sing at age 65. He was the
oldest man ever executed there.
He had to be shocked twice because all of the metal in
his body caused a short circuit.
He is quoted of having been excited about being
electrocuted.
“It’ll be the supreme thrill, the only one I haven’t
tried.”- Albert Fish
A&E Biography of Albert Fish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwxuzh9sejY&feat
ure=related
Citations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/not
orious/fish/index.html
http://www.prairieghosts.com/fish.html
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/albertfish.htm
http://www.lawbuzz.com/movies/hannibal/the_hanni
bal_ch2.htm