J. Frank Hickey
Information researched and summarized by
Lauren Melichar
Jamie Gibb
Jared Anderson
Department of Psychology
Radford University
Radford, VA 24142-6946
Date
Age
06/15/1854
1856
11/22/1859
10/29/1865
1869
12/28/1870
04/16/1877
1880
1880
4
5
12
15
15
1880
15
09/01/1883
18
1887
22
04/30/1890
03/09/1891
1893
24
25
27
Life Event
Michael J. Hickey and Mary Ann Magrath are married in Lowell, Mass.
Ist sibling, James H. Hickey born in Norwich, Conn.
2nd sibling born and died shortly after without being named
J. Frank Hickey born
Mother dies of Carditas(inflammation of the heart, caused by infection)
Father Michael remarries
Father dies of tuberculosis
Hickey and his brother move to Lowell with their stepmother
Convicted of petit larceny
Years later, Hickey confessed to psychiatrist Dr. James W. Putnam that
right before his father died his older brother made a murderous attack on
him. He would have been around 11 at that time.
Expelled from Lowell High School during freshman year for the stealing
charges that occurred listed above.
Date of first killing. Hickey contacted police and notified them that he
had found coworker, Edwin W. Morey dead at the drugstore where he
worked. Cause of death is poison. Police have no suspicion that Hickey
was involved in Morey’s death.
Hired as Assistant Secretary for the YMCA; significant because having
this job put him near the type of victims he preferred; he was later fired
from this job due to monetary improprieties
Hickey married Edith W. Lees
Son Harold P. Hickey born
Hickey and Edith divorce
12/10/1902
36
1910
44
12/14/1911
45
08/05/1912
46
10/11/1912
46
October
11November
11, 1912
11/11/1912
11/18/1912
11/26/1912
11/27/1912
46
46
46
46
11/29/1912
46
05/08/1922
56
46
Hickey murders Michael Kruck in Central Park
Once in May and once in December, Hickey stayed at Keswick Colony, a
religious retreat in hopes to cure his alcoholism
Returned to Keswick Colony; stayed for 3 ½ months. Left April 1, 1912
In a drunken rage, Hickey was caught strangling a young boy in front of a
train; he was apprehended and soon questioned by police and charges
were eventually dropped and was only fined for the assault
Hickey murders Joey Joseph in Lackawanna and put his remains down a
latrine
Numerous postcards are sent to Chief Gilson and one to the father of Joey
Joseph giving the police hints of where they could find the body and
describing the crime in detail
Hickey left again for Keswick Colony
Police show up to Keswick Colony and his interrogation begins
Hickey’s hearing begins.
Hickey is taken to jail.
Hickey confesses to killing Joey Joseph and Michael Kruck and states
that he was successful in 3 killings and 12 attempts; Gets Life in Prison,
after an unsuccessful attempt to plead not guilty by reason of insanity
Hickey dies
General Information
Sex
Race
Number of victims
Country where killing occurred
States where killing occurred
Cities where killing occurred
Type of killer
Height
Childhood Information
Date of birth
Location
Birth order
Number of siblings
XYY?
Raised by
Birth category
Parent’s marital status
Family event
Male
White
3
United States
Massachusetts, New York
Lowell, New York City, Lackawanna
More disorganized but has a few organized tendencies
5’6”
October 29, 1865
Lowell, Massachusetts
3 of 3
2; one sibling died
no
After parents died, him and a brother lived in a
boarding house
oldest
Married
2nd child died in 1859 before Hickey’s birth, mother
died when he was 4, father died when he was 12
Age of family event
Problems in school?
Teased while in school?
Physically attractive?
Physical defect?
Speech defect?
Head injury?
Physically abused?
Psychologically abused?
Sexually abused?
Father’s occupation
Age of first sexual experience
Age when first had intercourse
Mother’s occupation
Father abused drugs/alcohol
Mother abused drugs/alcohol
Cognitive Ability
Highest grade in school
Highest degree
Grades in school
IQ
Source of IQ information
Work History
Served in the military?
Branch
Type of discharge
Saw combat duty
Killed enemy during service?
Applied for job as a cop?
Worked in law enforcement?
Fired from jobs?
Types of jobs worked
Employment status during series
Relationships
Sexual preference
Marital status
Number of children
Lives with his children
Living with
Listed above
No close friends
Yes, for being smaller and effeminate
somewhat
no
no
Scar from possible blunt object blow to the brain;
couldn’t determine if it was caused by injury or was a
birth defect
Parents no; brother tried to kill him after their father
died
No
no
bootmaker
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Expelled 3 months into his freshman year for stealing
N/A
Decent; teachers referred to him as quite intelligent but
unmotivated
N/A; claimed to be above average
N/A
No
No
No
Fired from YMCA for monetary improprieties
Goodyear Rubber Plant, shipyard, newspaper,
A.C.Pinkham Pharmacy
yes
Bisexual
Divorced
1
no
Mostly by himself; moved in with the Madigan family
for 2 months and was kicked out for drinking, took a
room at Boarding Home of Mrs. John Jones and stayed
until the winter of 1910, stayed at Keswick Colony for
months at a time during 3 separate stays.
Triad
Animal torture
Fire setting
Bed wetting
Killer Psychological Information
Abused drugs?
Abused alcohol?
Been to a psychologist?
Time in forensic hospital?
Diagnosis
Killer Criminal History
Committed previous crimes?
Spend time in jail?
Spend time in prison?
Killed prior to series? Age?
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
yes
yes
no
Stealing, previously convicted for larceny at age 15
no
no
Killed at age 18, had cooling off periods in between
murders consisting of 3 + years
Serial Killing
Number of victims
Victim type
Killer age at start of series
Date of first kill in series
Date of final kill in series
Gender of victims
Race of victims
Age of victims
Type of victim
Method of killing
Weapon
Was gun used?
Type
Did killer have a partner?
Name of partner
Sex of partner
Type of serial killer
How close did killer live?
Location of first contact
Location of killing
Killing occurred in home of
victim?
3
Young boys
18
September 1, 1883- Edwin W. Morey
December 10, 1902-Michael R. Kruck
boys
white
young
Young boys
Strangulation with the exception of poisoning the first
victim
no
no
N/A
no
Mostly disorganized but also has some organized traits
Fairly close
drugstore
drugstore
no
Killing occurred in home of
killer?
Victim abducted or killed at
contact?
Behavior During Crimes
Rape?
Tortured victims?
Stalked victims?
Overkill?
Quick & efficient?
Used blindfold?
Bound the victims?
After Death Behavior
Sex with the body?
Mutilated body?
Ate part of the body?
Drank victim’s blood?
Posed the body?
Took totem – body part
Took totem – personal item
Robbed victim or location
Disposal of Body
Left at scene, no attempt to hide
Left at scene, hidden
Left at scene, buried
Moved, no attempt to hide
Moved, buried
Cut-op and disposed of
Moved, too home
Sentencing
Date killer arrested
Date convicted
Sentence
Killer executed?
Did killer plead NGRI?
Was the NGRI plea successful?
Name and state of prison
Killer committed suicide?
Killer killed in prison?
Date of death
no
Killed at contact
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Second killing he strangled the boy in an outhouse and
disposed of the body in a latrine, the other two he did
not attempt to hide
Second killing hid the boy in a latrine
no
No attempt to hide 2 of the victims
No
No
No
Life in prison
November 18, 1912
November 29, 1912
Life in prison
no
yes
no
Auburn Prison in Auburn, NY
no
no
May 8, 1922, at the age of 56
References
(1912, December 21). Hickey Verdict Delayed. Jury Locked Up After Debating Nine Hours
Without Result. The New York Times.
(1912, December 22). Hickey Escapes The Chair.; Self-Confessed Slayer of Boys Convicted
of Second Degree Murder. The New York Times, p. 8.
McLaughlin, V. (2006). The Postcard Killer: The True Story of J. Frank Hickey. New York:
Thunder’s Mouth Press