Serial Killer: Albert Fish
HE’S REALLY REALLY REALLY INSANE, LIKE
YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA, AND HE
SORT OF LOOKS LIKE JIGSAW FROM SAW
“I LIKE CHILDREN THEY ARE TASTY”
Definition of a Serial Killer
 Definition of a Serial Killer: Person who usually murders
three or more people, with time in between murders. The
gratification for these killers is often psychological
gratification, rather than having a motive such as
revenge, money, etc. It has been hypothesized that all
serial killers have some type of “Antisocial Personality
Disorder.”
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 What my definition of a serial killer is: In my opinion a
serial killer is a person who becomes obsessed with
certain people’s lives, in which their may be no relation
of the killer and the victim at all, simply random. (No real
reason for their death.) Normally there is some pattern in
the way these killings occur, a signature…
Background…THE Albert Fish
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YOUTH
Born 1795
Father 43 years old than mother
History of mental illness in family
Father died of heart attack, mother placed him in an
orphanage…beaten…enjoyment (Practices developed - drinking urine
and coprophagia. Fish also began visiting public baths where he could
watch boys undress)
 Homosexual relationship age 12…
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Background
 1880, His mother got a job and took him out of the orphanage, however
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it was too late…already extremely corrupted.
1890 – Arrived in NYC, male prostitute, began raping young boys
1898 arranged marriage by mother, 6 children, became a house
painter…Even after his marriage he continued with child molestations
Brothels, Castrations, Relationship with mentally retarded man…
1903 - Arrested, embezzlement, Sing Sing Facility
1917 his wife left him…lost complete touch with society
Masochism
 Definition: Masochism is a form of sexual gratification in which an
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individual is sexually aroused by either the threat or enactment of pain
or humiliation
Also began to bask in the pleasure of pain (Ex. Would soak cotton balls
in alcohol and place in his anus and light them on fire…you don’t even
want to know the other things he did…)
Began hearing voices, God
He did everything the voices told him to do, without hesitating as a man
with no morals.
He assumed nothing wrong with what he did at all, It was his belief that
God had told him to “torment and castrate little boys.” Doctors said he
suffered from a religious psychosis
Victims
 Claimed to have children in every state, his known
victims listed on next slide.
 Were generally people he thought society would
not miss such as African Americans and other
children under the age of 18, most were very young
though.
 How he killed
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Normally consumed all of his victims
Would always severely beat and torture victims before
killing them.
Often killed with strangulation.
Known Victims
 Francis X. McDonnell, age 8, July 15, 1924
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Billy Gaffney, age 8, February 11, 1927
Yetta Abramowitz, age 12, 1927
Grace Budd, age 10, June 3, 1928
Mary Ellen O'Connor, age 16, February 15, 1932
Benjamin Collings, age 17, 1932
Grace Budd Case
 Answered a classified add of a
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young man looking for work in the
country, Fish posed as a farmer.
Met their daughter… (Stated in
letter, “Grace sat in my lap and
kissed me. I made up my mind to
eat her.”
Few weeks after he got to know
them and gain their trust, he
tricked them into letting Grace take
go to a birthday party…
Took her to an abandoned barn
and did unspeakable things to her.
Seven years later, in November
1934, an anonymous letter was sent
to the girl's parents which led the
police to Albert Fish.
The Letter……….
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“Dear Mrs. Budd. In 1894 a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on the Steamer Tacoma, Capt. John Davis.
They sailed from San Francisco for Hong Kong, China. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and
got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone. At that time there was famine in China. Meat of any kind
was from $1-3 per pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children under 12 were sold
for food in order to keep others from starving. A boy or girl under 14 was not safe in the street. You could go in
any shop and ask for steak—chops—or stew meat. Part of the naked body of a boy or girl would be brought out
and just what you wanted cut from it. A boy or girl's behind which is the sweetest part of the body and sold as
veal cutlet brought the highest price. John staid there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his
return to N.Y. he stole two boys, one 7 and one 11. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a
closet. Then burned everything they had on. Several times every day and night he spanked them – tortured
them – to make their meat good and tender. First he killed the 11 year old boy, because he had the fattest ass
and of course the most meat on it. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except the head—bones and
guts. He was roasted in the oven (all of his ass), boiled, broiled, fried and stewed. The little boy was next, went
the same way. At that time, I was living at 409 E 100 St. near—right side. He told me so often how good
human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it. On Sunday June the 3, 1928 I called on you at 406 W 15 St.
Brought you pot cheese—strawberries. We had lunch. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind
to eat her. On the pretense of taking her to a party. You said yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in
Westchester I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wildflowers.
I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them. When all was
ready I went to the window and called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me
all naked she began to cry and tried to run down the stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her
mamma. First I stripped her naked. How she did kick – bite and scratch. I choked her to death, then cut her in
small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms. Cook and eat it. How sweet and tender her little ass was
roasted in the oven. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. I did not **** her tho I could of had I wished. She
died a virgin.”
Capture
 The letter led to the capture of THE Albert Fish.
 “The letter was delivered in an envelope that had a small
hexagonal emblem with the letters ‘N.Y.P.C.B.A." standing
for "New York Private Chauffeur's Benevolent Association’”
 Landlady of the house he had recently moved out of,
informed officers he would be returning to pick up a check
from his son that he asked the her to hold for him.
 Lead investigator waited for his return and captured
him…Fish made no attempt to deny his murder, though
tried to kill the investigator upon reaching the police station
Trial/Execution
 March 11th, 1935
 On premeditated murder
Grace Budd, march 11th,
1935 NYC…pleaded insanity
heard voices…ward agreed
court gave him death
sentence, executed 1936…
 He didn’t make much an
effort to deny his killings
 Killed in the electric chair at
Sing Sing… "the supreme
thrill of my life”…He also
was remembered saying,
“Why am I even here.” (Sing
Sing Correctional Facility)
Sources
 http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/
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notorious/fish/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish
http://www.prairieghosts.com/fish.html
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/p/albertfish.htm
http://images.google.com/images?q=albert%20fish
&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi