Albert Fish: Story of Heartless American Serial Killer & Cannibalism Molested More than 400 Children

What comes to your mind when you hear of a person with several names? A hero? Well, most of us do. But what about a person famous by these names- the Gray Man, the BoogeyMan, the Brooklyn Vampire, and the Moon Maniac? Aren't they frightening? They are the names of a serial killer.

Here we are talking about Hamilton Howard Albert Fish. He was not only an American serial killer but also a child rapist and a cannibal. One can guess the intensity of the heinous crimes he had committed using these names. Read further to know more about him.

Early Life

Albert Fish was born on May 18, 1970. His parents were Rendall and Ellen. In Washington, D.C. Everyone in Fish's family got diagnosed with mental illnesses. Whether it is his sister, brother, or even his mother. Fish's father was already 75 years old when Fish was born. He died in 1875 when Fish was a kid, after which his mother sent him to the orphanage. Fish did not have a happy childhood as his parents beat him. After one of his siblings died, he took on the name Albert.

After he became burnt out on other youngsters calling him "Ham and Eggs" during his childhood. Unlike other kids at the orphanage who cried because of the physical pain. Fish found pleasure in the beatings. In 1880, his mother got a government job and brought him back home. At home, Fish began hurting himself for pleasure. And soon started indulging in practices like drinking urine, eating feces. And writing dirty letters to women from advertisements in local newspapers.

How did it all begin?

When Fish was 20, he lived in New York City and worked as a whore. Now, he began assaulting little youngsters. As moms would in general do during this time ever, Albert's mom orchestrated a marriage for him. It was a productive marriage. Despite being 9 years more youthful than Fish, Anna Mary Hoffman gave him six youngsters.

While trying to carry on with an ordinary, decent life. Fish looked for some kind of employment as a house painter. His business didn't stop his gross conduct. He kept on assaulting little youngsters. He once recounted the tale of a boy who took him to a historical wax center. It was there that Fish got entranced with penis separation. Sexual mutilation turned into a fixation that drove Fish to frantic endeavors to please his wiped out dreams.

Fish met Thomas Kedden in 1910, and a sadomasochistic relationship began. A few days later, Fish took Kedden to an abandoned house where he tortured him for weeks. After cutting half his penis, Fish left a ten-dollar bill and disappeared.

By 1917, Fish's wife left him, making him now a single parent to his six kids. Fish had claimed that he never abused his own kids in any way. Soon Fish began eating raw meat that he shared with his kids that grew his interest in cannibalism.

With his developing interest in cannibalism, Fish had now started considering murder. Thus started his search for orphaned kids, who were vulnerable and easy prey. This was the point at which he started to endure sound-related pipedreams. He likewise started to try different things with self-hurt.

Victims

Grace Budd

Fish had started looking out for advertisements in local papers about young men wanting work. It was at that time when he found out about Edward Budd, who was looking for work. Fish introduced himself as Frank Howard and called their family over to his house. The ten-year-old Grace Budd, Edward's younger sister, captured Fish's attention. He targeted the handicaps.

Fish now had his entire focus on Grace. His prey was now the little Grace Budd and not Edward. He somehow managed to take her to his house upstate, where he not only killed the poor girl. But cut her body into many pieces. He consumed her entire body within 9 days.

Six-Year Investigation

The examination of Grace's vanishing continued for a long time. Before analysts got a considerable break for the situation. Mrs. Budd got a mysterious letter. This letter gave odd subtleties of the homicide and barbarism of her girl on November 11, 1934. The author tormented Mrs. Budd with insights. These insights were about the unfilled house. They took their little girl to Worcester, New York. Telling how she got deprived of her apparel, choked, and cut into pieces and eaten.

As though to give comfort to Mrs. Budd, the author expressed that Grace was not ambushed. Following the paper, the writer composed the letter and, in the long run, drove police to a flophouse where Fish was living. The police captured Fish and admitted to executing Grace and other kids. Fish, grinning as he depicted the horrifying subtleties of torments and murders. These appeared as the fallen angel himself to the analysts.

Also read: Elizabeth Bathory (The Blood Countess): Bloodthirst Serial Killer who Tortured Youngs Girls to Death

Fish's Arrest

After the gruesome act, Fish wrote a letter to the Budd family that had every detail of their daughter's murder. His intention was to scare them away, but the family went straight to the police. The police somehow managed to trace Fish from the paper he had used to write the letter. It happened to be stationary of New York Chauffeur's Benevolent Association.

When the police arrested him, to their surprise, he confessed. He confessed to not only Grace's murder but also of two other kids. One of them was a four-year-old boy named Billy Gaffney, and the other was a young boy named Francis McDonell. Though Fish confessed to these three murders. Police believed that he had killed a dozen children by then. Albert Fish was proud of his acts and had a smile on his face throughout his confession.

The end of The Brooklyn Vampire

Fish's trial began on March 11, 1935. When the trial began, Fish claimed that he was not a sane individual. And that he could hear God asking him to kill those innocent children. The jury had decided to punish him anyway. So declaring him sane and guilty, The court gave Fish a death sentence. And police brought him to prison in March 1935.

On January 16, 1936, the police executed him in an electric chair. Fish's lawyer James Dempsey owned the notes. That Fish had written moments before his execution. When asked by the media to tell about its contents, Dempsey said, "I will never show it to anyone. Of all the things I have ever read, this is the filthiest one."

Also read: Dr Harold Shipman: Know How Caring Doctor Became a Serial Killer & Killed His Patients Mercilessly!

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