Another Sneaky Serial Killer That Was Caught

Once you've heard the story of Albert Fish, you'll never forget it. It tells the tale of a grandfather who appeared to be kind but who perpetrated horrible atrocities that may have made Jack the Ripper blush or even made Ted Bundy express concern. Fish was a person who thought he was too smart to be caught.

Albert Fish derived pleasure not only from causing harm to others but also from inflicting pain on himself. When he was apprehended, medical examinations revealed that he had as many as 28 needles lodged deeply in his thighs and groin. In addition to that, he would frequently subject himself to beatings with a spiked paddle and set his private parts on fire.

Albert Fish asserted that he had killed around 100 victims across the United States, but there are doubts about the accuracy of that claim. Nevertheless, he undoubtedly earned the various nicknames he was given, including the "Brooklyn Vampire," the "Moon Maniac," and undoubtedly, the real-life embodiment of "The Boogey Man." At a certain point in time, he even developed a taste for human flesh, and sometimes fed himself and his children with raw meat as a substitute.

Throughout this period, Albert Fish consulted with many psychiatrists, but they all deemed him to be mentally sound, even though Fish claimed to experience frequent hallucinations. If only they had paid more attention to him. By 1924, despite continuing to behave like a responsible father of six children, his psychosis had reached a level where he believed that God was instructing him to harm people, particularly young children. However, due to his outwardly stable appearance and hardworking nature, people placed their trust in him.

During this time, Albert Fish kept a collection of various murder weapons, which he referred to as his "implements of Hell." He continued to kill people in the years that followed, but one specific murder stands out. In 1928, he responded to an advertisement in the newspaper placed by one of the Budd family's sons.

The ad read, "Young man, 18, wishes position in country." The son was in search of work, and Albert Fish, using a false name, responded to the ad and visited the Budd family. He entertained them with stories of being single parent, and they grew fond of him and placed their trust in him. Fish then offered the son a job on his farm in Long Island.

However, there was no farm, and Albert Fish had only intended to lure the son there and kill him. He later admitted to planning to bleed the son to death. The son, George Budd, eagerly left the house to buy a new suitcase for the job, while Fish asked the parents if their daughter, Grace, could attend a birthday party for his niece.

The parents were pleased that the man had offered their son a job and agreed to let their daughter, Grace, attend the birthday party. The last time they saw Grace, she was holding hands with Fish and waving goodbye as they entered a subway station's dark entrance.

It took six long years before Mrs. Budd learned what had happened to her daughter.

Fish continued to fabricate a gruesome story, claiming that the people in China turned to cannibalism and developed a taste for young human flesh. This was all untrue, and Fish was just indulging in his twisted imagination. In another part of the letter, he wrote, "He was roasted in the oven, boiled, broiled, fried, stewed," describing the supposed fate of the unfortunate individual in China. Fish then went on to talk about his own taste for human flesh, mentioning how he had invited Grace to his home and fed her strawberries and pot cheese.

Fish wrote in the letter that he had taken Grace to an empty house and prepared himself while she picked wildflowers, completely unaware of what was about to happen. He then called her to the room and hid in the closet until she entered. It's not hard to guess what happened next, especially when Fish used the words "sweet and tender." However, he was referring to her flesh, not her personality.

Fish's mistake of using an envelope with the letters "N.Y.P.C.B.A." on it proved to be crucial in his capture. Those letters stood for "New York Private Chauffeur's Benevolent Association," and the police were able to trace the envelope back to a janitor who worked at the company that printed the stationery.

The janitor recalled selling a few sheets of that particular stationery to a man with a strange appearance who had asked for only a few sheets. Eventually, the police traced the stationery back to Fish and arrested him.

Detective King was able to overpower Fish and take away his weapon. Fish then began to confess to killing Grace Budd and provided the details of the murder. He also confessed to other murders he had committed in the past. Fish was charged with murder and went on trial in March of 1935.

He was judged guilty and given an electric chair death sentence despite his claim of insanity. Fish, who was 65 years old, was put to death on January 16, 1936.

He was quickly subdued and taken to the police station where he confessed to murdering Grace Budd and other young individuals during an interview. Further investigations revealed that Mr. Fish was not only a killer but also a self-proclaimed madman with sadistic tendencies. He later confessed to not only killing but also mutilating and consuming the flesh and blood of his victims. A newspaper accurately referred to him as the most brutal killer in history.

During the trial, psychiatrists used various terms and diagnoses to describe Fish's mental state, which was likely unfamiliar to most people. They referred to him as a "psychiatric phenomenon," which was accurate, but he did not meet the legal definition of insanity. It's remarkable to think that he may have never been caught if he had not written that incriminating letter.

Fish made the statement “I don't even know why I'm here” before he was executed by electrocution on January 16, 1936. Before his execution, he had written a comprehensive account of his crimes, which he gave to his lawyer, James Dempsey. When reporters asked Dempsey about the document's contents, he refused to disclose it, saying he would never show it to anyone.

As you will soon realize, other murderers could have avoided getting caught and may have continued to commit more crimes if someone hadn't handed over incriminating evidence to the police.