Albert Fish

Albert Fish (1870-1936) was one of the most fiendish serial killers of all times. He was a self-confessed cannibal, masochist and a sadist. After a long "reign" as a serial killer, Fish was finally caught, tried, convicted and executed in the electric chair on January 16, 1936. Family Characteristics of the Killer: Albert Fish was born in a seemingly respectable family in Washington D.C. In 1870. Investigations in his family background later revealed that a number of his relatives had suffered from mental problems. According to Dr.

Fredric Wertham, one of Fish's half brothers as well as a paternal uncle died in a state hospital, another younger brother was "feeble-minded" and his mother was said to hear and see things. A paternal aunt of the killer was considered to be "completely crazy" and one of his sisters is said to have suffered from some sort of "mental affliction." (Quoted by Bardsley, Chapter on "The Alienists.") Educational Background: Albert Fish's real name was Hamilton Fish.

His father died when he was five years old and was placed in an orphanage. He received minor education and by some accounts "graduated" from a public school at the age of 15. (Fisher, Kristi and Mark) Physical Characteristics: Albert Fish was 5ft. 5 inches tall and weighed 130 pounds when finally captured. He was a stooped, frail-looking old man with a drooping grey moustache and grey hair at the time. Some witnesses have described him as walking with a shuffle, mumbling to himself and making queer motions with his hands.

(Anna McDonnell quoted by Bardsley, "The Gray Man.") Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the killer was his completely "harmless" appearance, which probably fooled most of his victims. Number of Killings: Fish is thought to have killed at least 15 children, although he claimed to have killed dozens more, but most of the killings could not be confirmed. Time Frame of Killings: Fish claimed to have started his killing spree in 1910 when he confessed to have mutilated and killed a mentally retarded boy in New York.

He also confessed to have murdered a 5-year-old boy on Long Island in 1934 -- the year of his capture. Hence, Fish is believed to have killed his victims in the period between 1910 and1934, although the exact dates of his killings are not certain. (Taylor) Kinds of Victims Chosen: He used to prey on children, mainly boys.

Since he also ate most of his victims after killing them, he usually chose victims who were "well-endowed." He preferred to target black children as he (perhaps rightly) guessed that disappearance of such children would cause the least amount of concern in a highly racial American society of the early 1900s. Where the Killings occurred: Fish stalked his victims in more than 20 U.S. states all over the country. His most famous murder -- the abduction and killing of the ten-year-old girl -- Grace Budd occurred in New York.

Modus Operandi of the Killer: A seemingly meek and innocuous looking man, Albert Fish seduced his victims (mostly children) with gifts and promises of taking them on picnics or parties. He killed them by strangling or by using an assortment of knives that he kept with himself. He later dismembered the body parts with meat cleavers and saws, cooked and ate their flesh. He also drank the blood of his victims. Unusual Factors: Albert Fish practiced almost every perversion imaginable. He enjoyed inflicting pain on himself and others (usually children).

He beat himself, and encouraged others to beat him with a paddle studded with nails on his bare buttocks. He inserted numerous needles in his groin area and left some of them in place. Apart from eating the flesh of his victims and drinking their blood, he even ate human.