Albert Fish

Albert Hamilton Fish was born on May 19th, 1870 and was born as 'Hamilton Fish', however, he wished to be called Albert, after a dead sibling, to escape the nickname "Ham and Eggs" which was given to him at an orphanage. He had three living siblings and many of his family members suffered from mental illnesses.
After his father had died in 1875, his mother put Fish in an orphanage where he was usually beaten. Despite the pain, Fish noticed that he enjoyed the beatings and would get an erection which the other orphans would tease him about. He was finally bought home in 1879 after his mother was stable enough to look after him. At the age of 12, Fish had started a homosexual relationship and had also began drinking his own urine, consuming his own feces and watching boys undress in public baths.
In 1890, Fish moved to New York where he became a male prostitute and had began raping young boys after his mother announced that he was arranged to be married. With this woman, he had six children.
He continued to rape and abuse young children and would have many secret homosexual relationships. He recalled one incident where he was taken to a wax museum where his eyes immediately drew to a sculpture of a large penis and he later developed a obsession with castration. He even attempted to castrate his lover who luckily escaped after Fish had tied him down.
After his wife left him in January 1917, Fish had began hearing voices and would do whatever they told him to. For instance, he was once found wrapped up in a carpet and explained that he was following the instructions of a voice named, 'John the Apostle'.

*Needles that Fish had inserted into himself for pleasure:

In 1910, Fish killed his first victim, Thomas Bedden and another young boy in 1919. It was not until 1934 that police discovered that Albert Fish was also responsible for the disappearance of Grace Budd who was thought to be kidnapped by a man named Charles Edward Pope, arrested in September 1930. The Budd family had received an anonymous letter which read, word from word....

"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 bought 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, one 11. Took them into 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 100st., 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 fuck her tho I could of had I wished. She died a virgin."

Fish was finally captured after police were able to trace back to where the letter had been sent. When he was told that he would be taken in for questioning, Fish lunged at the officer with a razor in his hand, however, he was disarmed and taken to headquarters. When asked about the note, Fish did not deny killing her and in fact stated that his aim was to actually kill Edward Budd, Grace's older brother.

The trial began on March 11th, 1935. Fish pleaded not guilty due to reason of insanity and said that he had been hearing voices from God, telling him to kill children. A number of psychiatrists were unsure whether Fish was insane due to his sexual fetishes, where others were convinced that he was indeed insane. None the less, the jury found Fish to be sane and guilty and the judge ordered the death sentence where he would be incarcerated in Sing Sing's death row. After the sentencing, Fish then confessed to the murder of another young boy called Francis. X McDonnell. The court now knew that Fish was the murderer of Billy Gaffney (aged 8), Grace Budd (aged 10) and Francis. X McDonnell (aged 8).
On January 16th, 1936, Albert Fish was killed by the electric chair and was pronounced dead at 11:09pm. His last words were, "I don't even know why I am here."