Albert Fish: The Real Life Boogeyman
/TRIGGER WARNING: CHILD MURDER, SELF HARM, DISMEMBERMENT, CANNIBALISM (Just a lot of gross stuff)
Many of us know the popular serial killers: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein. These men have made history as being some of the most disturbing killers. However, arguably the most twisted killer has slipped beyond the cracks of our minds. Probably because Netflix hasn’t made a documentary yet. And for good reason, they never will.
The story of Albert Fish is one that is difficult to hear. And now you will hear it.
A KILLER BORN
ALBERT FISH AS A CHILD.
Albert Fish was born on May 19, 1870. His mother sent him away to an orphanage temporarily after the death of his father. This is where the physical abuse began; at the hands of godly nuns. Beatings, assaults, molestation. However, he discovered he enjoyed the pain.
At 12 years old, he was introduced to drinking urine and eating feces. This was discovered through a relationship where they also enjoyed watching young boys undress. Another childhood relationship revealed to Fish his obsession with sexual mutilation.
By the time he was 20, he was assaulting young boys, even though he was married. His mother arranged a marriage with Anna Mary Hoffman who gave him six children. He still had secret relationships with young men. He was in a relationship with a 19 year old who he tied up and cut off half of his genitals. “I shall never forget his scream or the look he gave me.”
PROGRESSION OF INSANITY
29 NEEDLES FOUND IN FISH’S GROIN.
Eventually his wife ended up fleeing the home for reasons unknown, leaving him with the children. This is when he began to use brutal, unusual self harm. He would push needles into his groin and hit himself with studded wooden paddles. He would even insert lighter soaked towels into parts of his body and light them on fire. He even started asking his children and their friends to beat him.
This is around the time he started to experience hallucinations. He believed that God commanded him to kill and torture children. He even began to fantasize about cannibalism and would eat raw meat to help the cravings. He was evaluated by several doctors and deemed sane. He was released every time.
Though he attempted many abductions from 1924 to 1928, none of them worked. He was always caught. But he kept himself busy. He would frequently stab mentally handicapped men and pay children to help him catch other children.
A FANTASY COME TRUE
10 YEAR OLD GRACE BUDD.
In 1928, he was finally able to indulge in his sick fantasies when he responded to an ad for a job. Edward Budd was an 18 year old father who was struggling financially and was looking for help around the house. They thought of Fish as a sweet old man. He had planned to abuse Edward, tie him up, mutilate him and leave him for his family to discover. However, once he met their 10 year old daughter Grace, his plans changed.
He offered to take her to his niece’s birthday party, and since the family trusted Fish, they allowed it. She was never seen again. Another man was arrested for the crime, but it would be years before Fish would be caught.
THE LETTER
In November 1934, a letter arrived at the Budd household.
“I made up my mind to eat her, on the pretense of taking her to a party. You said she could go,” the letter said. “I choked her to death then cut her into small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms, cook and eat it. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body.” The letter is actually much more gruesome, but to spare your stomach, I left those parts out.
ALBERT FISH- “THE VAMPIRE KILLER.”
This letter proved to be the end for Fish. He was soon caught and arrested. During his arrest, he confessed to the murder, but claimed he never assaulted her sexually. He also confessed to the murder of Francis Mcdonnell who was found hanging from a tree, and 4 year old Billy Gaffney who was whipped until he bled. This is when he was coined “The Boogeyman,” “The vampire killer,” and “The Gray man.”
He even went into extreme detail on how he cooked the bodies; adding carrots, celery, onions and even bacon to the buttocks. Fish claimed he had killed over hundreds of children, but this has never been proven. Fish was found guilty and executed by electric chair. His lawyer refused to ever read his last words. “It was the most filthy string of obscenities I have ever read.”
NATURE VS NURTURE
Was this man born evil or did his abuse at the orphanage cause his sick and twisted ways? One thing is for certain though; Fish is one of the most disturbed individuals to ever walk this earth. Though he was only found guilty for one murder, this act made him one of the worst child killers in history.
It's important for parents to be wary of any strangers. Who knows how many real life boogeymen still hide in the cracks of society, waiting to strike?
My name is Mykie Hartley and I am currently taking Professional Writing. I am a barista at Starbucks and am becoming a tattoo artist. If you can’t find me, I’m usually reading, watching gory horror movies, listening to gross metal music or getting a new tattoo. I’m a lover of the weird and disturbing, and I hope you are too!
