FISH Hamilton Howard

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"The Werewolf of Wysteria"Albert Fish
Status
Identification Status	Identified
Criminal Status	Executed
Personal Information
Full Name	Hamilton Howard Fish
Born	May 19, 1870 Washington, D.C., United States
Died	January 16, 1936 (aged 65) Ossining, New York, United States
Other Names	Albert Fish Frank Howard Thomas A. Sprague Robert Hayden John W. Pell
Cause of Death	Executed by electric chair
Gender	Male
Race/Ethnicity	White
Criminal Information
AKA	"The Gray Man" "The Werewolf of Wysteria" "The Brooklyn Vampire"
Offender Type	Serial Killer Sadist Cannibal
Convictions	Murder Kidnapping Grand larceny Theft
Criminal penalty	Death
Victims	3 (confirmed); 9-100+ (claimed)
Span of crimes	July 15, 1924 - June 3, 1928
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
Date apprehended	December 13, 1934
Imprisonment	Sing Sing Correctional Facility — Ossining, New York

“ What a thrill that will be if I have to die in the electric chair. It will be the supreme thrill. The only one I haven't tried. „

~ Albert Fish

Biography

Early life

Hamilton Howard Fish was born on May 19, 1870, in Washington, D.C. His early life was marked by tragedy as his father passed away when he was five, and his mother struggled with mental illness. Placed in an orphanage, Fish endured a harsh and abusive environment that likely contributed to his later disturbing behavior. sigma sigma sigma

Criminal History

Fish's criminal record included offenses ranging from theft to assault, and he became known as a drifter, moving through various cities and adopting aliases. He married and had six children, but his wife left him, citing his abnormal behavior.

Disturbing Tendencies

Albert Fish's criminal activities escalated into more disturbing realms. He developed a fascination with sadomasochism and claimed to have had masochistic experiences since childhood. Fish often inflicted harm on himself, inserting needles into his body and hitting himself with a nail-studded paddle.

Child Abductions and Murders

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Please expand this section with relevant information. If the reason for the change is unclear, please discuss on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove this template message) (July 28, 2024)

Fish's most heinous crimes involved the abduction, torture, and murder of children. In the 1920s and 1930s, he targeted young victims, luring them with the promise of employment or other deceitful means. His crimes were discovered when he sent a letter to the parents of Grace Budd, a young girl he had murdered and cannibalized.

Arrest and Trial

In 1934, Fish was arrested for the murder of Grace Budd. During the trial, he revealed chilling details of his crimes, describing in explicit and graphic terms the acts of torture and cannibalism he committed against his victims. Fish was found guilty and despite his confessions, sentenced to death.

Execution

Albert Fish was executed in the electric chair on January 16, 1936, at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. His crimes and the grotesque nature of his acts earned him the monikers "The Gray Man" and the "Werewolf of Wysteria."

Victims

Confirmed victims

Name	Age	Date of Death	Location	Cause of Death
Francis McDonnell	8	July 15, 1924	Long Island, New York	Strangulation
Billy Gaffney	4	February 12, 1927	New York City, New York	Torture
Grace Budd	10	June 3, 1928	New York City, New York	Strangulation

Suspected victims

Victim List is Incomplete

This section has an Incomplete Victim List. You can help Serial Killer Database Wiki by expanding it.

Name	Age	Date of Death	Cause of Death
Thomas Kedden	19	January 1910
Emma Richardson	5	October 3, 1926
Yetta Abramowitz	12	May 14, 1927
Robin Jane Liu	6	May 2, 1931
Mary Ellen O'Connor	16	February 15, 1932
Benjamin Collings	17	December 15, 1932

Timeline

Timeline Missing

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Bibliography

Literature

• Schechter, Harold (1998). Deranged: The Shocking True Story of America's Most Fiendish Killer!,. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0671025458

Articles

• Bardsley, Marilyn. Albert Fish. Crime Library.
• Charles Montaldo (September 8, 2021). "Biography of Albert Fish, Serial Killer". ThoughtCo.
• Katie Serena (August 17, 2023). Inside The Gruesome Crimes Of Albert Fish, The Brooklyn Vampire. All That's Interesting.

Documentaries

Television

• Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation (2007) on IMDb

YouTube Documentaries

• Albert Fish: The Grey Man, Biographics on YouTube
• Albert Fish - The Real Life Boogeyman, Shrouded Hand on YouTube

Podcasts

• Albert Fish - Part 1. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.
• Albert Fish - Part 2. Serial Killers with Greg Polcyn & Vanessa Richardson.

In popular culture

Film adaptations

• The Gray Man (2007) on IMDb

Music

Several songs about Albert Fish were recorded by American extreme metal band Macabre, featured on their Grim Reality, Gloom, Sinister Slaughter, Behind the Wall of Sleep and Carnival of Killers albums and EPs.

Legacy

Albert Fish's case remains one of the most disturbing and depraved in the history of American crime. His sadistic tendencies, coupled with his cannibalistic acts, have cemented his legacy as one of the most notorious and morally repugnant figures in the annals of true crime. The case has also contributed to discussions on mental illness, criminal responsibility, and the nature of evil.

Comedian Norm Macdonald used information from Fish's crimes to set up a recurring joke on his podcast, Norm Macdonald Live. The joke included describing horrific elements of the crimes prior to setting up the intentionally anticlimactic punchline, "This guy was a real jerk!"

See also

• Lonely Hearts Killers

Links

• Albert Fish at Wikipedia
• Albert Fish on IMDb
• Albert Hamilton Fish. Radford University.