Americas First Serial Killers - 2909 Words

FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY | H.H HOLMES | AMERICAS FIRST SERIAL KILLER | | Kevin Hutter | 10/20/2011 | H.H HOLMES, THE FIRST AMERICAN SERIAL KILLER, IN THE FOLLOW RESEARCH PAPER WE WILL BE LOOKING AT PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF HIS CRIMES TROUGH HIS EARLY CHILDHOOD TILL HIS EXECUTION IN THE LATE 1800’S | Herman Webster Mudgett, better known under the alias of Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, was one of the first documented American serial killers in the modern sense of the term. Mudgett was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire [4] to Levi Horton Mudgett and Theodore Page Price, both of whom were descended from the first non-native settlers in the area. According to the 2007 Most Evil profile on Holmes, his father was a violent alcoholic,†¦show more content†¦He changed his name to H.H. Holmes and posed as a pharmacist in Chicago. That was an ominous start to his career. [7] Herman (H.H Holmes) moved to the Chicago suburb of Englewood, Ill, in 1886, after abandoning his wife and committing a variety of felonies, even defrauding one of his own in-laws. He was known as a swindler, and decided it was time for a new lease on life and took on the alias: Henry Howard Holmes, AKA: DR H.H. Holmes. In 1888 Holmes was hired as a chemist at a popular Chicago area drugstore located in the suburb of Englewood. [4] In 1890 the proprietress of the drugstore, an elderly widow, mysteriously disappeared. Holmes quickly took over the business, and began selling patent medicines of his own invention by mail order, including fake cures for alcoholism. [4] Holmes eventually amassed a nice fortune. Holmes soon wed Myrta Z. Belknap, without even bothering to divorce his first wife. Myrta soon bare foot and pregnant, left him within a year, and moved in with her parents. In 1888, Holmes bought a vacant lot across from his pharmacy business and began to build a hotel. During construction Holmes changed contractors several times and shuffled the workers around frequently so that no one was ever able to get a clear idea of the floor plan or what the building, was for. Most of the rooms had gas vents that could let off lethal or sleep inducing gases, the vents could only be controlled from a closet inShow MoreRelatedIs America s First Serial Killer Essay908 Words   |  4 PagesConsidered America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes demised a plan like no other to torture and kill woman in the early 1890’s in Chicago, Illinois (H.H. Holmes, 2004). Masquerading as a charismatic prominent businessman, and caring doctor, H.H. Holmes was a true monster (H.H. Holmes, 2004). Known later as the â€Å"torture doctor† or the â€Å"monster of 63rd street†, he methodically planned, attacked, and controlled his victims till the very end (H .H. Holmes, 2004). Born Herman Webster Mudgett on MayRead MoreAmerica s First Serial Killer1347 Words   |  6 PagesH.H. Holmes, born in 1861 as Herman Webster Mudgett, was an extremely notable con man, fraud and murderer. More popularly known as America’s first serial killer, Holmes had a vast and varying criminal record. For instance, his criminal record ranged from forging checks and life insurance claims, to killing off entire families in his â€Å"murder† hotel. The one most identifiable pattern to his offenses resides in his economic struggle. As seen in a documentary directed by John Borowski, most of the individualsRead MorePerry Smith: A Passion to Kill1354 Words   |  6 PagesSerial killers have long eluded law enforcement while simultaneously grabbing the attention of the public, and now more than ever, criminal psychologists are beginning to understand what makes a serial killer. In his true-crime documentary, In Cold Blood, Truman Capote depicts the horrifying murders of four members of the Clutter family and the search to find the criminals responsible for the deaths. Eventually, two killers are caught, one being Perry Smith, a detached and emotionless man. And althoughRead MoreSerial Killer And Serial Killers Essay1171 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica has some of the most infamous serial killers who marked history, serial killers who once didn’t even think to harm any human being. Many people grow up differently from others, some people grow up in a safe environment surrounded with caring people and others grow up in a completely different environment being missed treated by others, therefore are serial killers made or born? A serial killer is defined as â€Å"a person who commits more than three murders over a period that spans more thanRead MoreSerial Killers in Modern Society1558 Words   |  6 PagesSerial Killers in Modern Society Introduction For hundreds of years, serial killers have actually been a huge fascination all over the world. Even though society has an undeveloped idea as to what a serial killer is and how they function, there is much more to serial killers that people are probably unaware of. In spite of classic myths regarding serial killers which are displayed a lot in movies, this essay will recognize serial killers as irregular as the individual that utilizes various strategiesRead MoreEssay Are Serial Killers Born or Made?1560 Words   |  7 PagesEvidence that was gathered from books such as â€Å"Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers† and â€Å"Inside the Minds of Serial Killers,† both written by Kathertine Ramsland, provide information and evidence that killers are in fact made, not born. Some of the reasons that people believe that killers are made and not born are due to research by many psychiatrists on serial killers and mass murderers who are on death roe that have committed some of th e most heinous crimes. One argument is that there is a set ofRead MorePsychological Profile of a Killer1577 Words   |  7 Pageselevation in serial killings. To give some insight into the scale of the problem posed by the serial killer, in the United States can be gained from examining the statistics for just one year. In 1989 (the last year for which detailed figures are available) there were 21,500 recorded homicides, of which some 5,000 are unsolved. Unofficial sources believe that as many as a hundred serial killers may be at large at any given time. Add to this the number of known victims of serial killers, then betweenRead MoreDo Bad Parents Create Mass Murderers? Essay1488 Words   |  6 PagesLondon, the incidence of serial killers had increased at a steady rate. Names such as Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Myra Hindley strike fear and horror into the hearts of normal people who cannot comprehend the subhuman actions of such violent people. Arguments still continue as to what drives these people to kill. Many believe that bad parenting and traumatic childhood experiences are a major factor in creating a serial killer, while others believe they Read More profile of a killer Essay examples1561 Words   |  7 Pageselevation in serial killings. To give some insight into the scale of the problem posed by the serial killer, in the United States can be gained from examining the statistics for just one year. In 1989 (the last year for which detailed figures are available) there were 21,500 recorded homicides, of which some 5,000 are unsolved. Unofficial sources believe that as many as a hundred serial killers may be at large at any given time. Add to this the number of known victims of serial killers, then betweenRead MoreThe Culture Of America By Mark Seltzer1578 Words   |  7 Pagesto say that the public has become fascinated. The culture of America is drawn to trauma, which is a Greek word for wound. (â€Å"Trauma†) In the turning of the twentieth century, the superstar of the wound culture emerged: the serial killer. The fascination with this new founded celebrity haunts and excites the community. These famous killers are intriguing and raise complex questions of why people do what they do. Therefore, serial killer s are molded by family experiences, the oedipal complex, and the