Albert Fish was a notorious American serial killer who was declared insane at the time of his trial. He was also known as the Gray Man, the Boogeyman, and the Werewolf of Wysteria due to his heinous crimes. Fish was born in Washington DC in 1870 and grew up in an abusive household. His father passed away when he was young, and his mother sent him to an orphanage where he received regular beatings and was forced to witness sexual abuse.
Fish had a long history of criminal activities, including theft, fraud, and arson. He married twice and had six children, but his mental instability affected his relationships. His wife left him, and his children grew up without him. Fish lived a vagabond life and traveled around the country. In the 1920s, he moved to New York City, where he started his killing spree.
Fish’s first victim was a young boy named Thomas Kedden, whom he abducted in 1928. He took the 10-year-old to an abandoned house, where he tortured and mutilated him. Fish later wrote a letter to the boy’s mother describing in detail the torture he inflicted on her son before killing him.
Fish’s next victim was 4-year-old Billy Gaffney, whom he abducted in 1927. The boy’s body was never found, but Fish later admitted to killing him and several other victims. He confessed to killing more than 100 children, but authorities could only link him to nine murders.
Fish’s modus operandi was to lure children into abandoned buildings or secluded areas, where he would torture, mutilate, and kill them. He would cannibalize some of his victims and often wrote letters to their families afterward, boasting about what he had done. He was finally caught and arrested for the kidnapping and murder of Grace Budd, a 10-year-old girl he had abducted from her home in 1928.
During his trial, Fish claimed to have heard voices in his head that instructed him to kill and that he was following God’s orders. He also claimed to have had a fetish for pain and humiliation and had committed several acts of self-mutilation. Fish’s defense team argued that he was insane and unfit to stand trial, but the court rejected their plea.
Fish was found guilty and sentenced to death by electric chair. He went to the chair singing and died in 1936. After his execution, it was revealed that Fish had inserted needles into his own groin and abdomen, which he never revealed to anyone.
Fish’s heinous crimes and bizarre behavior continue to fascinate people to this day. His case is often cited as an example of the most extreme form of mental illness and depravity. Albert Fish’s name will always be associated with the darkest and most twisted aspects of humanity.