On January 16, 1936, American serial killer Albert Fish was electrocuted in New York’s Sing Sing Prison. Fish was convicted of the murder of 10-year-old Grace Budd and admitted to the molestation of more than 400 children, in addition to torturing and killing several of them.
Hamilton Fish was born on May 19, 1870, in Washington, D.C., to Randall and Ellen Fish. Randall was seventy-five years old at his son’s birth. His father passed away when Hamilton was five years old, and his mother, Ellen, sent him to St. John’s Orphanage. There, he changed his name to Albert.
At the orphanage, Fish saw many violent scenes. “I saw so many boys whipped,” he said, “it ruined my mind.”
When Fish was 28, he married 18-year-old Anna, and together they had six children. However, after 20 years of marriage, she left him, and Fish raised the children.
After Anna left, Fish traveled around the country but never stayed in one place for long. His victims were poor and often targeted African-Americans, as he admitted, there was not much police attention.
In 1928, under the name Frank Howard, Fish answered an ad from 18-year-old Edward Budd. Budd needed assistance with his family finances. After getting the job, Fish told the family he would return to begin work, but did not show up on the agreed-upon day. When he arrived on June 4, Fish brought lunch for the Budd family’s children and joined them for lunch. Fish appeared as a loving grandfather to the Budds.
After lunch, Fish told the Budd family that he was attending a children’s birthday party at his sister’s house and would be back to pick up Edward. He then proposed to the family that 10-year-old Grace should attend the party. Her family agreed and sent her. However, this was the last time they ever saw her alive again.
Newspapers reported on Grace’s disappearance, and the investigation went on for six years. On November 11, 1934, the Budd family received an anonymous letter including details about the murder of Grace. The letter included information about the abandoned house in Worcester, New York, where Grace was taken.
Detective William King was able to trace the letter and found Grace’s body behind Wisteria Cottage, an empty house in Westchester County. King was also able to trace Fish and arrest him, where he confessed to eating parts of Grace’s body as well as cannibalizing Billy Gaffney, age 4, and killing Francis McDonnell, age 8.
Fish pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Psychiatrists evaluated Fish as insane but the jury found him sane and convicted him. After a failed appeals trial and plea to the governor, he was executed. He died at Sing Sing prison in Ossining New Year.
Throughout the country, Fish was nicknamed the “Werewolf of Wisteria” and “The Brooklyn Vampire”.
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