Hedgepeth Holmes Research Papers

One of America’s first serial killers was known as H.H. Holmes. This known serial killer was born Herman Webster Mudgett in 1861. He later adopted the name Henry Howard Holmes, which he became famous for. Holmes operated a hotel in Chicago designed to torture and murder guests in 1893. His twisted mindset lured many innocent victims into the “Murder Castle.” His castle had torture rooms, chutes for body disposal, and vaults for hiding remains. The extent of his twisted crimes was estimated at 20-200 murders. “With a medical degree, H.H. Holmes was able to work in a pharmacy which gave him complete access to medications and such other tools necessary to pursue his serial killing career.” (BrandyEllen, 2017) Holmes was known for weird and manipulative

Hedgepeth became angry when Holmes didn’t pay up and Hedgepeth sent the police after him. While police searched for him, they found three of the Pietzel’s children dead who went missing during the scamming event. Police found proof Holmes did murder them and they took him into custody. Holmes refused a lawyer and defended himself. He admitted to killing 28 other people around that time. In his last words, he confessed, saying, “I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than a poet can help the inspiration to sing.”(Legends Of America, 2024) No one will truly know how many Holmes murdered or determine the true extent of his crime. H. H. Holmes later sold his story to the Hearst Corporation for $10,000. On May 7, 1896, Holmes' story came to an end. Holmes was arrested for his countless murders and fraud and was later hanged at Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia. Holmes had requested that his casket be incased in concrete so that no one could steal his body. Some believed that Holmes had conned his way out of his execution and had fled to South America. It was later determined that the remains were in fact