The family of Albert Fish (born Hamilton Fish in Washington, D.C.) was known to have a history of mental illness. . In 1989 he married a woman who was nine years tounger to him. The couple borne six children. After that his wife deserted him and went to live with another man.
Dr. Fredric Wertham met Fish in the latter’s
jail cell. In his book ‘ The Show of Violence’
Dr. Wertham opines that Neurosis seemed to have
afflicted Fish’s family. One of his paternal
uncles suffered from a religious psychosis and
died in a state hospital. His half brother
also died in a state hospital. A younger
brother was mentally sick and died of hydrocephalus.
Another of his brothers was a chronic alcoholic.
A sister too had some sort of 'mental affliction.'
His mother was said to be odd. She claimed to
hear and see things. His paternal aunt was
considered 'completely crazy.' A sister
had some sort of 'mental affliction.' His father
Captain Randall Fish was a Potomac River boat
captain, running from D.C. to Marshall Hall, Virginia.
He died in 1875. ( Albert Fish: real life Hannibal
Lector - The Crime Library)
Educational Background of killer
After his father’s death Fish was placed
in St. John's Orphanage in Washington. As
he spent his early years (age five to seven years)
in the orphanage he, along with other children
there, became the victim and target of severe
beatings and whipping. He said ‘I saw boys
doing many things they should not have done. I
sang in the choir from 1880 to 1884 -- soprano,
at St. John's”. He was there till he was
nine years old when his mother took him out as
she had found a job. This background and the family
history combined to turn him into a neurotic.
This would suggest that Fish had very little formal
education of any note. ( Albert Fish: real life
Hannibal Lector - The Crime Library)
Physical Characteristics
Fish was a person of slight built. During the period of his crimes his descriptions have been that of a slender old man with gray hair and a gray moustache. That he was physically not very powerful is evidenced by the choice of his victims who were mostly children whom he could overpower. Family of the victim (Grace Budd) described him as someone with a kindly face, framed by gray hair and accented by a large droopy gray moustache. Generally his outer appearance was kindly, credible and genteel. In fact he was described as someone you would entrust the custody of your children to while you go for an errand.
He carried the façade of a gentle grandfather. That is how he came to trap the innocent, unsuspecting victims.
Number of killings attributed to the killer
During his interrogation Fish confessed to four
hundred child murders. The time period was 1910-1934.
That would make it from age forty to age sixty
four. Police investigations that followed proved
that much of what he confessed was concocted.
Another source quotes that Fish claimed to have
killed at least one child in twenty-three different
states. ( Albert Fish )
Kind of victims chosen
The determining factor for choosing the victims appears to be the age. Ostensibly this was because it was easier to dupe the children. And once the victim was trap children would offer less resistance. In other words they would be safer prey compared to full grown adults. This is why he felt uncomfortable when he saw Ed Budd and his friend
Most of his victims came from poor, black families
who were not likely to be able to do much about
his actions, owing to the racism so prevalent
in the country during that time.
Where killings occurred
Fish drifted across the country. He is said to have travelled as many as twenty three states and left behind a blazing trail of henious crimes in all these states.
M.O of the killer
Fish was a painter by occupation and during the
time when he was painting the houses he would
be on the look out for opportunities for perpetrating
his crimes. ( Albert Fish - The Brooklyn Vampire
)
He would also pose as a grand fatherly figure and use this disguise (façade) to gain confidence of the innocent victims.
Methods the killer used
Fish is said to mutilate and torture his victims. Another method of killing was strangulation. The weapons used were knives, daggers.
Unusual factors in the case
It was highly unusual that fish was arrested six times in the New York area six times after the disappearance of Grace Budd. This apparent lack of astuteness on the part of New York Police would have resulted in so many more cases of mayhem at the hands of the psychopathic killer. |