Is America s First Serial Killer Essay - 908 Words

Considered 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 May 16, 1861 in the small town of Gilmanton, New Hampshire, Mr. Mudgett grew up in a very affluent, and privileged family (H.H. Holmes Biography, 2015). His mother made the family follow strict religious practices, and his father was a strict disciplinarian (H.H. Holmes, 2004). Mr. Mudgett was unusually intelligent for his age as he grew up (H.H. Holmes Biography, 2015). He became interested in medicine and reportedly started practicing surgery on animals (H.H. Holmes Biography, 2015). After graduating high school at the age of 16, Mr. Mudgett studied medicine at a small medical school in Vermont (H.H. Holmes, 2015). He then enrolled in medicine at the University of Michigan (H.H. Holmes, 2015). At the University of Michigan, Mr. Mudgett began to steal, burn, and disfigure corpses to be used for educational purposes (H.H. Holmes, 2015; H.H. Holmes Biography, 2015). He soon was using the corpses to commit insurance fraud under fictitious names (H.H. Holm es Biography, 2015). Mr. MudgettShow MoreRelatedAmerica 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 murde rs 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 MoreCase study on Dr. H. H. Holmes1268 Words   |  6 PagesPsychology Case study of Dr. H.H. Holmes Case Overview Dr. H.H. Holmes is considered America s first serial killer. The number of victims is estimated to be 27, and later discoveries of corpses revealed as many as 200. Holmes initially committed crimes such as fraud and forgery. In 1893 he built a three story building and named it the castle as a hotel, drug store, and commercial store fronts for the Chicago World s Fair. Holmes used the windowless hotel to lure his victims in to torture and killRead 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 killers are molded by family exper iences, the oedipal complex, and theRead MoreRhetorical Analysis : Dexter 1219 Words   |  5 PagesRhetorical analysis. If you have ever been interested in the world of why serial killers kill, chances are you have done some research or even watched the insanely popular television show Dexter. â€Å"Dexter Morgan is a Forensics Expert, a loyal brother, boyfriend, and friend. That s what he seems to be, but that s not what he really is. Dexter Morgan is a Serial Killer that hunts the bad. (TV.com)† Dexter is a serial killer yet he works for the Miami Police Department in blood spatter forensics, becauseRead 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 MoreThe Traits of a Serial Killer Present in James Clayton Vaughn Jr966 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics that correlated to the serial killer he was. One may ponder what creates a serial killer and what exactly a serial killer is. There are many things that define a serial killer’s psyche antisocialism being one of the many. Moreover, Vaughn claimed to have certain compulsions that made him complete tasks that he ordinarily would not do which demonstrated him to have obsessive compulsive disorder. Another characteristic Vaughn displayed that he and his fellow serial killers shared were their psychopathicRead MoreSerial Killer And Serial Killers1644 Words   |  7 PagesSerial Killer A serial killer is someone who has killed three or more people on separate occasions with enough time between, allowing them to calm down or reflect on what they did. There are separate categories for serial killers. The types of serial killers are organized killers, unorganized killers, and medical killers (Crime museum, 2015, para. 1, 2, 3). Beverley Allitt was considered to be under the medical killer category. Allitt killed a total of 4 children in less than a year span (McCrystal