America s First Serial Killer - 1347 Words

H.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 individuals that Holmes killed were sold off, illegally, as cadavers to his former medical school (Borowski, H.H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer). In addition, most of his other scams also revolved around obtaining more money. Such as his life†¦show more content†¦Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer). Holmes decided to invest in a small barbershop in which he could later build above and design his own hotel. Holmes designed this hotel with one goal in mind, killing his guests. According to Darcia Helle, in her blog titled The Monstrous H.H. Holmes and His Murder Castle Inc., throughout the construction of his hotel, Holmes formed a relationship with the carpenter, Benjamin Pitezel. Together, Pitezel and Holmes came up with an interesting life insurance scam. While it seemed to work out, Holmes eventually turned on his partner and killed Benjamin Pitezel. Following his criminal pattern, he took out a life insurance policy on Pitezel prior to his death. Due to the insurance companies increased suspicion, a detective was hired to look up who had taken out the insurance money, and this is where Holmes is first found and caught. At first, Holmes was only charged with life insurance fraud. The police did not yet know the extent of his criminal record. However, according to the online article by the National Museum of Crime Punishment, when Holmes was arrested he appeared as if he was ready to flee the country, which furthermore increased the suspicion of police (H.H. Holmes, 2015). This increased suspicion led to the search of Holmes’ Chicago home and the realization that Holmes was more than just an insurance fraud. Historical Background: For a serial murderer with upwards of