Albert Fish

Albert H. Fish (May 19, 1870 – January 16, 1936) was an American serial killer and cannibal. He was also known as the Moon Maniac, the Gray Man, and the Brooklyn Vampire.

Early life and crimes

Born Hamilton Fish in Washington, D.C., to a family with an extensive history of mental illness, Fish grew up in an orphanage where he was ruthlessly whipped and beaten. In 1898, he was married to a woman nine years his junior, with whom he had six children. His wife subsequently ran off with another man.

Related Topics:
Washington, D.C. - Mental illness - 1898

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Fish, a painter, drifted across the United States, he later claimed to have had a murder victim in each of the twenty three states he had visited, as well as other victims. 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 prevalent in the country during that time. Reputed to be a sadomasochist, Fish reportedly indulged in self-mutilation, driving needles into his body, mostly around his genitals; stuffing cotton balls soaked with lighter fluid into his rectum and setting fire to them; and consuming not only the flesh of his victims but also their urine, blood, and excrement. He attributed these tendencies to the abuse he suffered in childhood. He also claimed God sent him on "missions" to kill.

Related Topics:
United States - Black - Racism - Sadomasochist - Self-mutilation - Genital - Rectum - Urine - Blood - Abuse - God

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