Carl Panzram

Carl Panzram (1891–1930) was an American serial killer from the era of the 1920s.

Imprisonment and confession

In 1928, Panzram was arrested for burglary, and in light of his extensive criminal record, he was handed a 25-year sentence (he was not yet suspected of murder). "I'll kill the first man that bothers me," Panzram told the judge, and sure enough, a few months later he killed Robert Warnke, foreman of the prison laundry in Leavenworth, battering the unfortunate victim to death with an iron bar. To his evident delight, Panzram was sentenced to death. He refused to appeal, even threatening to kill human rights groups that attempted to appeal on his behalf.

Related Topics:
1928 - Leavenworth - Appeal - Human rights

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Whilst on Death Row, Panzram was befriended by a young, liberal-minded prison guard named Henry Lesser. Lesser gave Panzram some writing materials which the prisoner used to write his autobiography, detailing his crimes and his nihilistic philosophy:

Related Topics:
Death Row - Nihilistic - Philosophy

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"In my lifetime I have murdered 21 human beings, I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenies, arsons and last but not least I have committed sodomy on more than 1,000 male human beings. For all these things I am not in the least bit sorry." —Carl Panzram

Related Topics:
Larcenies - Sodomy

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Carl Panzram was hanged on September 5, 1930. When asked by the executioner if he had any last words, Panzram barked, "Hurry it up, you Hoosier bastard!! I could kill ten men while you're fooling around!"

Related Topics:
1930 - Hoosier

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The 1996 movie Killer: A Journal Of Murder was based on Panzram's final years, with James Woods as Panzram and Robert Sean Leonard as Lesser.

Related Topics:
1996 - James Woods - Robert Sean Leonard

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