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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
H.H. Holmes
PRESENTATION BY REBECCA KASUN
General Profiling
- Not sociable
- Hurt animals
- White males in their 20s or 30s
- High IQs
- Have family problems (divorced, abused)
- Alcohol abuse
What are the types of serial killers?
- Organized
- Disorganized
- Anger (groups)
- Thrill/power (money)
- Sexual desire
- Mental problems
Profile change with type?
- Anger targets specific group
- High IQ want power/mental problem
- Sexual are usually men who target women
- Disorganized are more random
Childhood
- Abused
- Neglect
- Lack of emotions (especially remorse)
- Mothers don't do a good job (teach to hate)
General behavioral progression from pre-crime to post-crime
- Excited (pre)
- No remorse (post)
- No empathy/humanity
Fantasy
- Much fantasy in childhood (sometimes take out on animals)
- Helps with fear/anxiety
- Play out fantasy in kill (over and over again)
- Sometimes fantasy isn't perfect so they keep trying
BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL factors with behavior
- 60% biological
- 40% environmental
- Environmental (abused, family life)
- Biological ( personality traits passed down)
How to build accurate profile?
- Victim
- Crime scene
- How carefully planned
- Witnesses
H.H. Holmes
- Nickname: "Beast of Chicago"
- Date of birth: May 16, 1861
- Date of death: May 7, 1896
- Full name: Herman Webster Mudgett
H.H. Holmes
- Age: 34 years old
- Sex: Male
- Race: White
- Residency: Gilmanton, New Hampshire to Chicago, Illinois (had times in Texas, Philadelphia, London, Canada, etc...)
H.H. Holmes
- Appearance: White man, mustache, dark hair, blue eyes
- Social skills: Had to be charming/kind/friendly to lure people to his castle. People felt they could trust and rely on him
- Personality: charming, flattered others, intelligent
Childhood
- Picked on by other kids
- Dad was very strict
- Grew up in Gilmanton, New Hampshire
- Tortured animals (sign of serial killer)
- Touched a skeleton and was fascinated, not scared (another sign)
- Was abused by father (alcoholic)
Childhood continued
- Levi Horton Mudgett and Theodate Page Price were parents
- Methodists (very into religion)
- Mother did not act like a mother; also very strict
ADULT LIFE
- Married a girl named Clara at age 17
- Graduated from high school
- Went to college with Clara at University of Michigan Medical School
- Was involved with a lot of women (especially rich ones)
- He wanted to become a doctor
Children
- Two children
- Had a son, Robert Lovering Mudgett, with Clara (his first wife)
- Had daughter, Lucy Theodate Holmes, with Myrta Belknap (second wife while still married to Clara)
Mental disorder
- No mental disorders documented
- Said something about the devil controlling him, but that was baloney
Nature of crimes
- Most crimes were for money
- Tortured and killed in his "castle" (hotel) in Chicago
- Killed from 17 to 34
Victims
- Charged: murder of Benjamin Pitezel, insurance fraud
- Suspected: over 200
- Admitted: 27
Behavior like when they were caught
- He tried to keep calm/normal, but lost it a little when the jury gave their decision (Ben's death guilty) . He said he killed 27 people
- He was giddy/excited when he was about to be hung
Reason for selecting victims
- For money (if they were rich, for insurance)
- Random
- Many were women
MO and signature
- MO: doesn't really have one. Could be that he killed people at his castle
- Signature: did it for money
Photo by shaire productions
Role of police
- Police were told about Holmes trying to fake his death for insurance money
- Arrested him, but police got suspicious
- They checked out the castle and found where he committed murders
- Not much else documented
- Two graves in the basement of castle found by police
- Able to withstand trial
Charged with and sentenced to
- Charged with: murder of Ben Pitzel, insurance fraud (Holmes said he killed 27)
- Sentenced to: death (hanged)
Evidence
- No details to evidence. Police discovered basement of castle (with two graves) so they were able to use that
SOLUTION OF CASE
- Holmes guilty of death of Ben Pitzel
Still alive?
- Not alive
- Died on May 7, 1896
- Was hanged (that was his sentence)
Interesting info
- Some of his family members now think he could be Jack the Ripper (great great grandson said that)
- He was one of the first serial killers in America
- Castle was burned down. No one knows who did it
- Buried in Holy Cross Cemetery (Brooklyn, NY)
- Died in Philadelphia
