H.H. Holmes Letter Found

Just when you thought he was going to fade into obscurity, there’s still yet more news about the man we all know as H. H. Holmes. If you’re new to our blog, we have several old posts about him, most notably regarding his exhumation to find some shred of evidence that he and Jack the Ripper were one and the same. If you’re interested in reading further details about who Holmes was and his infamous Murder House, you can find those stories in these links: America’s First Serial Killer and H. H. Holmes’ Murder Castle. Now on to today’s story…

The first American serial killer may have felt remorse for his crimes, after all.

H.H. Holmes (born Herman Webster Mudgett) constructed an elaborate “Murder Castle” full of trap doors, acid vats and a crematorium in Chicago in 1892 where he lured the unsuspecting in with the promise of apartments.

Holmes was caught in 1894 and convicted for the murder of one of his accomplices, Benjamin Pitezel. At the time he confessed to killing more than 20 people (although he later altered the number to just two). He was hanged in 1896 in Philadelphia for his crimes and largely believed to have been unremorseful to the end.

His life and crimes went on to become the subject of the book “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson.

The most notorious murders, scams and scandals in Pennsylvania can be irresistible to Hollywood. Here are more than 20 that have become true crime movies, documentaries and television shows.

But a family in New Jersey has a found a note, written in Holmes’ hand, that may imply he felt guilt at the end, according to NBC 10.

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Linking H H Holmes to Jack the Ripper

A mere three days ago, I shared with you the planned exhumation of the remains of the notorious serial killer known as Dr H H Holmes. Well, that exhumation is now officially underway and we now have a reason for the sudden exhumation: a silly television show aims to prove that H H Holmes and Jack the Ripper were one and the same. It’s a stupid idea, but anything to sell yet another television show, I guess.

The idea that Jack the Ripper and Holmes were the same man is a ludicrous one. First of all, their respective methods of murdering the women were vastly different. Second, their choice of victims were different: Jack murdered prostitutes while Holmes murdered ordinary girls who had traveled to Chicago in the hopes of finding employment. There’s never been a serial killer who has suddenly changed his method of killing nor his choice of victims. There’s usually a very specific reason why serial killers go after the people they do. Third, and most important of all, there’s a clearly documented trail of Holmes’ whereabouts here in the United States while the Ripper murders were happening. He was busy here being married to two women at the same time and having a little girl with one. I can’t see how he’d suddenly have interest in traipsing off to England to murder a few whores. Jack, on the other hand, seemingly appeared and vanished from existence just for that short span of time.

I don’t know how they will connect any DNA found in the remains of the body in Philadelphia to anyone in England. There have been many different individuals purported to be Jack the Ripper. Will they search for the descendants of each suspect until they find a match?

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John Ringo Grave

The Historic Site Monument at the Ringo Gravesite.

If you’ve read about the untamed American frontier and have never heard of Tombstone, Arizona, for shame! This little town is a great place to learn about frontier life in a mining boom town. Tombstone is rife with legends and stories that would keep anyone interested for weeks on end. It was a silver mining town known for its rough-around-the-edges citizens. Names like Wyatt Earp, Curly Bill Brocius, Big Nose Kate, Doc Holliday– are a dime a dozen in the annals of Tombstone history. Tombstone is noted for the longest poker game in history (8 years, 5 months, and 3 days) and the infamous gunfight at the O.K. corral which was primarily between the Earps and the Clantons and McLowerys.

Part of the culture of the “Wild West” was to bury a body along the trail where the person passed away. There was no transporting the body anywhere unless the deceased was close to the rail lines at their time of death. Decomposition was rapid because food didn’t have preservatives and embalming was still in its infancy. Bodies still relatively intact that were found on the trail were buried deep enough to keep the coyotes, vultures or other desert scavengers at bay. Most makeshift graves were covered with rocks and marked with a simple wooden cross near the place the body was found and buried. The practice of leaving a cross or headstone is still observed in parts of the American southwest– though, the bodies are typically transported and interred in an actual cemetery instead of beside the road.

One such body that was found and buried on the trail is the source of much historical intrigue as there is some disagreement over the death of this man whose personal legend is linked to the infamous “Town Too Tough to Die”– Tombstone, Arizona. The body of John Peters Ringo is interred near the oak tree where he was found. A coroner’s inquest was held to determine his cause of death, but not everyone agrees with the verdict.

Burbon Street Blood Bath

Preface
When I first learned of this case, it had been transmogrified. I already knew that legends change from telling to telling, but this story is an excellent example of how the stories we hear aren’t always as they seem. What I had heard about a “vampire murder” was, in fact, a much greater tragedy. I briefly talk about my quest for truth in a previous blog article called “New Orleans Vampire Murder: A Lesson in Truth“. This article approaches the story from a different angle– it contains further details of the crime and investigation as described in the television broadcast of the Investigation Discovery network’s show “Dead of Night”. Tuesday, March 26, 2013 was when they first broadcast the episode titled “Bourbon Street Bloodbath” which regards this phantasmagorical murder. Because of the interest in this story, I’ve decided to summarize the details presented in the episode of Dead of Night.

Once again, please note that comments to this article have been CLOSED. This blog is NOT a memorial. It’s NOT meant to berate or glorify those involved in the murder. This is NOT a place to grieve for those who have lost their lives in conjunction with this event. This article was written for the purpose of conveying information about the event and also to correct misinformation being spread throughout the paranormal community.

Screams Unheard

There is no comparison between a ghost story that is meant to thrill and a true monster.  Those monsters don’t live under the bed or in the closet; they aren’t waiting to make you scream in a darkened movie theater.  The real monsters may include the mild mannered, unassuming man driving in the car next to yours.  They may include the quiet neighbor that smiles and waves to you as you simultaneously pick up the morning paper.  You may never suspect who they are–a fact they are very aware of and play to their advantage.  This was certainly the case with Gary Ridgway, who outwardly appeared as harmless as they come.  It was a deceptive facade for a depraved, cold blooded killer.  Although originally convicted of 48 murders in 2003, with an additional charge of murder added in 2011, his death rate was likely much higher.  He has confessed to more murders since his conviction and eluded to others, putting the number closer to 71.  Who really knows the number of women that lost their lives to this pathetic yet ruthless excuse for a human being, for even Ridgway has claimed to have ‘lost count’.