The Boogeyman

Hello ghosts, ghouls, and lovers of all things gruesome and scary. This is the first official episode of "The Fear You Can Hear" podcast, and I am your host Ophelia Black. Today's podcast is of the life and some of the most terrifying murders of Cannibalistic Killer, Albert Fish. Due to some of the extreme content in the podcast, listener discretion is advised.

Albert Fish was known by many names, The Gray Man, The Brooklyn Vampire, The Moon Maniac, The Boogeyman, and many others across the United States. He was notoriously known for raping, torturing, killing, and even eating children.

Fish's father died shortly after his birth on May 19, 1870. With fish being the youngest child, his mother gave him to an orphanage, when she realized she couldn't take care of him. It was at this orphanage where Fish began to develop into his mental illness. The Nun's at the orphanage would beat the children and even encourage violence among the children. Fish enjoyed all the violence and was quick to adapt to the normalness of it. His mother eventually took him back years later. Fish developed psycho-sexual fixations and begun self mutilation. His favorite ways to do this was to embed needles in his groin and stomach, and to beat himself using a nail studded paddle.

In 1882, roughly 12 years old Fish, begun relations with a telegraph boy. Through this relationship Fish discovered his pleasure of eating human feces. He also found joy when thinking or watching someone urinate.

In 1910, Fish now in his 40's, he developed a relationship with a painter named Thomas Kedden. This relationship was were Fish developed the joy of inflicting pain on others. Just 10 days into their relationship, Fish locked Kedden up in an abandoned house, where we would torture Kedden. Eventually cutting off half his penis in a Vaseline-lined handkerchief and gave him ten dollars and a kiss goodbye for his troubles. Completely abandoning Kedden.

Surprisingly, fish got married and had six children of his own. His wife ended up leaving him, once his mental illness lead to him beating her. There's no evidence on whether or not he abused his children, they watched him struggle with his hallucinations, and were taught mildly sadomasochistic games. Only his oldest son resented him, and for that, Fish demanded the rest of the family shun the oldest son.

Fish discovered the joy of cannibalism through eating raw meat. When he no longer found satisfaction in that, he turned to abducting and eating children. He openly claims to had "had" a child from every state in America. It's unknown whether he means sexually or to have actually eaten those children. His biggest victims were those who were homeless or those with darker skin pigments, because the public wouldn't take much notice in those disappearances. He would look in the paper for ads of younger children looking for work. Eventually, this is how he would get caught as well.

One of Fish's confessed victim's was a boy named Billy Gaffney. In his confession, Fish describes the incident, "I whipped his bare behind 'til the blood ran from his legs. I cut off his ears, nose...slit his mouth from ear to ear. Gouged out his eyes, he was dead then...I stuck the knife in his belly and held my mouth to his body and drank his blood".

Countless children lost their lives to this madman, but the child that actually caused Fish to get caught, was one no one would have expected. Edward Budd, an 18 year old boy was looking for farm work and had his ad in the paper. Fish's plan was to lure, mutilate, and kill Edward. He even made false claims of owning a farm. During his efforts to lure Edward, he ended up meeting his younger sister Grace, who was only 10 years old. He gave up all motive on Edwards and instead came back to the Budd's home the next day, asking permission from the parent's to take Grace to his niece's birthday party in upstate New York. They unfortunately agreed, and sealed Grace's fate for good.

Fish had told Grace to play outside while he got things ready. He beckoned her inside, where she discovered him naked. She began to cry and told him that if he did anything she would tell her mom. She tried to run, but he locked her inside, and that was when poor Grace was last alive.

Even though the majority of Fish's victims were young boys, who he preferred, it was Grace's death that would lead to the capture of Fish. The evidence even came from Fish himself. Fish sent Grace's mother a letter, trying to get a rise from the newly heartbroken parents. the letter read, "First, I stripped her naked. How she did kick, bite, and scratch. I choked her to death, then cut her into small pieces so I could take the meat to my room, to cook and then eat it...it took me 9 days to eat her entire body".

The police were able to find him because the stationary he used was directly linked to the place where he was staying in New York. When they caught Fish, he immediately confessed. He excitedly relived the gruesome details. Sadly, there was only enough evidence to convict Fish on three cases. During a psychiatric evaluation, he confessed to 10 different sexual fetishes, including pedophilia. Fish claimed god told him to molest, kill, and eat his victims. He even tried pleading insanity, but the jury felt that he should still be executed.

Fish met his end and was electrocuted on January 16, 1936 in Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York. His confessions were so horrific, his lawyer refused to release them, stating, "I will never show it to anyone. It was the most filthy string of obscurities that I have ever read".

Albert Fish was a crazy cannibalistic killer, who murdered more kids than you can count. He tore a part families and tortured the helpless and defenseless. Hopefully his death eased the tension and heartbreak of those families, and put to rest the poor, innocent souls that were taken too soon.

You can find more of our podcasts on Anchor, Spotify, or wherever else you listen. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook, under "The Fear You Can Hear". Don't forget to join in on the horror and tell us what serial killer's story you'd like to listen to next!

As always, stay safe! You never know what's going to go bump in the night! (Scream)