Albert Fish One of the Most Disturbed Serial Killers

The Murder of Grace Budd:

May 25, 1928, Fish read a classified advertisement in the Sunday Edition of the “New York World” stating “Young man, 18 wishes position in County. Edward Budd 406 West 15th Street.” Three days later Fish went to visit the Budd family to pretend to hire Edward. He later confessed that he planned to tie up, mutilate and leave Edward to bleed to death. 

Fish introduced himself under the alias Frank Howard as a farmer from Farmingdale NY. He said that he would hire Budd and would ask for them in a few days. Fish had sent a telegram a few days later after he failed to come and pick them up; apologizing and said he would come at a later date. 

The next time Fish went to the Budd residence he met Edward’s younger sister Grace. It was after meeting Grace he decided that his victim would be Grace and to Edward. He made up a story about how he had to attend his niece’s birthday party and was able to convince Grace’s parents to let her go with him. Grace left with Fish and was never seen again. 

The Letter: 

An anonymous letter was sent to the Budd household in November 1934, which is what led the police to Fish. The letter Fish had written (with all of the spelling and grammar errors mistakes) said:

My dear Mrs. Budd, In 1894 a friend of mine shipped as a deck hand on the steamer Tacoma, Capt John Davis. They sailed from San Francisco to Hong Kong China. On arriving there he and two others went ashore and got drunk. When they returned the boat was gone. At that time there was a famine in China. Meat of any kind was from $1 to 3 Dollars a pound. So great was the suffering among the very poor that all children under 12 were sold to the Butchers to be cut up and sold for food in order to keep others from starving. A boy or girl under 14 was not safe in the street. You could go in any shop and ask for steak – chops – or stew meat. Part of the naked body of a boy or girl would be brought out and just what you wanted cut from it. A boy or girls behind which is the sweetest part of the body and sold as veal cutlet brought the highest price. John staid there so long he acquired a taste for human flesh. On his return to N.Y. he stole two boys one 7 one 11. Took them to his home stripped them naked tied them in a closet then burned everything they had on. Several times every day and night he spanked them – tortured them – to make their meat good and tender. First he killed the 11 yr old boy, because he had the fattest ass and of course the most meat on it. Every part of his body was cooked and eaten except Head – bones and guts. He was roasted in the oven, (all of his ass) boiled, broiled, fried, stewed. The little boy was next, went the same way. At that time I was living at 409 E 100 St, rear – right side. He told me so often how good human flesh was I made up my mind to taste it. On Sunday June the 3 – 1928 I called on you at 406 W 15 St. Brought you pot cheese – strawberries. We had lunch. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her, on the pretense of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Westchester I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wild flowers. I went upstairs and stripped all my clothes off. I knew if I did not I would get her blood on them. When all was ready I went to the window and called her. Then I hid in a closet until she was in the room. When she saw me all naked she began to cry and tried to run down stairs. I grabbed her and she said she would tell her mama. First I stripped her naked. How she did kick – bite and scratch. I choked her to death then cut her in small pieces so I could take my meat to my rooms, cook and eat it. How sweet and tender her little ass was roasted in the oven. It took me 9 days to eat her entire body. I did not fuck her, though, I could of [sic] had I wished. She died a virgin.

Grace’s kidnapping and murder was confirmed in this letter to be true. It was impossible to confirm if Fish had eaten Grace’s body parts or if he did not.