H.H.Holems- America's first serial killer( part 2)

Reportedly, The “Murder Castle” contained 71 bedrooms with hallways and closets connecting them. The rooms were soundproof and equipped with gas pipes. The bedroom doors could only be locked from the outside. The halls and stairs were a maze with trap doors, sliding panels, stairs that didn’t lead anywhere, and “laundry” chutes that dropped into the basement.

Holmes’ private office on the third floor had a large walk-in vault and a massive stove, in addition to the gas controls that led to the bedrooms.

In the basement was an acid tank, a pit of quicklime that would be used for decaying corpses, a dissection table and crematorium.

DISAPPEARANCES CONTINUE

Holmes hired a manager for his jewelry store on the first floor of his property, Ned Conner. Conner brought along with him his wife Julia and their three-year-old daughter. Soon, Mrs. Conner became involved with the charming Holmes, and her and Ned divorced. He moved away leaving Julia and their daughter with Holmes.

Soon, Julia became pregnant with Holmes’ child. He convinced her to let him perform an abortion. She and her daughter were never seen alive again.Not long after, Holmes became involved with a young Emmaline Cigrand, who disappeared soon after. Rumors say she wound up locked in his private vault.

CHICAGO WORLD FAIR

In 1893, the Chicago World Fair brought a huge influx of tourists right into Holmes’ neighborhood. Reportedly, he rented out his rooms for these visitors. The unsuspecting could then be killed in their sleep by the simple flip of a switch, flooding their rooms with gas. The bodies could be quickly disposed of with the basement’s amenities.

Reports say there could have been up to 50 – 200 victims during this time.

INSURANCE FRAUD AND MURDER

Holmes’ approached his longtime partner Benjamin Pitezel with a new scam. Pitezel would take out a life insurance policy for $10,000, and they could fake his death and split the money. While apprehensive, Pitezel did have a wife and five children to care for and agreed to the scheme. He told his wife Carrie of the plan, and made her his beneficiary, reassuring that reports of his death would be a part of the plan, he would stay safe.

Holmes’ ended up serving a short time in St. Louis for a different fraud scheme and told a Marion Hedgepath about the life insurance scam. He offered to connect Holmes’ with a lawyer who could help, in exchange for $500 of the insurance money. Holmes’ accepted the offer.

After being released from jail, Holmes’ and Pitezel traveled to Philadelphia where Holmes’ actually murdered him rather than faking his death. To collect the insurance money, Pitezel’s body had to be identified. Carrie was ill and caring for children and sent her 15 year old daughter Alice instead.

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE PITEZEL CHILDREN

Alice identified Pitezel’s body and traveled with Holmes to a hotel, what he claimed to be a temporary arrangement requested by her mother. Holmes left Alice and went to see Carrie. She was upset that her husband and daughter had not returned, but Holmes conned her into believing that this was part of the scam and would help them maintain cover. He convinced her to allow Alice’s younger brother and sister to go back with him, then they could all meet up with Carrie in Cincinnati safe and sound.

While Alice was happy to see her siblings, Holmes quickly became frustrated with the situation and took Alice’s brother to stay with a relative he claimed. The boy disappeared.

Holmes traveled with Alice and her sister to several cities before eventually the girls disappeared as well.

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