Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Boy Torturer of Boston” Pt. 1: Jesse Pomeroy

Episode Date: June 15, 2020

Born in 1859 with a cleft palate, Jesse Pomeroy's father looked upon his son as weak, and brutally abused him throughout his childhood. Tormented at home and at school, Jesse began to entertain violen...t fantasies about torturing prisoners. By the time he was 12, simply fantasizing wasn't enough—and the “Boy Torturer of Boston” emerged... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes detailed discussions of murder and torture involving children and animals that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On a hot summer day in August of 1872, 7-year-old George Pratt walked out the front door of his parents' beachside South Boston home. Seeking a reprieve from the blistering heat, the young boy was. was eager to soak his feet in the cool ocean water. George wandered the shoreline alone, gathering seashells.
Starting point is 00:00:44 His search was interrupted when an anxious 12-year-old boy tapped George on the shoulder. The stranger explained that he was in a rush and needed George's help running an errand. But George was hesitant. The other boy's demeanor was strange. One of his eyes was cloudy. Plus, George didn't want to abandon the shells he had gathered. The stranger promised the younger boy that he could store the shells in a nearby boathouse. He even sweetened the deal by offering George a quarter for his time.
Starting point is 00:01:14 George couldn't refuse the promise of 25 cents, so he followed the older boy. But upon entering the abandoned boathouse, he felt uneasy. The rickety shack was spooky. When George tried to leave, the other boy blocked his path, a menacing look flashing in his wall. one good eye. He held a length of rope in his hands. Before George could cry out for help, the boy pushed him down and pinned him to the floor. There was no errand, and his dark game was just getting started. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. This is serial killers, a podcast original.
Starting point is 00:02:07 Every week, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're digging into the story of Jesse Pomeroy. here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other podcast originals for free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To stream serial killers for free on Spotify, just open the app and type serial killers in the search bar. This is the first of a two-part series covering Jesse Pomeroy, one of the youngest serial
Starting point is 00:02:37 killers in U.S. history. Today, we'll explore Jesse's upbringing, his early crimes, and what transformed him from childhood bully to teenage murderer. In our next episode, we'll explore Jesse's further descent into madness and the evidence that led investigators to his capture. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify.
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Starting point is 00:05:00 for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric. church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at yamava Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Must be 21 to enter. In 1859, Charlestown, Massachusetts was one of the most dangerous areas in Boston, and on November 29th, Jesse Harding-Pomeroy became its newest resident. Jesse's parents, Thomas and Ruth Ann, already had their hands full with their
Starting point is 00:05:48 first son, two-year-old Charles, but they welcomed the new addition. But that welcome was short-lived. Thomas, a Civil War veteran, dock worker, and abusive alcoholic was hard on Jesse. The young boy was born sickly and with a cleft palate. Thomas saw this as a sign of weakness and spent Jesse's formative years systematically rejecting him. As time went on, an unknown illness caused a thick, milky white film to permanently covered Jesse's right eye. In addition to his cleft palate, Jesse's unsettling eye was yet another reason his father looked on him with repulsion. He was, however, able to find love and safety in the arms of his mother, Ruth Ann. She cherished Jesse and constantly told him how handsome and special
Starting point is 00:06:38 he was. Unfortunately, Ruth Ann's love couldn't protect him outside the home. Jesse was frequently bullied at school. In addition to his facial issues, Jesse also had an abnormally large head and frame. Unsurprisingly, older kids seized on his appearance as reasons to torment him. Some days, the torture was too much, and Jesse snuck off campus in between classes. On one such day, he fled to the docks, hoping to find solace with his father. Instead, he was met with anger. Thomas, ashamed of Jesse's appearance, felt embarrassed in front of his coworkers.
Starting point is 00:07:19 He forcefully led his son home, then stripped him, tied him to a beam, and lashed him with a horsewhip. This kind of physical abuse from Thomas was reportedly a staple for the Pomeroy family. Thomas' alcoholism, coupled with his temper, led to frequent physical abuse of Jesse and his brother, and constant arguments with Ruthanne. fearful of his father's outbursts and continually tormented at school, Jesse seized power the only way he could by bullying anyone smaller and weaker than him. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg.
Starting point is 00:08:07 According to Marianne Byrne, a licensed counselor specializing in child, in adolescent therapy, this behavior is common in abuse victims like Jesse. When left untreated, they can grow up with anxiety, depression, and social phobias. Some become self-destructive, which can result in their dropping out of school, retreating from society, self-harming, or dying by suicide. Others, like Jesse Pomeroy, become bullies themselves. But bullying wasn't Jesse's only outlet for his pain. At some stage in his adolescence, He discovered dime store Western novels. They offered him a world he could get lost in,
Starting point is 00:08:47 but it was a world intended for adults. While most readers identified with the hero, Jesse liked to imagine himself as the villainous character of Simon Gertie. As a young boy, Gertie was captured by Native Americans and assimilated into their culture. He later served as a liaison between the British and their native allies during the American Revolution. On the page, Gertie was frequently painted as an evil renegade and traitor.
Starting point is 00:09:16 Jesse was enthralled by the way Gertie talked about as prisoners of war and the many ways in which they could be put to death. The captives were stripped naked, beaten, branded with burning twigs, and repeatedly shot at point-blank range. They begged for mercy, a request Gertie never granted. But these depictions of torture were only written in passing. There was never enough detail to satisfy Jesse's curiosity. Jesse knew real violence at the hand of his father.
Starting point is 00:09:47 It was so much worse than the way his Western stories described it. Jesse knew he could be just like Gertie. He wanted to make others hurt like he did. So he sought out animals in the streets. He allegedly captured small creatures, mostly cats, and took them home. He tied them up to the same beam where his father punished him. and replayed the scenes he'd so enjoyed reading about. He tortured the defense of animals, his captives, until they were dead.
Starting point is 00:10:19 According to Dr. Chris Hensley, professor of criminal justice, many serial killers start with killing animals because they've felt a sense of rejection from their parents or someone they love. Sometimes this rejection is perceived, other times it's real. But rather than lashing out at the person who hurt them, they start with something that's weaker, something they have power over, something that can't fight back. And according to writer Harold Schechter, Jesse wasn't only killing the neighborhood cats. Eventually, Ruthanne noticed that her beloved songbirds were disappearing from the house.
Starting point is 00:10:56 She suspected that Jessie was behind it. Her yellow canaries turned up by the outhouse. The heads were ripped from their tiny bodies. Ultimately, Ruthanne decided to ignore the incident. blinded by her love for Jesse, she told herself she couldn't be sure her son was responsible. However, when she caught Jesse torturing a neighbor's cat, Ruth Ann had to face the truth. Hoping to nip the troubling behavior in the bud, she told her sons that they were no longer allowed to own pets. As far as we can tell, Ruthanne never punished Jesse for his brutal acts beyond the ban on pets.
Starting point is 00:11:34 Fearing Thomas' retribution, she kept the knowledge of her son. son's disturbing violent tendencies to herself. But by then, Jesse was growing bored of animals. He wanted human targets, once he could easily control and overpower if necessary. He found his first purported victim when he was 12. On December 26, 1871, Jesse noticed four-year-old William Payne playing unsupervised near the Pomeroy house. With the promise of candy, Jesse lured the bullsonsored the bulls.
Starting point is 00:12:09 Boy to Powderhorn Hill, a mountain near his home in Charlestown. Once there and safely out of sight, Jesse dragged William to a small shed, tied his hands to a beam, and stripped him naked, just like Jesse's father did to him. According to psychologist Nathan A. Heflik, children of aggressive parents are likely to mirror their combative nature. Mimicking his father's blind rage, Jesse beat and whipped William. He ignored the child's cries for help and tortured the young boy within an inch of his life. When he was done, Jesse left him in the shed, bound and alone.
Starting point is 00:12:50 Hours later, two men out hunting heard William's cries coming from the shack. They found the frightened little boy slipping in and out of consciousness, hypothermia had set in. When the two men attempted to touch the boy, he shrieked with pain. His back was covered in welts, bruises, and blood from the abuse. They gingerly picked William up and brought him to the police station. According to writer Mark Gribbon, the boy was too traumatized to describe his tormentor to the police. Although they filed a report, Jesse got away with the attack. Jesse had finally achieved what he so desperately craved, power over someone else.
Starting point is 00:13:33 Inside that shed, he was king, and no one could take him. take that feeling away. It was the ultimate high. But Jesse's high only lasted about two months. Life after the attack began to feel monotonous again, and he craved the rush of violence. It was time to choose his next victim. Coming up, Jesse's sadistic attacks terrorized Charlestown. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out to travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points.
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Starting point is 00:14:55 Marvel television's Daredevil, Born Again, now streaming only on Disney Plus. Now back to the story. In December of 1871, 12-year-old Jesse Pomeroy attacked his first human victim. He reportedly tortured four-year-old. old William Payne in an abandoned shack near Powderhorn Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Two months passed and no one suspected Jesse of the attack. Eager to spill more blood, he set out on a cold February afternoon, a predator seeking out his prey. While the adults stayed warm inside, children braved the snow-blanketed streets to play.
Starting point is 00:15:38 In his father's bulky old coat, Jesse looked like a mountainous hunter as he approached his target, seven-year-old Tracy Hayden. Tracy was on his way home after a snowball fight with friends, but before he could make it inside, Jesse made his move. Jesse accosted Tracy and asked him if he wanted to see the soldiers just over Powderhorn Hill. Tracy was thrown by Jesse's milky eye, but he couldn't refuse such an exciting opportunity. Tracy had several toy soldiers at home, but he had never seen the real thing.
Starting point is 00:16:12 He figured he could stand to be home a little late. Excited, he took Jesse's hand. Jesse led Tracy up the mountain to the same shack where he tortured William Payne a few months earlier. Once they entered, Tracy sensed that something wasn't right and tried to leave. But before Tracy could reach the door, Jesse dove onto him. He bound Tracy's hands with rope and ripped off his clothes. then he beat and whipped his captive. The beating was so severe he broke Tracy's nose, blackened both eyes, and knocked his front teeth loose.
Starting point is 00:16:51 Having fed his sadistic desires, Jesse finally stopped. Before he left, he knelt down and warned Tracy not to tell anyone about what happened. His victim could only nod as he coughed up blood. But Jesse wanted to be sure. He leaned in close and uttered a threat. His voice barely louder than a whisper. If Tracy told anyone, Jesse would find him and castrate him. With that, Jesse left the shack. Tracy shuddered on the floor of the shack, his body trembling, not just from pain, but the piercing cold. Eventually, he summoned the strength to stand. He struggled into his clothes and hobbled home.
Starting point is 00:17:39 When he walked through the front door, Tracy's parents were horrified by his appearance. They tended to his wounds and took him to the police station. But Jesse's warning played over and over in his head. The only statement Tracy was able to utter was, he had brown hair. For a second time, Jesse Pomeroy had gotten away with a vicious attack, and his confidence soared. Surely nothing could stop him from fulfilling any of his violent desire. He just had to wait for the right moment once more. That moment arrived just a few months later, on May 20th, 1872.
Starting point is 00:18:22 That day, 12-year-old Jesse crossed paths with 8-year-old Robert Meyer. With the promise of an extra ticket to the circus, Jesse coaxed the young boy to the familiar shack near Powder Horn Hill. Like with his other victims, Jesse stripped, bound, and beat Robert. But this time, his torture allegedly took on a psychological aspect as well. Excited by the pain he was inflicting, Jesse danced around and laughed. He swore it, Robert, and noticed that the profanity
Starting point is 00:18:53 caused his victim to wince. Intrigued, Jesse demanded that Robert repeat the obscenities. When he refused, Jesse beat him with a stick. Unable to take the pain any longer, Robert gave in. Hoping to stop the beating, he said what Jesse wanted to hear. In response, Jesse punished him for the transgression. He hit him harder. As the beating became increasingly aggressive and Robert's obvious pain intensified, Jesse's satisfaction turned sexual.
Starting point is 00:19:26 According to Gribbon, he began to masturbate. When he was done, he threatened Robert with castration if he told anyone what happened. Jesse then fled, leaving Robert to be found a few hours later. As he strolled home, Jesse was experiencing a new type of high. His torture had evolved into sexual sadism. According to criminal profiler, Dr. Deborah Sherman Coughlin, sadists inflict pain on someone to see the terrified victim's reaction, tears streaming down the victim's face,
Starting point is 00:20:03 expressions of terror, and pleading for mercy are reactions that can cause arousal for the sadist. Sherman Coughlin goes on to say that, these offenders often script what they want to happen, giving the victim lines to say as if in a movie, they need their victim to play a part in their violent fantasy. After Robert's traumatic experience with Jesse's sexual sadism, he obeyed his attacker's warning. Robert only told police what Jesse had done, not who had done it. This left Jesse free to terrorize more local children. After three attacks, the parents of Charlestown were in
Starting point is 00:20:41 in a state of panic. The police still didn't have a suspect. They only knew that they were looking for a large kid with brown hair. Officers canvassed the streets, interviewing as many brown-haired teenage boys as they could find, but their search for the culprit was fruitless.
Starting point is 00:20:59 Unhappy with the investigator's progress, the community formed a vigilante group. Neighbors worked in shifts, patrolling the streets day and night. Meanwhile, newspapers picked up the story, Journalists labeled the mystery assailant, the boy torturer. Children stopped spending time on the streets, terrified of becoming the next victim. Meanwhile, the police offered a $500 reward for any information leading to the boy torturer's arrest. Rumors about potential suspects ran through the town.
Starting point is 00:21:33 Although the police reports were of an older boy with brown hair, whispers spread that the perpetrator had red hair and a matching be able. So that's who worried parents warn their children to stay away from. A bearded man. Not a 12-year-old boy. With everyone looking in the wrong direction, Jesse decided to search for a new victim. On July 22, about two months after his last attack,
Starting point is 00:22:00 he struck again. This time, he promised seven-year-old John Balch money in return for helping him run an errand. The seven-year-old was all too excited to follow Jesse into the woods, but that excitement faded once they reached the abandoned shack. John attempted to flee, but Jesse pounced on him. He tied the boy up and stripped him of his clothes. Wanting to relive his previous high, Jesse whipped John while masturbating,
Starting point is 00:22:32 according to Gribbon. When he was finished, he threatened to kill John if he told anyone that Jesse was behind the attack. When it traumatized John was taken to the police, he told them that he never got a clear look at his assailant. The authorities knew that John was the boy torturer's latest victim, but they still had no way of identifying Jesse as the attacker. Jesse relished the uproar he was causing. Being able to terrify both children and adults was the ultimate ego boost for the 12-year-old. For once in his young life, he was the authority.
Starting point is 00:23:08 in charge every time he took someone up to the shack. But at home, nothing had changed. His father Thomas still drank heavily and couldn't stand the sight of his youngest son. On a summer night in 1872, Jesse and Thomas reportedly got into a violent argument. Jesse stormed out, but his father ran after him. When Thomas caught up with him, he dragged Jesse back home. Jesse was humiliated as neighbors stood and watched. At home, Thomas tore his son's clothes off and whipped him with a belt.
Starting point is 00:23:46 It was a horrifyingly familiar scene to everyone in the house, but Ruth Ann had finally seen enough. She said to have grabbed a knife and threatened to kill Thomas unless he left. Without looking back, Thomas walked out the front door. Soon after, Ruth filed for divorce and moved to South Boston with her sons. Needing to support her family, she also opened her own dress shop.
Starting point is 00:24:13 But Ruth Ann's divorce wasn't the real reason for the move. As newspapers continued to publish details of the boy torturer's crimes, Jessie's mother noticed the frightening familiarity of the torture. While other parents in the town feared for their child's safety, Ruth Ann feared that her son was the source of the horror. But she kept her suspicions to her son, She never confronted Jesse.
Starting point is 00:24:38 Instead, she hoped a new home would be the fresh start her family needed. Unfortunately, it wasn't. All she'd done was bring her son to a new, bigger, hunting ground. Coming up, Jesse Pomeroy picks up right where he left off. Now, back to the story. In August of 1872, Ruth Ann Pomeroy escaped her abusive marriage and moved her two sons, 12-year-old Jesse and 14-year-old Charles to South Boston, Massachusetts. With her husband out of the picture, Ruth no longer feared for the safety of her young boys,
Starting point is 00:25:19 but she may have feared that Jesse might be the boy torturer described in local newspapers. So she moved her family from Charlestown to South Boston and opened up her own dress shop. Divorce was something of a taboo subject at the time, so she simply told people that she as summer melted away, the kids in Jesse's new neighborhood took full advantage of the heat and played outside at all hours. No one in South Boston feared the boy torturer. That was Charlestown's problem, so children weren't warned and parents weren't worried. But they should have been. On a sweltering day in late August of 1872, seven-year-old George Pratt was alone, looking for shells at the beach. Jesse approached and offered George a corridor if he helped him run an errand.
Starting point is 00:26:15 George was elated. The thought of all the things he could buy with 25 cents was tantalizing. The candy store would surely be his first destination after helping out his new friend. But George never saw that shiny new corridor. Far away from his usual torture shack, Jesse had to improvise. He led George to an abandoned boathouse, tied him down, and stripped him. Jesse took off his belt and whipped George with the buckle. When the boy's back was covered in blood, Jesse danced with glee. Then he straddled his victim and lifted the child's arms above his head. Brandishing a sewing needle, Jesse punctured George under his arms.
Starting point is 00:26:59 George attempted to protect himself by rolling over. Furious, Jesse bit at George's face and buttocks. He then issued his customary warning. not to tell anyone what happened before running away. The stripping, the beating, the biting. Jesse's ammo was evolving at an alarming rate. Dr. Deborah Sherman Coughlin states that serial sadists spend their entire lives fantasizing about and creating new ways to make a person suffer.
Starting point is 00:27:30 No longer satisfied with beating his victims, Jesse was more closely recreating the torture from his favorite dime store Western novels. Watching his young victim squirm and beg made him feel godlike in his own twisted world. Meanwhile, the local news coverage fed his growing superiority complex. Each story that was published sent forth a new wave of dread over the town. And Jesse loved it. He reveled in the panic. Ruthanne was again overwhelmed by fears and suspicion,
Starting point is 00:28:05 but blinded by her love for Jesse, she couldn't admit the obvious. Dr. William Healy, an expert in childhood special education, describes this stage of behavior as neutrality when parents develop a level of acceptance for their child's condition. Ruth Ann's level of neutrality, combined with her denial, only enabled Jessie's continued worsening abuse. The escalation of violence in the latest attack and the assailant's new location
Starting point is 00:28:35 forced the police and neighborhood vigilantes to widen their manhunt. Unfortunately, like before, they made no progress in finding a suspect. Twelve-year-old Jesse wasn't deterred by the increased scrutiny. If anything, he was ready to go even further. As he considered his next move, residents of South Boston were left to wonder just how far the boy torturer would go. Less than three weeks later, on September 5th, Jesse was walking the streets of South Boston when he met six-year-old Harry Austin. With the promise of money, he lured Harry to a vacant railroad bridge.
Starting point is 00:29:16 Not veering from his established routine, Jesse bound Harry's wrists, then stripped him naked. Jesse knew he wanted to repeat the excruciating pain he inflicted on George with the sewing needles. Only this time, instead of needles, he brought a knife. After whipping his captive, Jesse brandished the blade and stabbed Harry. Harry's underarms. He then slashed his back and legs before mutilating the boy's genitals. Having satiated his desire to inflict pain, Jesse left Harry for dead. After losing so much blood, Harry had no strength left to scream. He lay motionless on the railway bridge, teetering dangerously close to death.
Starting point is 00:30:02 Luckily, a passer-by came across Harry and rushed him to the closest hospital. Afraid his attacker would come back to finish the job, Harry apparently told the police nothing. Jesse remained free to walk the streets, seemingly unstoppable. No one could stand in his way. Incorporating a knife into his twisted game brought him to a new high. It wasn't long before he felt the need to get his fix again. Indeed, he waited only six days before seeking out his next victim, seven-year-old Joseph Kennedy. Jesse He repeated a similar pattern. Joseph was bound at the wrists, whipped, beaten, sliced, and forced to wash his wounds in salt water, then threatening to kill him if he didn't comply. Jesse
Starting point is 00:30:49 made Joseph recite the Lord's Prayer. The extreme control and violence was like an addiction for Jesse, one he couldn't walk away from. He waited less than a week before persuading five-year-old Charles Gould to follow him with the promise of meeting soldiers. Walking along the Hartford and Erie railroad track, Jesse beat the child over the head, removed all of his clothes, and tied him to a telegraph pole. This time, he decided to change the game a little. He brought along a second, larger knife in place of his customary whip. Using both blades, he lacerated Charles's face. Charles pleaded
Starting point is 00:31:32 for his attacker to stop, but this only fueled Jesse's frenzy. he was interrupted by approaching railroad workers. Panicked, Jesse tucked away his knives and sprinted in the other direction. He didn't have time to warn Charles to keep his mouth shut. The railroad workers were more concerned with Charles's wounds than with chasing after Jesse. They rushed the wounded boy to the hospital, where reported 50 stitches were applied to his mangled face. According to Schechter, when questioned by the police, Charles described attacker as a big bad boy with a funny eye. When asked to elaborate, Charles compared
Starting point is 00:32:14 it to a white marble. Elated to finally have a break in the case, police asked Charles to accompany them from school to school, hoping he could point out his attacker. But Charles' parents refused to let their son leave the hospital. Not wanting to lose their only lead, the police turned to Joseph Kennedy, hoping the seven-year-old would be able to help them. But Joseph was too terrified to say anything. Jesse's threat was fresh in his mind. The investigators were patient with a nervous child. They took their time and reassured Joseph
Starting point is 00:32:48 that no harm would come to him or his family. Finally, Joseph agreed to help. On the late September afternoon, 1872, Jesse and his classmates were engrossed in schoolwork when there was a knock on the door. When Jesse looked up, he was hit with a wave of panic. There stood Joseph Kennedy, flanked by two police officers. Jesse's heart pounded louder and louder, reverberating in his chest as Joseph's eyes scanned the room. He formulated an escape plan, jump out the open window. But then what? While Jesse stared down at his desk, mind-racing, Joseph glanced right over him without even pausing, seemingly satisfied that his attacker was not in the room, Joseph and his police escort continued onto another class. Relief flooded over Jesse.
Starting point is 00:33:47 Had he gotten lucky? Had Joseph remembered his threat? Or was the seven-year-old simply unable to identify the boy torturer? Whatever the reason, curiosity took hold of Jesse on his way home from school that afternoon. He decided to walk by the police station. Arrogant and proud, he couldn't leave well enough alone. Something made him want to test his luck, and he entered the bustling station. Officers of all ranks walked by him as though he wasn't even there. For a fleeting moment, Jesse felt truly invincible. His mere presence in the station was the ultimate taunt,
Starting point is 00:34:27 but his bliss soon came to a screeching halt. Feeling a set of eyes locked on him, Jesse glimpsed over his shoulder. He froze, and the bulls were. Blood left his face. Standing just five feet away from him was Joseph Kennedy. The two stared at each other. Those few seconds stretched into an eternity. Then Joseph yelled out, That's him. That's him. Jesse bolted. Officers sprang into action. Jesse was tackled, subdued, and dragged back inside the station. After Joseph positively identified the 12-year-old, investigators began questioning.
Starting point is 00:35:08 questioning Jesse. While he was being interviewed, police rounded up Jesse's other victims and brought them in. One by one, they confirmed that Jesse was their attacker, but he stubbornly maintained his innocence throughout the interrogation. According to Gribbon, it wasn't until they threatened Jesse with 100 years in prison that he finally confessed. A wave of relief enveloped the station. his confession, Jesse was brought before a juvenile justice magistrate. His weeping mother was there
Starting point is 00:35:41 waiting for him. She watched as each of her son's victims confirmed that Jesse was the monster she always feared him to be. But even in the face of all these victims, Ruthanne refused to face the truth. When given the opportunity to speak, she declared her son innocent. Despite all evidence to the contrary, she insisted that he was a good boy. When the magistrate asked him why he did it, Jesse only said, I couldn't help myself. Clearly, he wasn't remorseful, but the magistrate was determined to levy the harshest sentence possible.
Starting point is 00:36:20 But because Jesse was just 12 years old, the court was limited in their options for punishment. He was given six years in the Massachusetts State Reform School, the first of its kind in the nation. Jesse stood in front of the court, emotionless. If he was scared, it didn't show. His mother, however, fought back her tears. Despite the accusations, she still couldn't bring herself to admit
Starting point is 00:36:46 her son was the boy torturer. Some reprieve was offered, though. The magistrate declared that Jesse's sentence would be lessened if he displayed good behavior. That finally got a reaction out of the boy. As Jesse was taken away, both he and his mother were focused on one shared goal, early release. Ruthanne couldn't bear the thought of her son being locked up for years. And as for Jesse, he couldn't wait to resume his sadistic fantasies.
Starting point is 00:37:30 Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back on Thursday with part two of Jesse Pomeroy's story. We'll see how both Jesse and his mother worked to do. to put him back on the streets of Boston. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other Parcast originals for free on Spotify. Not only does Spotify already have all of your favorite music, but now Spotify's making it easy for you
Starting point is 00:37:55 to enjoy all of your favorite podcast originals like Serial Killers for free from your phone, desktop, or smart speaker. To stream serial killers on Spotify, just open the app and type Serial Killers in the search bar. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler and is a podcast studio's original.
Starting point is 00:38:21 Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Mike Ramos, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, and Joshua Kern. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Matt Clifford with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon and stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson. Spring isn't just about clearing clutter.
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Starting point is 00:39:08 is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat
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