Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Boy Torturer of Boston” Pt. 2: Jesse Pomeroy

Episode Date: June 18, 2020

Sent to a reform school for the remainder of his childhood, Jesse Pomeroy, and his distraught mother, had one shared goal in mind: early release. After only 17 months away, they'd got their wish. And by 1874, Jesse was free to continue his attacks—and this time, he was ready to kill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for listeners under 13. On a sunny April afternoon in 1874, 11-year-old George Power and his brother, 13-year-old James, arrived at Savon Hill Beach in Boston, Massachusetts. They were hoping to find clams, but their timing was off. The rush of high tide pooled around their ankles, which made the search fruitless.

So they opted for beachcombing instead. George took the lead, scouring the shoreline for valuables. They hadn't been at it long when George yelled out in horror. James, deaf since birth, couldn't hear his younger brother scream, but noticed his panicked waving. James printed towards George, but stopped short when he saw what was causing his brother's distress. In front of them was a small clam bake pit with empty shells scattered about. Stretched out inside was the half-naked corpse of four-year-old Horace Millen. It was clear he'd been the victim of brutal savagery.

There were stab wounds all over Horace's tiny body, including one to his right eyelid. He'd nearly been castrated. Slashes on his hands showed how he had tried in vain to defend himself against his attacker. As they ran to find help, George and James surely wondered who could do this to a child. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Cereal Killers, a podcast original. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today we'll finish our look into the life of Jesse Pomerone. The Boy Torturer of Boston.

I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other parcast 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. In our last episode, we explored Jesse's early childhood.

Bullied at school and abused by his father at home. A deep rage took hold in Jesse. By the time he was 12, he was kidnapping and torturing young boys from his neighborhood. Today, we'll follow Jesse's progression from torturous sadist to teenage murderer. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels.

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Details at Yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. In September of 1872, 12-year-old Jesse Pomeroy was unmasked as the infamous boy torturer of Boston and sentenced to six years

at the Massachusetts State Reform School. But if he showed improved behavior, he would be eligible for early release. With that in mind, Jesse entered the school with a clear goal, become the perfect prisoner. But as he was being led to his new home, a wave of anxiety crashed down on him. He could only imagine the bullying

that awaited him behind those brick walls. His oversized frame and glassy white eye already marked him for torment at school, and this institution couldn't be any bitter. He was prepared for the worst. But his fears were for not. Inside the school, Jesse was the feared one. Of the 90 boys admitted to the school that year,

Jesse was only one of two convicted for crimes involving a knife. The majority of the cohort were there for petty larceny or breaking and entering. Though he showed a taste for power and notoriety on the outside, Jesse knew embracing his dangerous persona wouldn't help him win early release. So he kept his head down, followed the rules and, within a couple of months, was noted as an exemplary student. For now, he mastered his dark urges in service of his greater goal. Vanessa's going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode.

Please note, Vanessa's not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. As we discussed last week, Jesse reportedly showed several attributes of being a sexual sadist. According to psychologist and criminologist, Dr. Richard N. Kochisch, a serial sadist like Jesse, can learn to manage his impulses. He can blend into a new environment and come across as charming, or even happy. It's possible for them to look at authority figures as easily manipulated, as tools to fulfill long-term desires. For years he'd fooled his mother into thinking he was a

sweet, innocent boy. Even now, she fought for his release, in comparison to his watchful mother, convincing the authorities at the school was child's play. Jesse was merely playing a part at the Reform School. He had his sights set on an early release, but his good behavior served more than that. It also helped him survive. From the outside, the school's image was one of kindly parental discipline. But the truth was much darker.

Inmates who were caught fighting or attempting to escape were often dragged to a dark dark, damp, poorly ventilated room where they were shackled to the floor. Sometimes they were left there for days with nothing but bread and water. In other instances, boys were locked in a sweatbox, about seven feet high and 15 inches wide. Other methods of reform included straight jackets, gags, and flogging. Eventually, Jesse's status as an outstanding inmate paid dividends. Authorities appointed him Hall Monitor and he was putting in charge of his dorm. For the first time since his torturous spree, Jesse was in a position

of power. He reveled in it. He allegedly took advantage of his new role, blackmailing inmates into describing their experiences with the school's brutal punishments. The more detail they gave him, the better. He'd finally found an outlet for his darker fascinations. Maybe the reform school wasn't so bad after all. But while Jesse found his place in the school, life For his mother was bleak. Ruth Ann Pomeroy struggled emotionally. She refused to believe that her son was the boy torturer. While Jessie flourished in his new surroundings,

Ruth Ann was the subject of gossip and rumor. A pariah, the majority of her time, was spent working in the dress shop that she owned. Customers would frequent the store. But Ruth Ann suspected many only came to get a glimpse of her rather than to purchase anything. When she wasn't working, she devoted her free time to appealing her son's incarceration.

She wrote countless letters to the Reform School, the courts, and the police, maintaining Jesse's innocence. She insisted that no 12-year-old boy, her son included, was capable of committing such atrocities. Just as she had at his trial, Ruthanne described Jesse as a sweet young boy, incapable of hurting anyone. She also argued that Jesse's confession was made under duress

and was wrongfully coerced. Adding to that, she wrote that it was unlawful that neither she nor a lawyer were present during her son's interrogation. When her letters went unanswered, she persisted. Ruth Ann wrote and wrote, knowing that she needed just one person to empathize with her plight. Like Jessie, she was fixated on a clear goal. And finally, her perseverance paid off. A state investigator who worked to examine criminal cases and evidence after the fact, read her letters and paid Ruth Ann a visit. When he entered her home, he felt a rush of sympathy for the small, frail woman. Life had taken its toll on Ruth Ann, and she looked well beyond her 33 years.

However, he wasn't swayed by her arguments. He remained stent-fast in his belief that Jesse was indeed the boy torturer. But getting a closer look at the matter, he was convinced that Jesse's issues stemmed from the abuse suffered at the hands of his father. He also saw a woman in need, a mother who was working tirelessly to provide for her eldest son, 15-year-old Charles. Charles was doing his bit to help out. He was in charge of a local newsstand, but that left Ruthanne to run the dress shop alone. She needed help with the day-to-day business of the store. Ruthanne persuaded the investigator that, under her watchful eye, Jesse, would be a diligent

worker at the family business. He would prove, she promised, that he could be an upstanding member of the community. And she gave her word that if he were released, Jesse wouldn't be any trouble. According to Dr. Marcia Soroda, founder of the Ruthless Compassion Institute, parents do their kids no favors when they're in denial of their child's capacity for behaving badly. In Ruthanne's case, she wanted to protect Jesse from receiving any in-the-world consequences for his actions. Dr. Serota goes on to say that when parents protect their children from the consequences of their actions, they're in fact abandoning them. When parents make sure that authority figures never dole out consequences for wrongdoings, they reinforce the message that the child need not

ever consider the effects of their behavior on others. Ruthanne was in a state of denial about Jesse's crimes, but won over the state investigator by telling him everything he needed to hear. In his report, he recommended that Jesse be released early into the care of his mother. He wrote that the boy would benefit more from working alongside Ruth Ann at her dress store than he would staying in reform school. The captain of police agreed with the recommendation, believing Jesse deserved a chance at redemption. After hearing of his impeccable record as an inmate,

a magistrate was also convinced that Jesse had indeed been reformed. So, on February 6, 1874, 14-year-old Jesse Pomeroy walked out the front door of the Massachusetts State Reform School. He had served only 16 months of his six-year sentence. Ruth Ann was waiting to greet him with open arms. Their tenacity and patience had given mother and son exactly what they both wanted. Jesse, for his part, had perfectly worked the system. He donned his sheep's clothing and convinced everyone he needed to that his contrition was genuine and not a mere facade.

With little fanfare and zero coverage in the press, the boy torturer of Boston was once again free to roam the streets. Coming up, Jesse Pomeroy transforms from sadistic torturer to full-fledged killer. Now back to the story. In 1874, after 16 months in reform school, 14-year-old Jesse Pomeroy was once again roaming the streets of Boston, Massachusetts. He won early release with his own flawless behavior and a concerted effort from his mother, Ruth Ann. However, Jesse was far from reformed. He'd put on a convincing act that led authorities to believe that he was a changed boy,

but his time behind bars did nothing to alter his true, devious nature. For the most part, Jesse's life back home started out uneventfully. By mid-February, he'd found a routine that allowed him to maintain a low profile. Under the condition of his release, Jesse was to be under constant supervision of his mother. As he worked alongside her in her dress shop, this was easily done. He diligently performed his duties, proving to Ruth Ann that her faith in him had not been misplaced. But he could only keep up appearances for so long, With each passing day, his true nature bubbled closer and closer to the surface.

According to Dr. Hervey Cleckley, a leading pioneer in the field of psychopathy, someone like Jesse would need constant stimulation in order to feel anything. A psychopath and sadist of his nature gets bored easily and will do anything to overcome that tedium. It would take a little over a month for the restlessness to become unbearable. On the morning of March 18, 1874, Jesse woke with a splitting headache. To him, this meant that he'd bottled up his dark desires for too long. His body couldn't take it anymore. Though she was supposed to supervise him at all times,

Ruth Ann seemed content to let Jesse spend time alone, and he was allowed to open the store by himself. As he walked to work that day, Jesse resisted the urge to scour the streets for a new victim. him. Once at the store, he followed his normal routine, opening the shop and preparing everything for his mother's arrival later that day. With his chores complete, all that was left to do was wait for Ruthanne and customers. Restless, Jesse sat at the counter, watching everyone pass by. His mind raced. He was desperate, a sadistic predator who missed the hunt. He briefly thought about closing up the store for a couple of hours to prowl, but with

was concerned that word would get back to his mother. Anxious, Jesse fought against his building desires and resolved to wait until another time. The perfect opportunity would come along if he was patient. Incidentally, he wouldn't have to wait very long. As he sat there, waiting for his mother to arrive, 10-year-old Katie Curran walked into the store, hoping to buy a notebook for school.

She reportedly explained to Jesse that she was, wasn't able to find notebooks at other stores, but hoped that he could help her out. Jesse couldn't believe his luck, but he hesitated. Had anyone seen Katie enter the store? By now, news of his release had made its way around town, so he knew that if something happened to the girl, suspicion would fall on him. He also knew that his mother could walk in at any minute. There was a lot to think about, and not much time to decide.

His hesitations were brief, though, as impulse. took over. He told Katie that he could help her find just what she was looking for downstairs. He motioned for her to follow him into the basement. As Katie made her way to the back of the store and down the narrow staircase, Jesse made sure she stayed within arm's reach. He needed to time this perfectly. With each step into the dim, empty cellar, Jesse's anticipation grew.

He sensed Katie's mounting confusion and relished, watching her face shift from worry to outright fear. When the moment was right, he snatched the girl and put his hand over her mouth. Brandishing a knife, he kept in his trousers. Jesse repeatedly stabbed his victim in the abdomen and genitals. Kicking and screaming, Katie managed to break free. But before she could run upstairs, Jesse grabbed her by the hair and cut her throat. Jesse dragged Katie's body behind the water closet, where he concealed it with rocks and ash. He then proceeded to mop the blood from the floor and clean off his knife before returning upstairs and resuming his position at the front desk.

He luckily managed to keep his clothes clean of any blood. Jesse stared at the counter, replaying over and over what just happened. Following his impulse had led him to murder. It was a high from which he didn't want to come down. Often killers will reflect on the aftermath of their attacks, noting a distinct high they experienced. Clinical and forensic psychologist Joni E. Johnston likens this high to the hit of dopamine in someone with behavioral addiction. Jesse, feeling stressed and desperate to attack again, finally released it all in one moment.

Johnston suggests that just as people with physical addictions build up a stronger tolerance to their stimulant, so too might a killer's need to take a life become more powerful, more frequent, and more all-consuming. While Jessie considered his new status as killer, Katie's parents worried when their daughter didn't return home from school. According to writer Mark Ribbon, she wasn't the type to run off or stay out late. When they learned that she missed all of her classes that day, they went to the police. As Jesse suspected, Katie's disappearance in his neighborhood was quickly tied to him. But his alibi was airtight. He was at work all day, a fact Ruth Ann confirmed. Though she had failed in her promise to keep him under watchful eye, she trusted him.

Besides, no one had seen Jesse with Katie the day she disappeared. Plus, the infamous boy torturer never targeted young girls. As authorities shifted their focus elsewhere, rumors began to swirl about Katie's disappearance. One witness claimed to have seen Katie ride off in a carriage on the day she went missing. Others believed that she was kidnapped due to the differing religious affiliations of her parents. Her father was Catholic, her mother, a Protestant. Gossips claim that her father secretly arranged to have Katie enrolled in a convent. But without any solid leads, police were at a standstill.

They had no body, no witnesses, and their only suspect had a solid alibi. The mayor of Boston, seeing fear and panic spread throughout the town, offered a $500 reward to anyone who could provide information about Katie's whereabouts. Unfortunately, no one came forward, and authorities were stuck. Jesse was off the hook and free to plan his next attack. He had missed this sense of power, watching the town squirm while he knew the truth. It made him feel unstoppable. He knew authorities suspected his involvement in Katie's disappearance, but he just didn't care.

Now it was only a matter of time before he struck again. Jesse remained patient, once again waiting for the perfect opportunity to take his next victim. But he needed his next hit. he wanted to experience the euphoric high he'd had after killing Katie, wearing a cap and keeping his head down. He made his way through alleyways and side streets. He hoped to lure children with his tried and true promises of candy, money, or tickets to the circus. But by now, most of the neighborhood kids were forewarned about Jesse and his cloudy white eye,

so they refused his offers. Less than two weeks after murdering Katie Kern, Jesse noticed. five-year-old Harry Field, all alone in an empty lot. According to writer Harold Schechter, Jesse approached the little boy and pretended to be lost. He offered Harry five cents if he would take Jesse to the street he was looking for. Excited by the offer of money, Harry's face lit up. He happily agreed to help. When they reached their destination, Harry held out his hand for his nickel.

Instead, Jesse overpowered him and dragged him to him. towards a more secluded area. At that moment, another teenager who recognized Jesse happened to walk by. The teen, seeing Jesse with a young boy, interceded, correctly guessing what he was up to. Jesse feigned innocence, but the other boy wasn't buying it. While the two teens verbally squared off, Harry maneuvered out of Jesse's grasp and ran home. Jesse realized that the town was more vigilant than in the past. They knew he was on the prowl once again.

If he wanted to relive that high he experienced by killing Katie, he'd have to be more cunning. Coming up, Jesse Pomeroy ensnars his next victim. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue.

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His first victim was 10-year-old Katie Curran, whose body he hid behind the water closet in the basement of his mother's dress shop. Jesse was desperate to find his next victim, but by now the town was onto him. Children had been warned to stay away from the boy with the white eye, so in the late morning of April 22nd, Jesse trod lightly as he wandered the streets, fixated on finding his next victim. Eventually, he spotted four-year-old Horace Millen. Cautiously, he approached the boy and struck up a conversation.

Horace told Jesse that his family was new to his family. Boston. This was music to the older boy's ears. At last, someone who hadn't been warned about him. Horace had no idea to be careful of older children. His parents hadn't yet heard stories about the infamous boy torturer. Knowing this was the chance he'd been waiting for, Jesse made his play. Horace told him that he was sneaking away to the candy store, so Jesse pretended that's where he was headed too. Once there, Jesse made an excuse to stay out. outside, so no one in the store would recognize him. Horace purchased a small cake and offered to share it with his new friend.

As the two ate and walked, Jesse asked Horace if he would like to see the waterfront. Delighted to what made a new friend, Horace agreed. As they continued their stroll, Jesse was barely listening to what young Horace had to say. Instead, he was plotting how to murder the jubilant four-year-old without people seeing. his last failed attempt, he didn't want anyone interfering. Not this time. Boston was recovering from the worst April snowstorm in 50 years, so Dorchester Bay was empty that afternoon. Still, Jesse wanted to make sure they were completely out of sight, so he took Horace up to Savon Hill Beach. When Horace moved closer to the shoreline, Jesse pounced on the small boy and stripped him up his clothes.

Almost immediately he attempted to slice Horace's throat, but the boy was struggling so hard that Jesse couldn't get close enough. Horace fought fiercely for his life. Switching tactics, Jesse stabbed Horace with as much force as he could muster. Most of the cuts were made to the boy's arms and hands as he flailed to defend himself. As Horace tried to fend off the slashing blade, he left his throat exposed. Jesse didn't hesitate and drew the knife across it. Horace Millen was no longer screaming.

He was no longer moving. Jesse stood above him, watching the life drain from the young body. Not yet done, Jesse delivered a post-mortem stab to Horace's right eye. Satisfied with his work, he then dragged the half-naked body and left it in a clamping pit. Afterwards, Jesse washed off his knife, took a street-down. car back toward his neighborhood and walked around Boston Common before returning home. With his blood-soaked clothes hidden under a large overcoat, no one gave Jesse a second glance. He felt invincible. He knew what no one else did, and he clung to that tiny semblance of power.

Horace Millen's body was discovered a few hours later and taken to the coroner's office. Police canvassed the area, searching for any clues about who might have committed such a heinous act. Officers noticed signs of a struggle in the sand and took a plaster molding of the nearby footprints. Meanwhile, the police captain reviewed the coroner's report. Based on Horace's wounds, Jesse Pomeroy's name was the only one on his list. Severed throat aside, the crime was a mirror image of Jesse's earlier attacks. The next morning, Jesse was brought in for questioning. While the Pomeroyes were still at the station, police ransacked the family's house.

As police questioned him, Jesse seemingly remained calm. He'd already gotten away with murder once, and he fully expected it would happen again. The police, however, knew they had their killer. Hoping to wipe the smirk off Jesse's face, they told him that his boots perfectly matched the footprints found by Horace's body. But Jesse didn't flinch. He gave away nothing. Frustrated, investigators changed tactics. They took Jesse to the funeral home

and forced him to look at Horace's mutilated corpse. For the first time in years, Jesse was struck with emotion. When confronted with Horace's body, the 14-year-old broke down and confessed to his crime. He was arrested on the spot and taken to jail. According to a study out of Harvard and Yale universities. Psychopaths are not incapable of feeling emotions, like regret and disappointment, as we've been led to believe. Instead, the results of the study suggest that

people with psychopathic tendencies are unable to predict which of their actions will lead to later feelings of regret. If this is true, it might explain why Jesse reacted so emotionally when confronted with the realities of his crime. At the time of the murder, he could not anticipate what he might feel in the aftermath, it was a reaction he never expected and his final undoing. Despite his breakdown over Horace's body, Jesse maintained his innocence and Katie's disappearance.

Police still suspected him, but for now, they were satisfied with one confession. They had Horace's killer in custody, and there was no chance of an early release this time. As police celebrated their success, Ruth Ann wept. While Jessie awaited trial, the town turned against her and Charles. Amidst a barrage of verbal threats and vandalism,

Charles closed up his newsstand, and Ruth Ann was forced to run her dressmaking business out of her home. With Ruth Ann's dress shop now empty, the tenant next door rented out the space to expand his own business. He sent a group of workmen to start excavating the cellar. They had barely started work when they came across the grisly sight of Katie Kern's skeletal remains behind the water closet. It was clear that her murder was identical to Horace Mullins. But when asked about it, Jesse remained steadfast in his insistence that he had nothing to do with the brutal slaying.

He claimed to have no idea how Katie's body ended up in the cellar of his mother's dress shop. Without a confession from Jesse, investigators adjusted their angle, once again. As they had earlier, they played on the teenager's emotions. They arrested Ruth Ann and Charles, threatening to charge them with murder. According to Gribben, when he found out about his mother and brother, Jesse came clean at last. He couldn't endure the thought of his family taking the fall for him.

When describing Katie's murder, Jesse's cold, calculating, and unmoved manner revolted authorities. He was undoubtedly a monster, and it was a sentiment echoed in the press. Newspapers printed photos of Jesse, citing his evil looks as evidence of the evil inside his soul. Ruthanne couldn't take it any longer. The stories about her son and the continued threats were tearing her apart. Fearing for their safety, she and Charles moved out of town. When his trial began in December of 1874, Jesse's defense team argued that he was innocent by reason of insanity. To help prove this, they called some of his early victims

to the stand to describe the frenzied madness that overcame their attacker when he struck. They also introduced testimony from psychologists, then known as alienists, who believed that Jesse was insane. But the prosecution, however, had their own experts, who concluded that the teen was perfectly capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. After a three-day trial, it took the jury less than five hours to return a verdict of guilty. The usual punishment for this would be a trip to the gallows. But given Jesse's age, the jury recommended his sentence be commuted to life in prison. The governor of Massachusetts agreed with their assessment and refused to authorize the execution of a 14-year-old boy.

Instead, Jesse was ordered to serve out his sentence in solitary confinement. When news of this hit the stands, locals breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally rest easy, knowing that the youngest serial killer in their town's history would never haunt their streets again. Though he attempted to escape many times, Jesse would never leave prison. And his time in solitary confinement remains one of the longest in U.S. history. Throughout his incarceration, psychologists lined up to interview Jesse Pomeroy. They wanted what the courts didn't get, a tangible reason as to why a child would commit such atrocities.

And they each walked away with a different conclusion. Some believed he inherited a history of mental illness. Others claimed it was his parents' divorce that fueled his madness. A handful believed it was his father's physical abuse that drove Jesse into bullying, which in turn evolved into his sadistic torture and then killing. Still more concluded that Jesse was simply jealous of his victim's beauty and their loving homes. Despite these differing opinions, the one thing each psychologist did agree on was that the violence depicted in Jesse's favorite dime store novels,

without a doubt, played a role in each of his crimes. While all those answers seem plausible, most Bostonian, preferred their own theory that Jesse Pomeroy was simply born bad. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back next week with a new episode. For more information on Jesse Pomeroy, among the many sources we used, we found Making a Monster, Jesse Pomeroy, the boy murderer of 1870s, Boston by Dawn Keatley,

to be extremely helpful to our research. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other Pardcast Originals free on Spotify. Not only does Spotify already have all of your favorite music, but now Spotify is making it easy for you 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 Parcast Studios original. Executive

The producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Mike Ramos, with production assistance 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 Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. Spring isn't just about clearing clutter, it's about changing the air. Shura makes it easy to refresh your space, your mindset, and how your home feels with transportive fragrances inspired by a terrace in Santorini, a French lavender field, and more. Get started with a free Purea Plus diffuser when you subscribe to two cents monthly for a year. Shop now at pura.com.

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