Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Butcher of Hanover” - Fritz Haarmann

Episode Date: February 4, 2019

He didn't just love to kill his victims; Fritz Haarmann liked to bite into their Adam's apples and tear out their throats. His "love bites" earned him the nickname The Werewolf of Hanover, Germany. From 1918-1924, Fritz murdered as many as 50 children before police finally realized that the Werewolf was one of their own. Sponsors! Proven Innocent - Proven Innocent Premieres Friday, February 15th at 9/8c, only on Fox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. Blood Trails is a true crime podcast born in the outdoors, where the terrain is unforgiving, the evidence is scarce, and the truth gets buried under brush and silence. I've seen something in the road. I instantly thought it was a sleeping bed, and there was a full of blood. Somebody somewhere knows something. I'm Jordan Sillers. Season two is out now, with new episodes every Thursday. Listen on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, rape, and assault that some people may find offensive.

We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Werewolves and vampires. Legendary creatures that stalk us in the night. What is it about these beings that fascinates us and leads us to return to the same legends time after time? Maybe it's the way these monsters conceal their true natures, hiding violent evil. behind ordinary human faces. But beasts like these don't just exist in myth. Throughout history, many have seized on our tendency

to overlook those who appear quiet or friendly, only dropping the act once it's too late to run. Like Fritz Harmon, a man who raped and murdered at least 24 young boys, beginning in 1918. He wrought havoc on the city of Hanover, Germany, while working with local law enforcement, as an informant. Harmon didn't look evil.

He was meek and shy, the kind of man we pass on the street every day without noticing. But his crimes were so unspeakable. They gained Fritz Harmon the nickname the Werewolf of Hanover, and even more telling, the vampire. Hi, I'm Greg Polson. From the Parcast Network, this is serial killers.

Today we're going to take a deep dive into the life of Fritz Harmon. and his horrific rampage through Hanover. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. Many of you have been asking us how you can support the podcast. If you enjoy the show, one of the best ways to help us is to leave a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts.

While you're there, you can listen to previous episodes of serial killers, as well as Parcast, other podcasts. A new episode comes out every Monday. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast. and on Twitter at Parcast Network, or in our website, parkast.com. Fritz Harmon, the werewolf of Hanover, killed at least 24 young boys in Hanover, Germany, throughout the 1920s. He's best known for killing his victims by biting through their atoms apples, like a wolf tearing his prey to shreds. Fritz Harmon was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1879.

He was the youngest of six children and was doted upon by his own. his mother, often to the disdain of his authoritarian father. As a young boy, Fritz gravitated toward feminine activities, preferring to dress up his sister's dolls and do needlework, rather than playing sports with his brothers. He also liked to wear his sister's clothes. These habits drew the ire of his father, Ali. Ali terrorized the entire Harmon family. He was a notorious philanderer and had affairs with numerous women. He paid little attention to his wife and screamed at her in front of the children. But he saved the worst of his cruelty for Fritz. Ali couldn't accept what he deemed the unnatural femininity in Fritz's

personality. He verbally and physically abused Fritz when he caught him wearing his sister's dresses. The abuse caused Fritz to develop a warped conception of masculinity, inextricably linked to physical and verbal violence. Fritz hated his father and never forgave him for these early brutalities. the abuse brought out a more menacing side of Fritz, which emerged when he was still just a child. Young Fritz started to play new kinds of games. He would tie up his sisters and watch them struggle to free themselves. At night, he would run around outside and tap on his neighbor's windows to scare them. In school, Fritz was a quiet, well-behaved child, but not a great student. Teachers noted he was prone to daydreaming and had to repeat a year twice. he faced abuse here too.

He later claimed that he was molested by a teacher at the age of eight, but refused to provide any further details. Fritz started acting out when he reached his teenage years. He grew progressively less interested in school and displayed little discipline. Facing verbal and physical abuse at home and at school, Fritz may have been unable to find a healthy outlet for his emotions. Add that to his inability to participate in the so-called feminine and feminine in activities he enjoyed, and his shame and frustration might have begun to transform into rage.

Dr. Andrea Brandt, a licensed psychotherapist, says, quote, shame can be a major anger trigger because when we harbor shame, we tend to react defensively when we're criticized or given even minor feedback, end quote. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist, or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Another Greg, psychology professor, Dr. Greg Henriquez, writes,

quote, it is not all uncommon for people to experience themselves and their emotions as split into different self-states that compete against one another. And one of the most common of those splits is the split between anger and guilt, end quote. Fritz was made to feel guilty for almost everything about himself, thanks to his father's verbal and physical abuse. Exactly. Dr. Henriquez further describes how people often publicly display guilt in the hopes of ingratiating themselves or avoiding punishment while privately holding on to intense anger.

In this case, Fritz's guilt could have reflected an anger that would one day terrorize the entire city. In 1894, at the age of 14, Fritz realized he needed an escape. He sought an end to the monotony of society. school and the abuse of his home life. With the hard-won permission of his parents, Fritz quit school and began apprenticing for a locksmith. But he soon found he did not like this any better than school, and only worked for a few months before he dropped out to join the military in 1895. There were no age restrictions at the time, so Fritz was able to join the military despite

being only 15 years old. Somewhat surprisingly, he took to military life and fit in well with the other young men. He took his training seriously and bore little resemblance to the spoiled child his teachers had known. By leaving Hanover and his family behind, Fritz felt able to embrace a more positive side of himself. He excelled as a soldier and became a more focused young man, albeit still quiet and reserved. He was strong but lean and spoke with a soft, hoarse voice, later described by a detective as an old woman's voice. He adopted a pleasant demeanor which masked the scars of his previous abuse. He simply didn't seem like a violent person, which would later help him avoid suspicion.

After five months in the military, Fritz passed out during a training exercise. The doctors initially diagnosed him with a mild anxiety disorder. anxiety neurosis, but later changed the diagnosis to a condition equivalent to epilepsy. The diagnosis frightened Fritz, and he felt something was irreparably wrong with him. And as we'll see, Fritz was examined by doctors and psychologists several times during his life, and each time was given a different diagnosis. This is partially due to the fledgling nature of the field of psychology at the time. Sigmund Freud's theories of psychoanalysis had not yet become the,

popular model in the field, and mental disorders were not well understood. Adding to the difficulty, mental institutions in Germany became a dumping ground for the elderly and the homeless in the late 19th century, which led to overcrowding and poor treatment of patients. It wasn't until 20 years later that conditions started to change. Soldiers returning after World War I helped to educate the general public about the nature of mental illness. Perhaps if things were different and Fritz had been able to be able to to receive more comprehensive treatment at this crucial juncture. His future may not have been so bleak.

Unfortunately, we'll never know. Even today, we don't know for sure what mental illness Fritz may have suffered from. Due to contradictory diagnoses given to him when he was alive, at the age of 16, after fewer than six months of service, Fritz was discharged from the army due to epilepsy. He went back to Hanover and his family, but returning to his father, coaxed Fritz's dark side back into the light. By day, Fritz begrudgingly worked at a cigar factory owned by his father, Ali. He hated being under Ali's thumb.

He began staying out progressively later after work. His family didn't ask where Fritz went at night. Maybe they didn't want to know. The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine report, Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice, states that delinquent behavior can be reduced by placing the offender in a goal-directed environment like the military. Many people thrive in such structured environments, but have trouble adjusting to life outside and relapse back into their past criminal behavior.

This was the case with Fritz, who, post-military, spent his evenings lurking in secluded areas, most often cellars and alleyways. He waited for young boys to pass by, making sure they were playing alone or on errands for their mothers. Over the span of several months, Fritz lured many young boys to his hiding spots, tucked away in dark corners. Then he began grabbing and touching them. His behavior slowly escalated to sexual assault. The total number of other boys he assaulted during this period is unknown. Fritz claimed that at the peak of his activities, he committed these crimes on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, many of his victims did not report their assault, publicly discussing some of his victims. publicly discussing sexual acts was taboo at the time. It's also probable that the boys dealt with shame and confusion after being victims of rape, especially considering their young age. But in 1896, when Fritz was 16, one of the victims told his mother what happened, and the police arrested Fritz. After several months in jail, he was released, but was arrested again in 1897, just a year later, for similar offenses. On his second arrest, 17-year-old Fritz Harmon, was sent to Hanover Hospital, where he was evaluated by a psychologist named Dr. Gert Schmalfus. Schmolfus diagnosed Fritz as incurably deranged, and he was sent to a mental institution

to be held indefinitely. Fritz despised the asylum. He felt alienated from society, and his punishment only fanned the flangell. of his latent rage. He was only in the institution for a few months before he managed to escape. He fled to Switzerland with his mother's financial assistance. Once again, Harmon avoided receiving long-term psychiatric treatment, which may have been able to help him. Although due to the psychological standards of the time, it is possible no adequate treatment was available, especially since he was classified as incurable. Overcrowded institutions in Germany were known to strap troublesome patients down with leather bonds for hours.

Solitary confinement, sometimes for days at a time, was seen as a humane way to deal with the mentally disturbed. It's unknown what occurred while Fritz was held in the institution, but something happened which traumatized him enough to spur his escape. Fritz feared asylums for the rest of his life. Upon his final arrest, he declared, quote, hang me, do anything you like to me, do anything you like to me, but don't take me back to the loony bin." Once he had absconded to Switzerland, Fritz worked as a handyman at a shipyard for

16 months before returning to Hanover under a false name at the age of 20. Thanks to oversights by the police, his previous legal trouble and escape had already been forgotten. Back home, Fritz was eager to at least appear stable. With encouragement from his mother, he began dating the daughter of a neighbor, Erna lowered. The two were quickly engaged after Erna became pregnant with Fritz's child. She later aborted the pregnancy, but they remained engaged. Not long after the engagement, Fritz began to feel restless. In 1900, Fritz, now 21, was called up for military service, which was mandatory for German men at the time. He left Hanover as fast as he could. Although Fritz had been discharged for medical reasons four years prior, the previous illness was regarded as a temporary condition, and Fritz Harmon had not had a blackout since leaving the Army in 1895.

Even so, why did he join the Army again so willingly? It's possible he needed to get away from legal trouble in Hanover. Despite being engaged to Erna, Fritz continued to sexually assault young boys, though with less frequency than before. He had also begun to make contacts in the underworld of Hanover and engaged in some petty theft, but there's no evidence the police were aware of his activities. The more likely explanation is he simply enjoyed being a soldier. Fritz was placed in a rifle battalion and deployed to the Alsatian region of France, where he served for a year without incident. He later said his times with the battalion were the best of his life,

and his superiors described him as an excellent soldier and marksmen. but the good times wouldn't last long. We'll delve into Fritz's dark work after this break. From sauce to dust to nuggets, it's Taco Bell's new Diablo-Dusted crispy chicken nuggets. Are they mild? If they were mild that had to change the name to little rascal nuggets or minor nuisance nuggets, definitely Diablo. New Diablo-dusted crispy chicken nuggets, a brand-new classic, only at Taco Bell. at participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time and while supplies last.

Now back to the story. At 21 years of age, Fritz Harmon was having the time of his life while serving in the German army for the second time. But things were about to change. In October of 1901, Fritz again collapsed during a training exercise. He was hospitalized with dizzy spells and kept under observation for four months, during which time doctors tried and failed to determine what was causing him to repeatedly lose consciousness. Fritz suffered from fits of weakness and mental deficiency. It seems that for much of this time, he was delirious, unable to focus and babbling incoherently.

After four months, Fritz was transferred to the ward for nervous disease. Doctors there decided that his previous diagnosis, the one equivalent to epilepsy, had actually been dementia precox. more commonly known today as schizophrenia. At the time, the diagnosis's dementia precocks were mostly given when patients experienced loss of memory and an inability to pay attention. The delusions we associate today with schizophrenia were not usually described until the diagnosis was broadened and renamed schizophrenia during the early 20th century. According to the doctors, Fritz's dementia precocks had been cured,

but not before causing permanent brain damage. Fritz Harmon was judged to be unfit for military service and permanently invalited. At this point in his life, Fritz had been described by three different doctors as possibly epileptic, incurable deranged, and formerly schizophrenic. It seems medical professionals didn't know what to make of Fritz Harmon. Their analyses were further complicated by the uneven diagnostic criteria for mental disorders of the time. All they could agree on was that he was. and unsuited for military service. He was discharged from the Army for medical reasons again in 2002 at the age of 22. Fritz was livid to be back in Hanover. He felt suffocated by his

engagement to Erna, but did enjoy the false appearance of normalcy it provided. He had gone from a job which gave him a sense of prestige in the Army, back to a demeaning job working for his father, Ollie. Soon after Fritz returned to Hanover, he and Ali got into a first a ferocious argument about Fritz's ability to work. Ali claimed that Fritz was not mentally ill and was just acting sick in order to avoid earning a living. The accusation particularly infuriated Fritz since his condition had forced him out of a position he enjoyed in the army.

The fight culminated in Ollie's suing Fritz for attempted blackmail and physical threats. The case was thrown out when Fritz's siblings refused to corroborate Ali's claims. When the lawsuit was dropped, Fritz started another lawsuit suing his father for knowingly making false accusations. This time, Fritz's siblings refused to back him up. Likely wanting to keep both their brother and father out of jail, the Harmon siblings changed their stories and testified that Fritz had indeed made physical threats against Ali.

The threats only got more aggressive. Fritz threatened to kill his father on multiple occasions. He also threatened to turn Ollie into the police. for some past crime Fritz claimed to know about. Fritz also grew more violent. His mother had passed away the previous year while Fritz was in the Army. Perhaps this experience rekindled a rage toward Ali

that he had held onto for years. Or maybe Ali had finally pushed Fritz to his breaking point. Even though Ali Harmon's case was dropped, he had demanded that Fritz undergo yet another psychological examination in connection with the charges. The court agreed and ordered the... evaluation to be carried out. It's unclear why all he asked for such an evaluation when he had maintained for years that Fritz was not truly mentally ill. Nevertheless, the evaluation proceeded

and once again produced a new diagnosis. A psychologist named Dr. Andre, pronounced that though Fritz was morally inferior and of little intelligence, he was not mentally unstable. With this diagnosis, Fritz avoided being sent back to a mental institution. Relieved, Fritz reconciled with his father the following year. Their relationship improved so much, in fact, that Ali lent money to Fritz and his fiancé Erna to open a fishmongery, where they sold fresh seafood. The business was largely run by Erna and was purchased in her name.

Fritz got a job as an insurance salesman, but quit almost immediately after receiving a notification from the Army. Though it had been two years since he had been discharged, the Army officially classified Fritz. as medically unfit to work anywhere in Germany. This brought a slight increase to his army pension and lent some credibility to his previous claims that he could not hold a job.

But things never went Fritz's way for long. That same year, Erna, once again pregnant with Fritz's child, ended their four-year engagement. Fritz, who had never been the most attentive partner, had been going out more often and staying out later. He used the new free time he gained from, not working, to assault young boys more frequently and commit burglaries. He all but ignored Erna, except for when he needed money. The final straw came when Fritz publicly accused her of having

an affair with a man named Heineman. Erna kicked him out. Since the fishmongery was in her name, Fritz was left with nothing but his small monthly military pension. Fritz spiraled out. He became more involved in the underworld of Hanover. He spent the next ten years in and out of jail for burglary and assault. He did take some legitimate jobs during this time, but never held onto them. From 1905 to 1913, he was fired repeatedly for stealing from his bosses and their customers. He also got involved in more gruesome enterprises. He met Frau Gullisch, a disturbed woman he met while working as a clerk for a paint manufacturer, and together they sporadically robbed graves. The pair joined with Gullish's 10-year-old.

old son and formed a team of thieves. They stole paint from their bosses, broke into Gullish's neighbor's apartment, and burglarized the local graveyards, going so far as to pilfer segments of tombstones. Eventually Fritz was fired and arrested for stealing the paint, but neither he nor Froulish was ever caught robbing graves. Fritz was angry and alone. He acted on his worst impulses and had no one he cared for. He had little contact with his family and seemed caught in a never-ending cycle of arrest and release. Though up to this point,

none of his convictions kept him in jail for very long. That was soon to change. In 1913, of the age of 33, Fritz was sentenced to his longest prison stint to date. He was given five years in jail after police searched his home and found a trove of stolen property linking him to a string of burglaries.

After a decade living as a criminal, destitute and directionless, the extended jail time hit Fritz Harmon hard. Instead of making attempts to avoid the police or cut some kind of deal as he had done in the past, he accepted the sentence without much complaint. In prison, Fritz showed signs of his younger self. He remained calm and cooperative

throughout the long prison term. In the final years of his sentence, Fritz was allowed to work as a laborer on the grounds of several nearby manor homes. The arrangement came as a result of the start of World War I. Most able-bodied men were enlisted, which meant labor was scarce, and prisoners were recruited to pick up the slack. It galled Fritz that he couldn't join the war effort, but still he behaved himself.

Despite his background, the owners of the manors liked Fritz and even tried to get him released from prison early. Curiously, though he had escaped from the asylum years earlier and his new work deal afforded him ample opportunity to escape again, he served out the entirety of his sentence. He was released in 1918, seven months before the end of the war. After his release, Fritz moved to Berlin. He attempted to start anew, away from his criminal past,

but it seems he couldn't fight his worst inclinations for long. He abruptly went back to Hanover after a few weeks, He stayed with his sister for a short time and then moved into a small apartment in August of 1918 Almost immediately upon returning to Hanover Fritz fell back into his former lifestyle Hanover Station became Fritz's base of criminal operations He prowled the station late at night and became well known in the area He solicited male sex workers and searched for young males especially runaways and boys traveling alone who he could

lure back to his home. He promised the boys a place to stay or a warm meal. Then, once they were in his apartment, Fritz Harmon locked the door and sexually assaulted them. He also made a living buying and selling stolen property around the station. Due to the poor state of Germany following World War I, which Fritz said horrified him, there were plenty of opportunities to traffic stolen commodities. Sugar, cigarettes, and other basic items became difficult to attain legal after the war, and their value skyrocketed on the black market. The only thing stopping Fritz now was the police who occasionally patrolled the station. But the lack of resources affected law enforcement as well.

Germany was forbidden from recruiting an army, and the police's ability to arm themselves was extremely limited. Fritz capitalized on their desperation and forged a relationship with the police as an informant. With limited options, the police accepted Fritz's assistance. and used him to conduct stings. He posed as a fence, or buyer of stolen goods. Once criminals sold him stolen property, Fritz passed the identities of the sellers onto police.

The police would then raid Fritz Harmon's apartment, confiscate the contraband, and arrest the people who sold it to him. To avoid suspicion, Fritz was also arrested during these raids, but was turned loose afterward. Fritz Harmon also routinely performed citizens' arrests at Hanover Station, he detained people he deemed suspicious and travelers in possession of forged identification documents. With Fritz's help, the police were able to crack down on small-time criminals and keep watch over Hanover's black market. Fritz's efforts gradually won him the police's

trust. Eventually, Fritz Harmon was allowed to prowl Hanover Station whenever he wanted. Station employees knew of his association with law enforcement and so never questioned it when Fritz's interrogated and occasionally left with young travelers in the dead of night. He now had police protection and easy access to vulnerable boys. Double-crossing his fellow criminals and police at the same time, thrilled Fritz. He loved nothing more than luring people in under false pretenses and striking at them when they least expected it. He flaunted his new invincibility around the station and gradually grew more daring.

We'll see the extent of Fritz's protection under the law in a moment. Now back to the story. In September 1918, 39-year-old Fritz Harmon met 17-year-old Friedel Rota in a cafe. Rota had run away from home and needed a place to stay. Fritz Harmon, using a false name, told Rota he was a detective and offered to help. Fritz always assumed positions of authority when lying like this. After meeting at the cafe, Rota introduced Fritz to his school friends. Fritz Harmon gave the boy's presence and took them into the woods where he seduced them.

Several times afterward, Fritz took Rota back to his apartment where the two smoked, and as Rota would later tell his friends, had fun. A few days after Fritz met Rota, Fritz took him to his small, grimy apartment once again. The pair smoked and chatted, as they had done several times before, but as the night went on, Fritz grew more aggressive. He began touching Rota and attempting to seduce him. Though Rota and Fritz had had sex before, something made Rota uncomfortable on this night.

He spurned Fritz Harmon's advances. That's when Fritz became angry. He grabbed Rota, held him down, and forcibly sodomized him. Then, in the midst of the rape, he bared his teeth. Like a rabid animal, Fritz bit down on Rota's throat, and ripped through his atom's apple. Rota bled out, and because of the damage to his windpipe, died of asphyxiation. Fritz Harmon later claimed that the act of sexually assaulting Rota produced a murderous

urge in him that he had never felt before. He described a sudden, uncontrollable desire to bite through Rota's throat. It's possible he was telling the truth. Eradaphanophonophiles, or lust murderers, are defined as individuals who, get an intense sexual satisfaction from killing. These individuals could be overcome with the urge to kill during a sexual act. According to research by Dr. R.P. Britain,

these killers are typically timid and introverted people who then unleash during sex. Fritz Harmon was usually characterized as timid. Police described how he fidgeted constantly, pulling at his fingernails and running his hands through his hair. His soft voice and sometimes, childlike tendency to court sympathy, gave observers the impression he craved attention,

but struggled to relax in the presence of others. Other studies describe sexual sadists as having intense desires which they work to repress. Dr. P. E. Dietz has published a paper examining 30 sexual sadists. Of those examined, 43% identified as gay, and 20% reported dressing in women's clothing. We know Fritz Harmon was abused by a sexual sadist. father for exhibiting feminine tendencies. It's possible after such severe and continuing mistreatment, his repressed desires made him unable to control himself during sex, in stark contrast to the tightly controlled and meek behavior he showed when interacting with authorities. This fits with

contemporary descriptions of Harmon, but it doesn't fully explain the depravity of Fritz's later actions. Thirty-nine-year-old Fritz Harmon stood over the corpse of Friedel Rota. Though it was the middle of the night and he was exhausted, he didn't allow himself any rest. He drank a strong cup of black coffee, covered Rota's face with a cloth, and cut him open. Using a litany of knives, buckets, and rags, he carefully removed Rota's flesh,

decapitated the body, and broke the bones. When he was done, Harmon stashed pieces of Rota's body in a suitcase and made nightly trips to the Stokener Cemetery. Over the next few weeks, he buried parts of Rota, keeping the remaining parts hidden behind his stove. Rota's was the only body Fritz Harmon is known to have buried. During his later confession, Harmon reported he was sick for eight days following Rota's murder. The sickness prevented him from disposing of Rota's body as quickly as he wanted to. According to him, it was the dismemberment and not the murder itself that disgusted him.

After Fridal Rota had been missing for a couple of days, his friends reported it missing. They told police Rota was last seen with Harmon, who they knew only as a mysterious police officer Rota had been seeing. Police attempted to find the mystery man but were unable to come up with any leads. Rota's friends began their own investigation and managed to track Fritz Harmon to his apartment. When Rota's friends told the police they'd identified Fritz as the man Rota had last been seen, seen with in 1918, the police failed to act immediately. They were reluctant to search Fritz Harmon's apartment since he was a trusted informant. Eventually, though, the Rota family pressured the police into conducting a raid. Weeks after Rota went missing, officers burst into Harmon's one-room

apartment. They found Fritz Harmon with a half-naked 13-year-old boy. Fritz was terrified. He thought he was above suspicion and never expected to be raided by the police unannounced. It was for this reason he still had the severed head of Friedel Rota wrapped in newspaper and stashed behind his stove weeks after the murder. Luckily for him, the commanding officer had not been ordered to search the room, so Fritz Harmon was arrested while the apartment went unsearched. Fritz was charged with sexual assault and battery of a minor and sentenced to nine months. But he managed to avoid serving the sentence for over a year by moving addresses and dodging the police. During his time on the run, he met 18-year-old Hans Granz.

Granz was another runaway who had been sleeping on the streets prior to meeting Fritz. Granz had heard rumors that Harmon solicited male sex workers. He spotted Harmon at Hanover Station and, desperate for money, attempted to sell his body. Harmon took Granz back to his apartment. But the relationship blossomed past that first night. The two began seeing each other frequently and became lovers. Over the course of several months, Fritz became infatuated with Granz. Fritz later stated Granz was like a son to him.

Among other things, he also claimed he had saved Granz from the ditch. In 1919, the two moved into the home of a widow, Frou Bernsteel, together. They didn't stay anywhere long. For six months, Granz and Fritz moved from place to place. The stress of avoiding police made Fritz prone to tantrums. The couple was kicked out of at least one home for having loud arguments late at night, but they always made up afterward. Harmon was finally caught when Frow Bernsteel, the widow he was renting from,

reported him to police after he hit her. He was at last forced to serve time for the assault of the 13-year-old boy in March 1920. Once released, he quickly regained the trust of the police and re-established his role as informant by flattering detectives and making a show of attempting to reform his life. Fritz Harmon's meek apologies always seemed to win out over his past misdeeds, and the police who worked with him thought he was a genuinely nice man, all the way up to his final confession. A year after his release from prison, Fritz, now 42, and Hans Granz,

19 moved again, this time into a dingy ground floor apartment near the Lina River. Things were quiet for over a year. Fritz's legal troubles continued but calmed during this period. Conversely, his romantic life was anything but calm. Fritz and Hans fought constantly. Though Fritz was in love with Grons, Granz often treated Fritz with undisguised contempt. At other times, Granz showed Fritz great affection and would calm. Fritz's anger by kissing him passionately. The two had a strange, tumultuous relationship. Strange is an understatement. Fritz told the police during his confession that he was aware Gronz manipulated him and even mocked him behind his back. On multiple occasions, Fritz kicked

Granz out of the apartment, following fiery arguments. During these rouse, Granz would insult Fritz, while Fritz angrily accused and threatened him. Each time, a few days later, Fritz would apologize and beg for Granz to come back. Fritz said that despite their problems, he needed the validation Granz provided. He said he had to have, quote, someone I meant everything to, end quote. One of these explosive fights occurred soon after Fritz and Hans Granz had moved into the ground floor apartment. Fritz had just finished serving time for assault after narrowly avoiding arrest for the murder of Fridal Rota. Right after moving in, Fritz was convicted of burglary and sentenced to serve six months in a labor camp. When the six months ended, he returned

to the apartment and found the place ransacked. Many of his belongings had been stolen and sold, as he soon found out, by Granz. In addition, Fritz discovered Granz had stolen and spent his military pension checks. In a rage, Fritz kicked Granz out. The next day, Granz waited for Fritz to leave the apartment. Then, he and a friend, broke in and further cleaned the place out. Fritz saw this as the ultimate betrayal. Two weeks after the break-in, a 17-year-old boy named Hans Kimus went missing. Strangely, Harmon contacted Kimus' parents and offered his services in locating the boy. He also told police that Granz was responsible for Kimus's disappearance.

But Granz couldn't have kidnapped Kimis, as he was in police custody for theft at the time the boy went missing. Two months after Kimus disappeared, his naked body was found tied up in the Hanover Canal. A handkerchief with Hans Grann's monogram on it was found in the boy's throat. Since Granz couldn't have killed Kimus while he was being held by police, it's probable Fritz Harmon committed the murder and tried to frame Granz as revenge for stealing his things. This was likely Harmon's second victim and a signal to authorities that he wasn't afraid to kill again. But because there was no physical evidence linking Harmon to the crime, and Harmon still enjoyed a close relationship with the police,

he was never tried for the murder. Not long after the police stopped investigating the Kimus case, Fritz and Hans reconciled. Hans moved back in with Fritz, and they resumed their relationship. In light of the fact that Fritz accepted Hans back so willingly, it's possible he didn't intend on genuinely framing Hans for Kimus' murder. After all, he must have known Hans would be in police custody at the time he abducted Kemis. It all could have been part of some bizarre test. Greg McCrary, a criminologist and former FBI agent, points out that when a criminal believes he or she has met a potential accomplice,

the killer typically puts the accomplice's loyalty to the test. He says, quote, predators are like sharks, waiting to see who will swim by and take the bait, end quote. We know Hans was willing to get involved in Fritz's black market trading enterprise, but the extent of his involvement in Harmon's murders is subject to debate. Hans Granz always claimed he knew nothing about the killings, and Fritz Harmon's accounts varied over the years. It isn't unusual for a serial killer to work with an accomplice. According to Eric Hicke, a forensic psychologist,

more than one-fifth of serial killers operate in teams, most often in teams of two. In these relationships, one is usually the dominant figure and seeks someone they could exert power over, frequently exploiting neediness and youth. Hans Granz certainly suffered at the hands of Fritz's sudden temper. Harmon's pattern of evicting Granz and then begging for him back was manipulative and emotionally abusive. Dr. Al Carlyle, a former prison psychologist, states that in these types of accomplice relationships, each party needs something critical from the other. He writes, quote,

the dominant person needs the followers' loyalty in order to validate him or herself, end quote. This fits with Harmon's explanation as to why he kept begging for Grons to come back after the evictions. Harmon abused Grons to push Gras' loyalty to the limits. So what did Grons get out of it? Although the two were lovers,

Granz also had female lovers and insisted he was heterosexual. Perhaps Hans was after a different kind of relationship. Fritz later told police that he saw Hans as a son. It could be that Hans sought paternal affection and authority from Fritz. Ultimately, we'll never know how involved Granz was in Fritz Harmon's murders. But there are strong indications he knew more than he admitted. And as Fritz's rampage continued, Granz's innocence became harder to believe. Five years after his first murder and four years, four years, he was a rampage continued. And as Fritz's rampage continued, Granz's innocence became harder to believe. Five years after his first murder, and four years, after moving in with Granz for the first time. Fritz Harmon claimed his second confirmed victim. The 17-year-old pianist Fritz Franca met 44-year-old Harmon at Hanover Station. Harmon was patrolling the station, as he often did, looking for criminals or potential victims. Harmon took Franca back to his apartment, along with Hans Granz and two of Granz's female acquaintances.

That evening, after Granz and the two women left, Harmon killed Franca by biting through his Adam's apple. According to Harmon, following the murder, Granz arrived at the apartment unannounced and found Harmon standing over Franca's nude body. Harmon claimed Gras simply turned and asked, When shall I come back again? The two women came back by the apartment the next day. Fritz Harmon was frantic.

He told them Franca had left and traveled to Hamburg, but the women spotted Franca's clothes on the bed and went to. the police. By coincidence, the policeman the woman reported to was Detective Mueller. The officer was using Harmon as an informant. One of the women told Mueller that Granz had whispered to her the night before that Franca was going to be trampled upon tonight. Mueller ordered the police to search Harmon's apartment the following day, but found nothing incriminating. The investigation was called off. It's possible Mueller's relationship with Fritz influenced how seriously he took the women's accusations.

Tragically, this was only the beginning for Fritz Harmon. He was euphoric after the murder of Franca and began killing with increased frequency and ferocity. The police never suspected the depravity their informant was capable of. Not only did Harmon lead law enforcement on a wild goose chase, he may have been committing crimes, worse than they ever dared to consider. After Franco was murdered, Fritz Harmon began trading and his crime. and low-grade contraband meat.

Fellow tenants at the house where Harmon was staying reported that they often saw him leaving with packets of meat, but rarely saw him bring meat back to his room. Next week, we'll follow the discovery of Fritz Harmon's victims, his trial, and discover the source of his meat supply. Inside Fritz lurked a werewolf,

and it was growing, very hungry. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. You can find more episodes of serial killers, as well as all of Parcass's other podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, CastBox, tune-in, or your favorite podcast directory. Several of you have asked how to help the show, and if you enjoy this show, the best way to help us is to leave a five-star review. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler, is a production of Cutler Media and is part of the Parcass

Network. It is produced by Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Kenny Hobbs, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro and Paul Mahler. Additional production assistance by Carly Madden and Maggie Admeyer. Serial Killers is written by Terrell Wells and stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package. The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29.

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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 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.