Murder: True Crime Stories - SOLVED: Benjamin Pitezel, Pt. 2

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

After the authorities realized that H.H. Holmes had killed Benjamin Pitezel, they discovered that he was much more than a simple fraudster -- he was a serial killer. But was "the Devil in the White City" as depraved as he seemed? Murder: True Crime Stories is part of Crime House Studios. For more, follow us on Instagram @crimehouse. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Crime House. H.H. Holmes cheated his way through life. Whether he was robbing graves or stealing horses, he was willing to do just about anything to get ahead and make a little extra money while he was at it. And that spelled disaster for Benjamin Peitzel, Holmes' co-conspirator in a life insurance fraud scheme. Because while plenty of Holmes' crimes were white-collar schemes,

there was also a far more sinister, violent side to him. And if lying didn't get him what he wanted, he was ready to take more drastic measures. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original. Every Tuesday, I'll explore the story

of a notorious murder or murders. At Crime House, we want to express our gratitude to you, our community, for making this possible. Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly matters. This is the second of two episodes on the murder of Benjamin Peitzel, whose death led to the capture of the notorious serial killer H.H. Holmes. Last week, we covered how Benjamin and Holmes met, became business partners, and eventually concocted an insurance fraud scheme that they may or may not have pulled off. This week in part two, I'll take you through the investigation as the authorities catch on to Holmes' plan and realize that this case is much, much bigger than any of them had initially imagined.

Hey everyone, it's Carter. I have a favor to ask you. If you are enjoying Murder True Crime Stories, I would be honored if you took a moment to rate and review us on Apple and Spotify. Your valuable feedback helps us improve and expand our reach so other true crime fans can find us too. Your support means everything. It was September 1894 and Benjamin Peitzel and H.H. Holmes had just pulled off their greatest insurance fraud scheme yet. They'd successfully faked Benjamin's death and collected the $10,000 insurance payout, equivalent to about $360,000 today. Holmes told Benjamin's wife, Carrie, that they had used a body double in place of Benjamin. He promised that her husband wasn't really dead. He was just in hiding.

But Carrie needed to do exactly as Holmes said, otherwise Benjamin could be caught. If the authorities realized he was alive, he could get thrown in jail, and the Peitzel family would be torn apart. When the time was right, Holmes told Carrie that he'd take her to meet Benjamin where he was hiding out. But for some reason, Holmes also insisted that some of Carrie's children traveled with him instead of her. One of her daughters was already with him. 14-year-old Alice had come along to Philadelphia with him to identify the dead body. But Holmes convinced Carrie to send two more of her children.

So now, Holmes was in charge of three of the Peitzel children, Holmes was in charge of three of the Peitzel children Alice as well as 12-year-old Nellie and 8-year-old Howard Meanwhile Carrie kept her baby and her eldest daughter with her back in St. Louis Once Holmes was in possession of the three children he traveled with them to Cincinnati He also called for his wife Georgiana, his third wife, who he'd wed while still being married to his first two wives. When Georgiana got to Cincinnati, she had no idea her husband was also harboring the Peitzel children. He kept them all in separate

lodgings and made sure they never crossed paths. But before Cary could join them, Holmes decided to pick up and move on. He told Cary that Benjamin was actually in Indianapolis and to meet him and the kids there. From Indianapolis, they went to Detroit and then Toronto. Each time, Holmes claimed that Benjamin was just one city away. Holmes was playing a complicated game, but he had to keep going because he'd gotten word that he was a wanted man. The man on Holmes' tail was an insurance investigator named W.E. Gary. He worked for Fidelity Mutual, which was the company that had paid out Benjamin's life insurance policy. The company had already moved on from the case, but Gary couldn't quite shake that something was off. So he took a second look. The elements of a lab

accident were all there, but it was too neat and tidy. It just felt staged. He had a sinking feeling that the body that had been identified as Benjamin Peitzel wasn't actually Benjamin Peitzel. However, the company had already made its decision. Unless Gary had conclusive evidence, it was best to let things lie and not upset an already traumatized widow. But then something did come up. Gary was in St. Louis working another case when someone told him about a letter that had been intercepted from the train robber Marion Hedgepeth. A quick refresher, Hedgepeth, a.k.a. the Handsome Bandit,

was serving a 25-year sentence when H.H. Holmes ended up in prison with him. Holmes had divulged his insurance fraud scheme to the outlaw and cut him into it in exchange for an introduction to a lawyer. Hedgepeth had upheld his end of the bargain, but Holmes had yet to make good on his. To get back at him, Hedgepeth was willing to tell anyone who had listened that Benjamin Peitzel's death was a hoax, but not in the way W.E. Gary believed. Hedgepeth had learned that Holmes wouldn't let Carrie Peitzel identify the body used to get the insurance payout, and in Hedgepeth's mind, that was because it was actually Benjamin.

He figured that if Carrie saw her husband in the morgue, Holmes would go down for murder and insurance fraud. That's why he kept her away. But Hedgepeth wasn't exactly reliable. He was always trying to find some ways to lessen his sentence, so he might have made up the story to try to get some leniency. But Gary quickly ruled that out. Hedgepeth knew enough specifics to prove he had real information. So Gary brought the new information back to his bosses. It was definitely enough to reopen the case. Even better, in late 1894, Gary got the go-ahead to hire some Pinkerton detectives to find Holmes.

The Pinkertons had originally specialized in protecting trains and apprehending train robbers, and by this point were a wide-ranging detective agency. If anyone could find Holmes, it was them. The Pinkerton detectives began their search at Holmes' building in Chicago that simultaneously served as a retail space, apartments, and lodgings. There were plenty of people associated with the building who were upset with him for skipping town, especially because he left a trail of unpaid bills in his wake. Eventually, the Pinkertons' investigation led them to a financial agent named Frank Blackman.

agent named Frank Blackman. He told them that Holmes had asked him to forward his mail, but it was tricky since Holmes was always on the move. Blackman didn't want to end up in jail himself for obstructing an investigation, so he handed the letters over to the detectives. At first, Holmes always seemed to be one step ahead of the detectives, but they finally caught up to him in Boston in November 1894. The Pinkerton detectives joined forces with the Boston police force. Together, they had the resources to catch H.H. Holmes once and for all, but they knew they had to act fast, because he wouldn't stay in one place for long. Once the authorities made their move,

they had to be sure it worked. Because for the moment, the authorities back in Philadelphia had only issued a warrant for fraudulently identifying a body. And Oren M. Hanscom, the Boston PD deputy superintendent, didn't think that was a strong enough case. If his officers arrested Holmes, he wanted to make sure they had a good reason for it

and that the arrest would lead to a successful prosecution. So Hanscom looked into Holmes a little more and found out he had ties back in Fort Worth, Texas. So Hanscom wired the sheriff down there and asked if Holmes had kicked up any trouble. The telegram came back saying that Holmes was wanted for quote larceny of one horse. larceny of one horse. That was a much more concrete accusation. So Hanscom gave the go-ahead. It was time to make their move.

His officers could arrest Holmes on the charge of stealing a horse. But they'd soon discover that H.H. Holmes had committed crimes far more horrific than they had ever imagined. Hey there, Carter Roy here. If you're enjoying the chilling tales of murder true crime stories, then you'll love the Crime House original, Mind of a Serial Killer. What sets Mind of a Serial Killer apart is its focus on the twisted psychology of the world's most notorious serial killers. Names like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, the Night Stalker, featuring expert psychological analysis from licensed clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. Mind of a Serial Killer will take you into their stories like never before.

So get ready to uncover what drives someone to commit the unimaginable. Mind of a Serial Killer is a Crime House original. New episodes drop every Monday. Just search Mind of a Serial Killer and follow wherever you listen to podcasts. mind of a serial killer their motives and targets, and law enforcement's pursuit to stop their spree. Follow Serial Killers wherever you get your podcasts and get new episodes every Monday. On November 17, 1894, four days after Holmes arrived in Boston, he went out for a walk through the city. Three Boston PD inspectors and one Pinkerton detective fell into step with him. They told him they wanted to have a little chat down at the station about this horse theft.

Holmes' first reaction was to act surprised. Then he tried to talk his way out of it, but when he realized that they weren't budging, he immediately flipped. He told detectives he knew they weren't really interested in the Fort Worth horse drama. He said he knew they were on to him for a murder charge in Chicago. If any of the detectives were caught off guard by that, they didn't show it. They actually weren't arresting him on suspicion of murder, and certainly not one in Chicago. Even so, Holmes knew he was in big trouble. At that moment, his biggest fear was

getting sent back to Texas, where they didn't take too kindly to horse thieves. Insurance fraud would only get him a couple of years. Horse theft in Texas could be more like 15 years. So Holmes decided to play ball. He immediately confessed right then and there. He had faked Benjamin Peitzel's death in order to defraud Fidelity Mutual. They could take him back to Philadelphia to stand trial. The authorities definitely weren't prepared to get such an easy confession out of Holmes. They questioned him further just to get all the details down on the record. Holmes basically told them what the outlaw Marion Hedgepeth had divulged. Holmes and Benjamin had come up with a scheme to fake Benjamin's death with a decoy body, then collect a life insurance payout.

Holmes claimed he found the body to use in New York from a doctor friend who he refused to name. He had then given Benjamin instructions about how to stage the corpse to make it look like an accident. He even joked that Benjamin had done a pretty bad job at it. Throughout his whole story, he was adamant about one thing. Benjamin Peitzel was still very much alive. He and three of his children, Alice, Nellie, and Howard, were all hiding out in South America.

Now, that wasn't what he had told Benjamin's wife, Carrie. Holmes had sent her on a wild goose chase all over the country, insisting her husband was always just one more city away, hiding out until the steam cooled down, while he helped keep Alice, Nellie, and Howard safe. Holmes told the authorities that Carrie had absolutely no role in any of this, but he also gave them the address of where she was staying at in Burlington, Vermont, and the police, who believed that Carrie was some sort of accomplice, headed straight for her. When the Burlington police knocked on Carrie's door, she was caught entirely off guard. Even when they asked her to come down to the station, she didn't think she was in any trouble. But when they started questioning her, she realized they thought she was involved in the life insurance scheme.

Under questioning, Carrie made her own confession. Perhaps for the first time, she considered that her husband was probably dead. Now her focus shifted to the well-being of her three children, who she had entrusted to Holmes. She willingly told the detectives everything she knew, whatever it took to bring her kids back home to her safely. So Carrie explained that she had known about the insurance fraud plot, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. Once Benjamin and Holmes had an idea, they were off to the races. She swore up and down that she wasn't an accomplice. Holmes was a puppet master who had sent her on a wild goose chase.

Her biggest transgression was simply trusting him. The Burlington police believed her, but ultimately it was up to the Philadelphia authorities to decide what to do with her. So they arrested her and sent her back to Philly, where she would cross paths once again with H.H. Holmes. Like Carrie, Holmes got shipped back to Philadelphia. For the time being, the authorities didn't have any evidence of murder, just conspiracy to defraud. But the Boston police warned Holmes that unless he produced Benjamin alive, and soon, the murder charges weren't far off. A little over a month later, on December 27th,

Holmes changed his tune. The real truth, according to Holmes, was that he'd come up with a whole insurance fraud plot a year earlier. But when the day finally came for them to pull off the scheme, Holmes went to check on Benjamin and found him drunk and despondent. Holmes wasn't too shocked by this. Benjamin had a history of abusing alcohol, but this time was different. Holmes said that Benjamin was going on about feeling like he should drink himself to death and, quote, have done with it. Holmes brushed the interaction off. He'd seen Benjamin drunk before. Hopefully his friend would sleep it off. But when Holmes returned the next morning, he found a suicide note.

And then he found Benjamin's body. This was the real crux of Holmes' story. He said that at that moment, he made a decision. Rather than calling the police, he fixed the scene. He opened the windows to let the chloroform smell out, he destroyed the suicide note, and then he arranged the body in the way it was eventually found. He broke the bottle, lit the pipe, and set all the other props and clues in place to make it look like an accident. Because, of course, insurance companies don't cover suicides. because, of course, insurance companies don't cover suicides. It had to be an accident for Holmes to collect on the life insurance policy that he'd been paying premiums on for the better part of a year. The police took in Holmes' new confession.

It was possible he really was telling the truth now, but there was a new detective in the room, a man named Frank Geyer. He was a seasoned, no-nonsense investigator. Unlike many of his fellow officers at the time, he relied less on brute force and more on intellect to solve his cases. He was extremely precise and willing to take the extra steps that not everyone else was. And now, Detective Geyer had a burning question he had to ask. He stood up a little straighter, looked Holmes dead in the eyes, and asked, Then Holmes, if that is Peitzel's body, where are the children?

In December 1894, H.H. Holmes claimed that Benjamin Peitzel had killed himself and that Holmes had made it look like an accident. had killed himself and that Holmes had made it look like an accident. But that contradicted his earlier claim that Benjamin was hiding out in South America with three of his kids. But Detective Frank Geyer was on to him. He pressed Holmes for more information. Now Holmes told the detective that the kids were actually in London, England, with a friend named Minnie Williams. She was Holmes' mistress who was swindled out of her land, then supposedly sailed off to London with her sister, and was never heard from again. Apparently, she had the kids. Geyer didn't believe it for a second, and easily confirmed that the address was fake, and so was Holmes' story.

But without any solid leads, Geyer knew that locating the missing children would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And the longer he searched without success, the harder it got to ignore the inevitable. That the three Peitzel kids may have met the same fate as their dad. Every day that went by meant it was less likely they'd find the kids alive. But Detective Geyer wasn't ready to give up. He was going to chase down every last lead he possibly could. Geyer was spurred on by Carrie Peitzel, who desperately wanted to see her children again. After a short stint in jail for her possible role in all this, authorities had decided to release her without officially pressing

charges. After her release, she gave a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer saying that Holmes was a, quote, smooth-tongued scoundrel who could make her believe just about anything, but she knew now that he was a liar and a cheat. She just wanted him to give her children back. Geyer wanted to give her the happy reunion she was still so hopeful for, so he got to work. He remembered a box that Holmes' wife Georgiana had surrendered back in December 1894, six months earlier.

It had trinkets and letters from Holmes' personal effects. At the time, the authorities didn't think the box held anything of significance, but Geyer decided to take a second look. It was the break he'd been waiting for. In the box, Geyer found keys to multiple rental houses. He also found letters that Alice and Nellie Peitzel had written to their mother, which Holmes had kept instead of mailing. No one had followed up on any of it, but Geyer wouldn't let a single stone go unturned. let a single stone go unturned. So on June 26, 1895, Geyer headed out to Cincinnati,

tracking the kids down using the letters and keys. He showed pictures of homes and the kids to everyone he came across, and a few people recognized them, but the kids weren't anywhere to be found there. So he moved on, heading off to Chicago next. There, Geyer checked out Holmes' old building, but ultimately just hit another dead end. So he headed off to Detroit, then to Toronto. In Canada, Geyer got desperate and switched up his tactics and asked for help from the press

He told them he was looking for a home that was occupied around late October, then was suddenly vacant Once again, nothing turned up Geyer was on the verge of giving up and going home, resigning himself to the fact that he would have to face Carrie Peitzel without any answers. But then, a man named Thomas Rives reached out. Rives told Geyer that he remembered Holmes renting the house next door to him. He'd even loaned the man a shovel.

In July 1895, Geyer and a local detective went to check out the house. A new family currently lived there, but when Geyer explained what he was looking for, they immediately pointed to their cellar. They said a foul odor had come from there ever since they moved into the place. No matter what they did, they couldn't get rid of it. Geyer entered the cellar through a trap door in the kitchen. It only took a few minutes before he and the other detective found a spot in the floor that felt softer than the rest. That's where they started digging. Geyer later recalled that the horrible stench got worse as they dug farther, until finally,

about three feet deep, they discovered what appeared to be a human bone. A human bone. Geyer was certain he'd found the bodies of the two Peitzel girls, Alice and Nellie. Their bodies were badly decomposed, but from what the coroner could deduce, the girls had been either poisoned or smothered. Carrie Peitzel arrived in Toronto as soon as she could. When she got to the morgue, she confirmed what everyone had suspected. The bodies belonged to her two daughters. There was just one final piece of the puzzle.

What had happened to the Peitzel's youngest son, Howard? About a month later, Detective Geyer tracked him down to another rental home, this one just outside of Indianapolis. Sadly, like his sisters, Howard had been killed. The murderer had hidden the body by placing it in a chimney. When Holmes heard the news that the detectives had found the missing children, he reportedly said, well, I guess they'll hang me for this. Sure enough, in October 1895, just three months after Geyer found Alice and Nellie Peitzel, Holmes went on trial for the murder of Benjamin Peitzel. He wasn't charged with the death of the three Peitzel children, but that wasn't needed

for the public to realize that H.H. Holmes was a monster. Not to mention the fact that all the newspapers covering this case had also realized how many people had mysteriously disappeared around him. It seemed obvious to the world that Holmes was responsible for many, many more unsolved murders. By the time he stood trial for Benjamin's death, the verdict seemed inevitable. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Following his conviction, Holmes confessed to 27 murders, including the three Peitzel children, Alice, Nellie, and Howard, as well as six attempted murders. Later, those numbers would swell to somewhere around 200, but that number has been reported as being wildly inflated. It was all a part of the H.H. Holmes lore.

Holmes' execution day came on May 7, 1896, and he had one final wish. In a rather full circle moment, Holmes requested that his coffin be filled with concrete before his body was placed inside, then buried 10 feet underground. He was concerned grave robbers would steal his body and use it for dissection. That wish was granted. The stories of H.H. Holmes and Benjamin Peitzel are forever intertwined. To understand one, you have to understand the other. But in the end, we're left with more questions than answers. But in the end, we're left with more questions than answers. Why did Holmes turn on Benjamin?

Did they fight? Did Benjamin try to walk away? The motives for the murder are unclear, and the motives are even murkier for why Holmes had to involve the Peitzel children. With both main players gone, the truth will always remain a mystery. But we must remember that the salacious story of H.H. Holmes is often exaggerated and sensationalized, for papers back then and for clicks now, and the lore around him has overshadowed his victim stories. But Benjamin Peitzel was a father, a husband, a son, and while he had his own sins,

he didn't deserve to be relegated to a footnote in H.H. Holmes' story. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy, and this is Murder True Crime Stories. Come back next week for the story of a new murder and all the people it affected. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Murder True Crime Pod on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts.

Your feedback truly makes a difference. We'll be back next Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by, written by Alex Burns, edited by Alex Benidon, fact-checked by Claire Cronin, and included production assistance from Kristen Acevedo and Sarah Carroll. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by Carter Roy. Roy. You may know a serial killer's crimes. Now, uncover the psychology behind them. Mind of a Serial Killer is a Crime House original. New episodes drop every Monday. Just search Mind of a Serial Killer and follow wherever you listen to podcasts. If you're fascinated by the darker sides of humanity, join us every week on our podcast, Serial Killers,

where we go deep into notorious true crime cases. With significant research and careful analysis, we examine the psyche of a killer, their motives and targets and law enforcement's pursuit to stop their spree. Follow serial killers, wherever you get your podcasts and get new episodes every Monday.