Jesse Pomeroy – a demon with a marble eye in human form (9 photos)

Childhood into adolescence is a wonderful time. A time of discovery, learning about the world, yourself, finding friends and determining the future. But not all teenagers devote themselves to this. There are also angels with completely black souls, whose actions make you feel uneasy.





So was Jesse Pomeroy, the first, at least official, teenage killer in the States.



In 1874, in Massachusetts, USA, Jesse Pomeroy became the youngest person ever convicted of first-degree murder. He was 14 years old, but his crimes were horrific in their cruelty.

Jesse grew up poor in Charlestown. He was born with a congenital physical defect - one eye was covered with a thick white film. Jesse was severely bullied at school and likely beaten at home. However, even this does not justify his crimes.

Childhood



The only surviving photo of him as a teenager

Jesse Pomeroy was born to Thomas J. Pomeroy and Ruth Ann Snowman in 1859, the second of two children. His brother was two years older. His name was Charles Jefferson.

The boys' father, Thomas, was a veteran of the American Civil War. He worked in the Navy Yard and probably beat his sons. Although this version is disputed, it has not been ruled out.

In 1871, Jesse developed severe pneumonia, which constantly made itself felt.

His crimes began early. So, a neighbor claimed that 5-year-old Jesse stabbed a cat and threw it into the river. One of his teachers said that throughout his time at school, Jesse was "peculiar, uncooperative, not bad, but difficult to understand."

Because of his birth defect, other children shunned him and he became an outcast.

Criminal activity



Around 1871, stories began to appear in local newspapers about children claiming to have been beaten and sexually abused by a larger, older boy.

Some were even badly wounded by knives and pins. More often the attacker wounded the face and genitals. The description was published in a newspaper with the headlines "Boy Tormentor" and "Red Devil".

Jesse's mother, Ruth, and probably many other residents of Charlestown began to realize that this description applied to Jesse. She quietly moved the family to south Boston, trying to dispel the rumors and stop her son's behavior. Unfortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful.



In old age

In August 1872, one boy was found tortured and abandoned on the beach. Another was found beaten and tied to a telephone pole. Another victim told local authorities that she was attacked by an older boy with a marbled eye.

This distinctive feature led police to Jesse Pomeroy's door. He was taken to the State Reformatory School in Westboro. He had to serve six years, but Ruth managed to free him within a few months.

Capture



The guy was released, and a month later ten-year-old Katie Curran disappeared. The girl was last seen at Ruth Pomeroy's store.

Jesse was known to work there in his spare time. He was thoroughly questioned and the store was searched, but no trace of Katie was found.

Five weeks passed and there was still no evidence. That was until the body of Horace Millen, who was only four years old, was found on the beach. The baby was found in a ditch by a couple of boys.



His body was mutilated, partially burned, and his genitals were almost completely cut off. There were X-shaped cut wounds all over the body.

Police found traces of the attacker at the scene.

They paid another visit to Jesse Pomeroy. The teenager was found covered in blood and with scratches on his skin, believed to be wounds inflicted by the toddler trying to defend himself. They compared his shoes with footprints found at the crime scene and recovered a bloody knife.

Confession



Still from the TV series "The Alienist"

The police immediately took Jesse to the station and began questioning him. Even though they had collected a lot of physical evidence, the police needed a confession.

It ended up being easier than they thought. Under interrogation, Jesse confessed not only to Horace's murder, declaring, "I believe I did it," but also to the murder of 27 others. This figure was never confirmed, although the confession helped police find the remains of Katie Curran, buried near his mother's store.

Jesse was tried and found guilty of both the murders of Horace Millen and Cathy Curran. The original sentence was death. However, due to his age (Jesse was 14 years old), the court showed leniency and commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. The lawyer tried to get a plea of ​​insanity, but it was rejected.

Death



Jesse spent a long time in prison completely alone. He was only allowed to eat and exercise on his own. He was allowed to read. But since there was nothing else to occupy himself with, he eventually decided to escape.

Jesse made several escape attempts, including attempting to dig his way out and rerouting a gas pipe to blow open his cell door. All of them were unsuccessful. Only in 1917, 41 years after his imprisonment, was he allowed to communicate with other prisoners.

In 1929, Jesse was transported to Bridgewater Prison Farm where he, elderly and alone, died three years later, having been imprisoned for his crimes for 58 years.