Jesse Harding Pomeroy

Serial Killer

Jesse Harding Pomeroy: The Boston Boy Fiend

Early Life and Escalating Violence

Jesse Harding Pomeroy was born on November 29, 1859, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. He became one of the most notorious juvenile offenders in American history and was later widely known as the "Boston Boy Fiend." His crimes were especially disturbing because they began when he was still a child and were directed almost entirely against younger children. Pomeroy grew up in a troubled household. Contemporary accounts described his father as abusive and frequently intoxicated, although the precise effect of that environment on Pomeroy's later behavior remains uncertain. He also had a visibly damaged right eye, which drew attention to his appearance and contributed to sensational descriptions of him in newspapers. By approximately 1871, when he was only 11 years old, Pomeroy had begun luring young boys into secluded locations around Charlestown, Chelsea and South Boston. He commonly promised money, food, employment or an opportunity to see something interesting. Once isolated, the children were restrained, beaten and cut. Some were left tied inside abandoned buildings or near railroad tracks.

The Attacks on Young Boys

Between 1871 and 1872, Pomeroy committed a succession of assaults against boys generally ranging from four to ten years old. His attacks became increasingly deliberate. He selected children younger and physically smaller than himself, led them away from public view and carried materials that could be used to bind or injure them. Among the identified survivors were seven-year-old Tracy Hayden, who was attacked near Powder Horn Hill in Chelsea on February 21, 1872, and eight-year-old Robert Maier, who was found injured in an abandoned outhouse on May 20, 1872. Johnny Balch was discovered bound and beaten in another isolated structure on July 22, 1872. After the Pomeroy family moved to South Boston, the assaults continued. Seven-year-old George Pratt was found badly beaten on August 17, 1872. Seven-year-old Joseph Kennedy was attacked near the South Boston salt marshes on September 11, and five-year-old Robert Gould was discovered on September 17 tied near a railroad line after being beaten and cut. Joseph Kennedy later recognized Pomeroy outside a police station and identified him as his attacker. Other surviving children also identified him. Pomeroy was arrested in September 1872 and confessed to several assaults. A juvenile court sentenced him to the State Reform School for Boys in Westborough, Massachusetts, for a term intended to last until he reached adulthood. ...

Confirmed Victims: (0)

Jesse Pomeroy - Wikipedia