Thomas Andrew Williamson
Overview
Thomas Andrew Williamson was a 19th-century American serial killer whose known crimes stretched from Illinois to Missouri between 1868 and 1890. He was born on April 23, 1831, in Mackinaw Township, Illinois, and later became known by the nickname Uncle Tom. Williamson's criminal history began long before his confirmed murders. Accounts of his early life describe theft, disorderly behavior, and repeated trouble with the law. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War, but after returning to civilian life, he continued drifting through Illinois, Missouri, and nearby areas while supporting himself through odd jobs and petty crime.
Williamson's confirmed murder record includes four victims: August Koch in Illinois, his wife Susan Kerk Williamson in Missouri, and Jefferson Jeff Moore and Charles Moore near Sedalia, Missouri. His crimes were separated by many years, but they followed a grim pattern of deception, concealment, and the use of isolated rural locations to hide bodies. He was sentenced to death twice: first in Illinois for the murder of August Koch, though that sentence was commuted, and later in Missouri for the Moore murders. He was executed by hanging in Sedalia, Missouri, on October 31, 1891.
Confirmed Victims
- August Koch killed in 1868 in Delavan, Illinois. Koch was described as an elderly German man. Williamson, his brother-in-law Shivler, and a friend named Harket went to Koch's home for a card game. After drinking heavily, an argument broke out when Koch accused the men of cheating. Koch was killed, and his body was buried beneath the house. The exact calendar date of death is not consistently preserved in available accounts, but the verified year of death is 1868.
- Susan Kerk Williamson believed killed in September or October 1889 near Sedalia, Missouri. Susan was Williamson's wife. By the fall of 1889, the couple had been living in a log cabin several miles outside Sedalia. After Susan disappeared, Williamson claimed she had gone to visit relatives in Illinois and later said she had died there of renal colic. Her remains were discovered on May 28, 1890, buried near the cabin after neighbors became suspicious. The exact date of death is not firmly documented, but the verified death period is fall 1889.
- Charles Moore killed in early May 1890 near Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri. Charles was the 29-year-old son of Jefferson Jeff Moore. He disappeared before his father's body was found. Searchers later discovered Charles buried in a field on or near the Moore property. His skull had been crushed, reportedly with an axe or similar blunt instrument. The exact calendar date of death is not consistently documented, but the verified death period is early May 1890.
- Jefferson Jeff Moore killed in May 1890 near Sedalia, Pettis County, Missouri. Jeff Moore was about 59 years old and operated the Moore farm with his son Charles. After he failed to appear as expected to pay for rails he had purchased, neighbors grew suspicious. A search of the Moore farm led to the discovery of Jeff's body buried in the cellar. His skull had been crushed. The exact calendar date of death is not consistently documented, but the verified death period is May 1890.
Early Life and Criminal Pattern
Williamson's life was marked by instability, theft, and violence long before the murders for which he became infamous. He was raised in a farming family in Illinois and was reportedly involved in stealing as a child. At about 13, he was accused of attempting to rob a store in Pekin, Illinois, though he was later released after trial. As a young adult, he suffered an illness that left him partially paralyzed on one side, but he continued to work, drift, and commit minor crimes.
He later enlisted in the Union Army, serving in Illinois regiments during the Civil War. After the war, he returned to Illinois, but his criminal behavior did not stop. The first confirmed murder connected to him occurred in 1868, when he and two associates killed August Koch in Delavan. That case showed several elements that would later reappear in the Missouri murders: a victim who knew or trusted him, a sudden escalation during a dispute, and an attempt to hide the body on the property where the killing occurred.
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