Lester Harrison

Serial Killer

Lester Harrison: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life and Initial Criminal Activities

Lester Harrison was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1922. Details about his early life remain scarce, but it is known that he began exhibiting signs of mental illness in the late 1930s, coinciding with his involvement in minor criminal activities. In 1945, at the age of 23, Harrison was arrested and subsequently convicted on robbery charges, receiving a sentence of five to ten years in prison. He was incarcerated at the Menard State Penitentiary in Chester, Illinois.

First Known Murder: 1951

While serving his sentence at Menard, Harrison committed his first known murder. On August 10, 1951, he fatally assaulted fellow inmate Norman E. Kimme, a 28-year-old Navy veteran serving a 14-year sentence for murdering his girlfriend. Kimme was discovered in the engine room of one of the prison buildings, having suffered multiple head injuries inflicted with an iron rod. Harrison admitted to the killing but was declared insane and committed to the prison's psychiatric facility. He was later deemed "cured" and released back into society.

Subsequent Criminal Behavior

Following his release, Harrison's criminal activities escalated. Between the late 1950s and early 1970s, he amassed eight additional arrests for offenses including theft, attempted armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and public indecency. He served short prison sentences on four occasions, paid fines in two instances, and was twice committed to psychiatric wards after being found unfit for trial. During this period, Harrison subsisted on disability checks, consumed alcohol heavily, and developed an intense interest in pornography. He frequently visited Chicago's Grant Park to engage with various women. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Norman E. Kimme Age: (28), Date of Death: 1951-08-10

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Lester Harrison (serial killer) - Wikipedia

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