Joseph Fischer

Case overview

Joseph J. Fischer was born in 1923 and was a native of New Jersey. He was raised in Newark and Belleville. He described his childhood as one of continuous conflict and violence. His mother was a prostitute who brought “tricks” home while her husband worked on various construction sites. Fischer later said: “I guess what really helped me hate the woman,” and: “was that she didn’t care if me or my brothers were home when she brought her customers in.” The strangers sometimes passed out pocket change, urging the children to “get lost,” and Fischer stayed behind, watching his mother perform with a seemingly endless series of men. Fischer’s disrespect for his mother grew over time, provoking frequent arguments that led to beatings, sometimes interrupted when his father waded in to whip them both.

Fischer later said: “I would have killed her 10 times over,” and: “but I really believed that it would have broken my father’s heart.” He enrolled in Catholic school and clashed frequently with police in his adolescent years. He was sentenced to reform school for robbing St. Peter’s Church. Released in 1938 at 15, he lied about his age to join the merchant marine but soon jumped ship and returned to New Jersey. Desertion charges were dismissed when authorities found he was under age.

By that point, Fischer had a clean record more or less, and he joined the Marine Corps following the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He was already “well on his way to fullblown alcoholism,” and he served 30 days in the brig for drunkenness before he finished boot camp. He saw combat on Guadalcanal, Kwajalein, and Iwo Jima before being posted to mainland China, where he guarded military trains. His wartime record remained controversial; Fischer variously claimed a Bronze Star, a Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts for various battles, but he could not produce the medals or certificates to verify his alleged heroism. Regardless of the details, he saw action and “loved every minute of it,” remarking years later: “killing felt too good to stop” at wars end.

He apparently murdered a number of Chinese civilians under the guise of “protecting” military freight. While he was never court-martialed, he was diagnosed as a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic prior to his discharge from service in 1945. After returning to civilian life, Fischer faced a series of arrests and committals to mental institutions. This climaxed in 1948 with his conviction for robbery and assault.

The offence

After being paroled in December 1953, Fischer was free for a matter of days before he attacked a 16-year-old boy in New Jersey, beating him to death with a rock on the day after Christmas. Fischer was later paroled in June 1978 to marry a pen pal, 78-year-old Claudine Eggers. The attraction was described as being apparently financial, with Claudine picking up the tab for an aimless 13-month jaunt across country that turned into a nonstop murder spree.

One of the last to die was Claudine herself. She was found stabbed to death in a home she sometimes shared with Joe in Wassaic, New York. Fischer surrendered to New York police on July 2, 1979, and freely confessed to the slaying, after which he was placed in the Dutchess County jail on a charge of second-degree murder.

Fischer then spoke about additional killings. He confessed to “another 18 homicides.” He said he had set out to kill 25 victims and that he was still six short when he grew weary and surrendered.

Warrants were issued in Arizona and Oklahoma for his arrest for spring 1979 murders. By July 28, authorities had warrants for a man in Flagstaff and a female victim, Betty Jo Gibson, in Moore, Oklahoma.

Authorities were described as tracking Fischer’s claims across different jurisdictions that were often working at cross-purposes. Other victims claimed by Fischer in his confessions included “a couple” of deaths in the Bowery and others in Los Angeles; San Francisco; New Mexico; Cooperstown, New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Portland, Maine.

By mid-February 1980, Fischer was claiming a total of 32 victims. Police in Norwalk, Connecticut declared that they had sufficient evidence to charge him in the additional stabbing deaths of two 17-year-old girls, Alaine Hapeman and Veronica Tassielo. Fischer went to trial in April 1980 only for the murder of his wife.

Fischer’s confessions were also reflected in press reports describing “dozens” of victims, including one article claiming “up to forty.” When Fischer took the witness stand on April 11, he denied Claudine’s murder. Jurors dismissed his testimony as a self-serving lie. On April 23, he was convicted of second-degree murder.

Investigation

A photo found in Fischer’s possession was identified as a likeness of 26-year-old Pamela Nolen, who was missing from Ruidos, New Mexico, since October 30, 1978. Fischer admitted stabbing a woman to death in New Mexico but did not catch her name. Flagstaff police cited evidence confirming Fischer’s presence in the motel room where a male victim died on March 31, 1979, but they later called the death accidental; Fischer insisted that he beat the man to death.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections refused to release Fischer’s prison psychiatric files. Parole had been granted in 1978 on twin conditions that Fischer join Alcoholics Anonymous and remain subject to “close supervision.”

Arrest

Fischer surrendered to New York police on July 2, 1979. He freely confessed to the slaying of Claudine Eggers. He was taken to the Dutchess County jail on a charge of second-degree murder.

By July 28, authorities in Arizona and Oklahoma had issued warrants for Fischer’s arrest regarding the spring 1979 murders of a man in Flagstaff and Betty Jo Gibson in Moore, Oklahoma.

Trial

When he took the witness stand on April 11, he denied Claudine’s murder. Jurors dismissed his testimony as a self-serving lie and convicted him of second-degree murder on April 23.

Sentencing

Three weeks after the April 23 conviction, on May 16, Fischer received a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Fischer died in prison in December 1991 at age 68. By the time he died, it was described that he was largely forgotten, with his passing barely noted in the hometown newspaper.

Officially, he was described as responsible for two homicides and suspected of at least three more.

Aftermath and later claims

Fischer was described as confined at Sing Sing and as soon reverting to an early boastful mode. In 1989, he granted interviews to tabloid TV programs including Geraldo and A Current Affair, claiming a body count of “over 100” victims. By February 1991, when he was profiled on America’s Most Wanted, the number had jumped to “about 150,” including allegations of a private graveyard undiscovered by police, with 16 corpses buried in one place. The profile period also described that no one had the interest or energy to check his stories out.

He had been responsible for two homicides and suspected of at least three more, and his true body count was described as likely never being known.

Other details

Fischer had been sentenced to reform school for robbing St. Peter’s Church. He joined the Marine Corps after the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He served 30 days in the brig for drunkenness before finishing boot camp. His wartime record remained controversial, and he could not produce medals or certificates verifying his claimed heroism. He was diagnosed as a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic prior to discharge from service in 1945. He was convicted for robbery and assault in 1948. He attacked and beat to death a 16-year-old boy in New Jersey on the day after Christmas. He was paroled in December 1953 and attacked the 16-year-old boy shortly thereafter. He was paroled in June 1978 to marry Claudine Eggers. Warrants remained outstanding in Connecticut and Oklahoma, but neither jurisdiction was disposed to extradite him for trial.