John Frank Hickey

Case record: John Frank Hickey

John Frank Hickey, “The Postcard Killer,” was one of the first known and captured serial killers.

Background

Hickey was described as a hopeless alcoholic. He was “something of a dandy while sober, but when drunk he confided to detectives that he harbored a secret sexual attraction for children.” His assaults were described as spontaneous: “when he was tipping the demon rum, he claimed that he couldn’t control himself.”

Hickey began a long series of correspondence about his crimes in the form of postcards. He enjoyed knowing that they could be read by anybody while they were en route. The postcards eventually formed the net that snared him.

A young psychiatrist named Nelson “Kid” Wilson published a detailed description of what the killer might be like. His “profile” was so close to the truth that the prosecution team later hired him.

The offence

On October 11, 1911, seven-year-old Joey Joseph disappeared from the streets of Lackawanna, New York. After his father, an immigrant laborer, reported his son missing, police launched a full-scale search. Joey Joseph seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The case involved attacks on young newsboys who wandered the urban streets alone. From his first murder at eighteen until his capture and conviction nearly three decades later, Hickey traveled and worked at anonymous clerical or engineering jobs while he committed murders. The murders were described as sometimes attacking in open view, and his need for public attention drove him to taunt his victims’ families and mock the police.

Along with Joey Joseph, ten-year-old newsboy Michael Kruck and 34-year-old Edwin W. Morey were also victims of the killer.

Hickey confessed after his arrest to three murders and numerous sexual assaults of children. He was also suspected of at least twelve other murders. During the two decades he roamed New England, dozens of children went missing or were found murdered.

Investigation

With no real leads, police decided to publish copies of the postcards in a local newspaper. Almost immediately, several people contacted authorities to say they recognized the handwriting as that of an eccentric drunkard and prolific correspondent named J. Frank Hickey.

In some messages, the killer described the heinous crime, while others expressed an obviously false remorse. Finally, in one letter, the writer gave police directions to the body. The next day, authorities dug up the skeletal remains from the pit of a communal outhouse near Joey’s home.

As the case was sensationalized by the media, Nelson “Kid” Wilson published a detailed description of what the killer might be like.

Arrest and confession

After his arrest, Hickey confessed to three murders and numerous sexual assaults of children.

He was suspected of at least twelve other murders.

Trial

Hickey escaped the electric chair.

Hickey was convicted of second-degree murder and sent to Auburn prison.

When jurors were interviewed as to their curious verdict, one said, “Would you shoot a dog because he acts this way?” The jury thought he was insane.

Sentencing

Hickey was sentenced to life in prison on November 29, 1912.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Hickey died in prison on May 8, 1922.

Other details

The book The Postcard Killer: The True Story of J. Frank Hickey by Vance McLaughlin, Ph.D. April 24, 2008 discussed the case. Robert A. Waters - kidnappingmurderandmayhem.blogspot.com appeared as a site name at the end of the provided text.

Vance McLaughlin’s statement about how he decided to write the book was quoted verbatim:

“As usually happens, I [was] researching some other topic and [stumbled] on to something else. I was collecting a great deal of data on homicides in Buffalo. While looking through old newspapers, I kept stumbling into Hickey. So I decided to write a book.”

A description of the jury’s reasoning that kept Hickey locked up was stated as: Hickey was too dangerous to be placed in a mental institution where he might escape or be released, and the second-degree murder conviction effectively kept him locked up until he died.

The provided text also mentioned that at least two other serial murderers, Albert Fish and Peter Kudzinowski, were also active in the general area at the same time.