America's Youngest Serial Killer: Jesse Pomeroy

Boston, Massachusetts. Childhood. It's often painted as a time of joy, simplicity, and innocence. A sacred period that should be free from the world's darker realities. Yet there are times when this very innocence becomes the mask for something deeply sinister. Today's episode is about one such case. A series of chilling events that would not only shock the community, but also capture the attention of an entire nation.

TIMELINE
1859: Born in 1859 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Jesse Harding Pomeroy was the second child in a seemingly ordinary family.
1872: In 1872, in the neighborhood of Charlestown in Chelsea, Massachusetts, local children started to report terrifying encounters with someone who to their disbelief was just a child himself.
1876: Eventually, after two years and three votes, Jesse's sentence was changed to life in solitary confinement, and he was imprisoned in Massachusetts state prison on September 7, 1876.
1929: Later in 1929, Jesse was moved to the state prison farm in Bridgewater, Massachusetts to live out his final years.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Boston is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 149 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 179 (Gay Head, Massachusetts)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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