America's Youngest Serial Killer: Jesse Pomeroy

In 1874, a 14-year-old boy named Jesse Pomeroy was sentenced to death for the brutal torture and murder of at least two children in Massachusetts. His victims were younger than him, his methods were horrifying, and his case would redefine how America viewed juvenile crime.

Born in Charlestown in 1859, Jesse began attacking young boys when he was just 12 years old. He would lure them to isolated locations with promises of money or candy, then beat, bind, and torture them with knives and pins. When his mother relocated the family to South Boston to escape suspicion, the attacks didn't stop—they escalated to murder.

Jesse Pomeroy's case forced an entire nation to confront an uncomfortable truth: that extreme violence wasn't limited to adults. His trial sparked debates about juvenile justice, criminal responsibility, and whether some people are simply born to kill.

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In This Episode:

• How a 12-year-old boy began a reign of terror in Boston's neighborhoods
• The horrific pattern of torture that targeted children younger than him
• The discovery that forced authorities to confront a child killer
• The controversial trial that sentenced a 14-year-old to death
• Jesse's 58 years behind bars—the longest incarceration in American history at that time

Key Figures:

• Jesse Harding Pomeroy - Born 1859, began attacking children at age 12
• Ruth Pomeroy - Jesse's mother, who relocated the family to escape suspicion
• Katie Kuran (age 10) - Found murdered in the basement of the Pomeroy family shop
• Horace Millen (age 4) - Discovered nearly decapitated on a South Boston beach

Timeline:

• 1859: Jesse Pomeroy born in Charlestown, Massachusetts
• February 1872: First known victim, seven-year-old Tracy Hayden, attacked
• September 1872: Jesse arrested after being identified by victim Joseph Kennedy
• 1873: Jesse released on parole within months of sentencing
• March 1874: Ten-year-old Katie Kuran goes missing near Pomeroy family shop
• April 1874: Four-year-old Horace Millen found murdered; Jesse arrested
• December 1874: Jesse convicted and initially sentenced to death at age 15
• September 1876: Sentence commuted to life in solitary confinement
• September 1932: Jesse dies of heart attack after 58 years in prison

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