Jesse Pomeroy

Why do I think he committed such brutal, vile, evil crimes?

My thoughts

I believe that the reason that Jesse started committing these was crimes was for solely the purpose of revenge on the others or to show them that he can't be pushed around anymore and that he would look stronger to the bullies and maybe make his Dad "proud."

Childhood of Jesse

Childhood

Jesse often was bullied for his appearance. To escape his depression and anger he started to read "dime novels" full of blood, gore, sex, wars, battles, and mayhem...almost equivalent of today's violent video games.

14 year-old Jesse

Family

of Jesse Pomeroy

Jesse had an older brother, Charles, who often neglected him for girls. He had a father, Thomas Pomeroy, who often beat him and made him strip all his clothes till he was naked to inflict more pain and torture, he usually used a horsewhip or a leather belt to hit him. He also had a Mother, Ruth Ann Pomeroy, she offered comfort or the very least of understanding, but she thought that the reason that her son was having so many issues was because of him being bullied regularly. She started to notice that he would torture and kill small animals, she thought he did this out of sadness.

Family

What theories do I think were used?

Integrated Social Process Theory

Social Control Theory

Interactional Theory

Social Control Theory

I chose this theory because Jesse was anti-social due to him being bullied for his appearance and in several reports and pyschiatric reports claim that he was shy and kept to himself often.

Interactional Theory

I chose this theory because Jesse had started to have different behaviors. His mother, Ruth Ann said in a study that she noticed he would torture and kill small animals just for fun, this should have been a big WARNING sign for her, but she just thought that he was doing this out of sadness dur to his father beating him, his brother neglecting him, and him being bullied on a regular basis.

Integrated Social Process Theory

I chose this theory because Jesse had started to show concerning social-pyschological behaviors, he bullied others and tortured boys and sometimes he would moleste them, cut them with a knife, beat them, and have his way with them in any way he could. He would usually lure them in by offering money or candy, he would often offer this to boys under the age of 7. He did this to boys under the age of 7 so that he could feel stronger, taller, and bigger. He showed behaviors in which those should be concerned for his mental health.

Arrest

1872, Jesse Pomeroy

In 1872, Jesse Pomeroy was arrested in South Boston. His case was heard in front of a Juvenile Court Judge. He was arrested for murder and was found guilty and sentenced to the State Reform School for Boys at West borough, Massachusetts. He was 14 years old when he was arrested for these vile and evil crimes.

Arrest

Trial

Pomeroy was taken to view Millen's body and asked if he had committed the murder, he was denied the right to counsel. He was being charged for first degree murder, due to him committing the crimes in Massachusetts. He was pronounced guilty on December 10, 1874, with the jury's recommendation of mercy on account of the prisoner's youth. After the trial, the Governor signed a death warrant and was to schedule his execution, although he did not comply and refused. After 3 years, he was commuted to life in prison in solitary confinement in the year of 1876. He was 16 years old and 9 months when they decided this sentence.

The Crime

In March 1874, a girl named Kate Curran went missing. On April 22, 1874, The mutilated body of four-year-old Horace Millen was found on the marsh of Dorchester Bay. Immediately, the police went searching for Pomeroy, when they found him at his mother's dresshop; where Jesse worked, they searched the place and found the body of Kate Curran in the basement.

Life in Prison

Life in Prison

Being a 16 year old in prison was not easy at all for Jesse. Though he did teach himself to speak many foreign languages, including hebrew and german. He also wrote poetry and he would often argue with the prison guards to have it published. He also studied law books and spent decades composing legal challenges to his conviction and requests for a pardon. After his death, they found out that Jesse had made 10-12 attempts to escape, but obviously it never worked. He frequently made handheld tools and they often confiscated them.

Life in Prison Con't

Life in Prison con't

A prison guard reported finding rope, steel pens, and a drill that Pomeroy had concealed in his cell or on his person. According to "The Globe" Pomeroy lost an eye after attempting to destroy the side of his cell by redirecting a gas pipe. In 1914, a pyschiatric report claimed that Pomeroy had shown the "greatest ingenuity and a persistence which is unprecedented in the history of prison." He was known as the youngest serial killer in America.

Jesse's Death

In 1929, by this time Jesse was a frail and elderly man...only 53. He was transferred to Bridgewater Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he died on September 29, 1932. He died of natural causes. He died at the age of 56.