Albert Fish: The Boogeyman Case That Haunted New York

In 1927, four year old Billy Gaffney disappeared from his New York City apartment building while playing in the hallway. When questioned, the only other child present gave a chilling response, saying “the boogeyman took him.” Billy was never seen again, and at the time, no one understood what those words truly meant. A year later, a man using the name Frank Howard gained the trust of the Budd family after responding to a job advertisement. Presenting himself as a harmless farmer, he convinced them to let their ten year old daughter, Gracie Budd, accompany him to what he claimed was a birthday gathering. She never returned. Years later, a letter sent to Gracie’s mother revealed disturbing details that only the person responsible could have known. The correspondence led authorities to Albert Fish, a man already linked to multiple child disappearances across the country. At trial, Fish confessed to numerous crimes. His insanity defense was rejected, and in 1936 he was executed at Sing Sing Prison. Nearly a century later, the Albert Fish case remains one of the most unsettling chapters in American criminal history. Follow True Crime Recaps for weekly cases that explore the darkest corners of history and the justice system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices