American Monsters: H.H. Holmes and The Chicago Murder Castle

The legend of H.H. Holmes and his so-called "Murder Castle" is an American Tall Tale gone bad... Holmes wasn’t just any killer—he was one of America’s first real serial killers. And it wasn’t just the body count that made him infamous. It was that house.   Initially, people thought it was just a regular hotel, a smart business move by Holmes to cash in on the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. But, when the police finally took a good, hard look inside, they found something straight out of a nightmare. The Murder Castle wasn’t some run-of-the-mill hotel with a few secrets behind the wallpaper and a revolving bookcase. No, this thing was a cathedral to the macabre. It wasn’t built for guests—it was built for victims. As for the body count? Well, that’s still up for debate. Some say Holmes killed as few as nine people. Others think he might’ve murdered as many as 200...Either way, he wasn’t running a hotel—he was running a slaughterhouse. Some might even say he was running the prototypical, "Haunted House"...If you found Kinda Murdery because of the Hillbilly Horror Stories Halloween Special, thank you so much for being here!  If you haven't heard Hillbilly Horror Stories, Jerry and Tracy deliver a fantastic show, and please do listen to their 7th Annual Halloween Special - featuring Kinda Murdery -  here: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hillbilly-horror-stories-7th-halloween-episode/id1146579746?i=1000674689093Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6mOvm0mPyfQ0g0ljOHwH6q?si=_z-7zZEGT4CjL1HbPGWvcAHillbilly Horror stories is also availble here, and wherever you get your podcasts!: https://www.hillbillyhorrorstories.com/podcast/episode/795e08d2/hillbilly-horror-stories-7th-halloween-episodeHAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!Sources: https://allthatsinteresting.com/hh-holmes-hotel https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/enduring-mystery-hh-holmes-americas-first-serial-killer-180977646/ https://www.biography.com/crime/hh-holmesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/kinda-murdery-true-crime-murder-stories--5496890/support.Zevon Odelberg is a true crime podcast host and disability advocate.  Zevon has cerebral palsy and he wants Kinda Murdery to be welcoming community for people with disabilities and for people living with challenges of any kind.  Life can be hard, but being together makes it better.