In another class I am in the process of developing a project on criminal profiling, during my

research process I came across some information and H.H. Holmes. Although I would never admire a
murder I was curious upon hearing about his castle. I found it fascinating that all the old movies and
cartoons depicting a maze house were based on actual events, an actual building erected in Chicago. I
was more astounded that the ingenuity was created by the first major serial killer in America.

I have read in more current articles I have seen that Holmes insisted on being buried in cement
so that no one could mutilate his corpse the way that he did to his victims. Herman Webster Mudgett
was his birth name, however he used hundreds of different aliases throughout his life time marrying
multiple different women while using a different name each time. Mudgett built his murder castle with
many hidden room designed specifically for torture. He added stairs and doors that led nowhere in an
attempt to disorient his victims.

Through research I hope to find more specifics on the monstrous yet clever way he eluded
capture during his reign of terror. I also plan to share how he inevitably was found out and consequently
put to death.

Herman Webster Mudgett was the first and most prolific serial killer in American history he
created ingenious ways to elude capture like his mysterious Murder House, using a crematorium in
his basement to dispose of bodies, and selling the skeletons of his victims to medical science.

I knew I wanted my essay to be about the Murder Castle, but it was not until after going
through the lesson a second time that I found a way to turn it into a thesis statement. At first it started
as Who was Americas first serial killer? then I had to turn that into a statement Herman Webster
Mudgett was Americas first major serial killer. Finally, I learned from the lesson my thesis was too
broad and was close to being a yes or no question. So, I just wrapped it around the reason I became
intrigued in the first place the Murder Castle which was just an elaborative and creative was to avoid
capture.