The Murderer’s Resume

John Haigh showed a passion for fraud and pranks from a young age. After finishing school, he worked as an apprentice engineer but was fired for putting sugar in his boss’s petrol tank. He then worked in advertising and insurance but was fired again for stealing from the cash box. In 1934, he was sentenced to 15 months for car fraud. In 1936, Haigh became the chauffeur for William McSwan but later abandoned this job to invent a new persona: William Cato Adamson. Under this new name, he became a solicitor and sold stocks, but was convicted of fraud and sentenced to four years in prison.

The Acid Bath Vampire

John Haigh was released from prison in 1944. He realized that the reason he was frequently caught by the police was because there were always victims who could report him. He concluded that, in order to avoid being caught, he needed to dispose of the bodies of his victims. Haigh became fascinated by the case of Georges-Alexandre Sarret, a murderer who dissolved his victims’ bodies in sulfuric acid. Haigh followed suit and began his own list of victims. He also made a name for himself by claiming to the police that he liked drinking the blood of his victims, though there is no evidence to support this.

A Family Worth of Money

Haigh’s first victim was his former employer, William McSwan. After being released from prison, Haigh met McSwan by chance in a pub. McSwan came from a wealthy family, and Haigh desired this lifestyle. He was introduced to the McSwan family and was entrusted with collecting rents from their properties in London. In September, Haigh lured McSwan into a basement and dissolved his body in a sulfuric acid bath, turning it into sludge which he then disposed of in a manhole. Haigh tricked McSwan’s parents into believing that their son had run away to avoid military service. After the war ended, McSwan’s parents grew suspicious as their son never returned. Haigh then targeted McSwan’s parents, Don and Amy, killing them, dissolving their bodies, and discarding them. He sold their properties, stole their pension checks, and moved to Kensington.

The Cliché Life of a Gambler

By 1947, Haigh had already spent most of his savings, so he decided to rebalance his bank accounts. His next victims were Dr. Archibald Henderson and his wife, Rose. They met while inspecting a flat for rent, where Haigh pretended to be a potential buyer. After learning that Haigh could play the piano, the couple invited him to perform at their housewarming party. That evening, Haigh stole the doctor’s gun that he used to kill his next victims. In February, he invited Dr. Henderson to his workshop pretending to want to show him an invention, then shot him in the head. He called Dr. Henderson’s wife, claiming her husband had fallen ill, and killed her when she arrived. Haigh sold their belongings and kept their dog and car.

The Last Victim

In 1949, Haigh murdered a wealthy widow, Olive Durand-Deacon. At this time, he was posing as an engineer and invited Ms. Deacon to his workshop to discuss her idea for artificial fingernails. Haigh shot her with a revolver, dissolved her body, and stole all her possessions. He disposed of her remains in his backyard, as the workshop lacked floor drains. One of Ms. Deacon’s friends reported her missing, and the police connected her disappearance to Haigh due to his criminal history. When they searched his workshop, they discovered her remains, including human body fat, gallstones, bone fragments, and dentures.

The End

Haigh was arrested and hanged on August 10, 1949. He confessed to killing nine people, although the murders of individuals besides the McSwan family, the Henderson family, and Ms. Deacon could not be proven. He claimed to be insane and stated that he enjoyed drinking the blood of his victims, though there was no evidence to support his claims. He also recounted dreams he had as a child that he described as bloody“I saw before me a forest of crucifixes which gradually turned into trees. At first, there appeared to be dew or rain, dripping from the branches, but as I approached I realized it was blood. The whole forest began to writhe and the trees, dark and erect, to ooze blood … A man went from each tree catching the blood … When the cup was full, he approached me. ‘Drink,’ he said, but I was unable to move.”

Motif

Although the primary motive for Haigh’s killings seemed to be financial gain, researchers at Cambridge have suggested that there was another psychological factor at play. By analyzing letters and other documents written by Haigh to his parents, girlfriends, and acquaintances, they concluded that Haigh may have had a predisposition to psychopathy. His upbringing in a highly religious household, where his parents believed they had a “greater purpose” on Earth, could have contributed to his violent tendencies.

Sources:

Cambridge University/ The Guardian/ The History Press/ Wikipedia