Depraved
Harold Schechter
A book-length account for readers who want more detail.
1890s · Illinois & other U.S. states
H. H. Holmes
Multiple & serial murders
Photo credit
Unknown photographer, circa 1880s–1890s / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (U.S.). Cropped/resized.Photographs are cropped to fit. Photo dates and original images are available through the source credits.
H. H. Holmes used fraud and deception while committing murders in the 1890s, including the killing of Benjamin Pitezel. Investigators also traced the deaths of Pitezel’s children to him. Sensational stories about a Chicago “murder castle” often mix documented crimes with disputed or exaggerated claims.
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The Story
When1890s
WhereIllinois & other U.S. states
In this collection30 resources
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H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
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Dark History — H. H. Holmes (S3 E4)
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Blogs & Essays
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From the journal
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Headpress · Blog / essay
How I First Encountered H. H. Holmes - Headpress
An outside blog or essay discussing H. H. Holmes. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
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Books
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Books
1 itemsHarold Schechter
Depraved
Book-length account or personal perspective. This link provides bibliographic details; compare the author’s account with reporting and records.
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
1 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
tubitv.com
H. H. Holmes: America’s First Serial Killer
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
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Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & episode details
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Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
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Depraved
Search Audiobook Editions · paid linkHarold Schechter
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
16 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
Dark History — H. H. Holmes (S3 E4)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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Lights Out
H.H. Holmes: The Devil In The White City
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released January 22, 2021. About 70 minutes.
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Crime House 24/7
Throwback Thursday: H.H. Holmes & the Chicago Murder Castle Pt. 1
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released September 10, 2026. About 31 minutes.
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Crime House 24/7
Throwback Thursday: H.H. Holmes & the Chicago Murder Castle Pt. 2
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released September 10, 2026. About 29 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 200: H.H. Holmes Part I - The Horrid Meat
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released November 10, 2015. About 70 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 201: H.H. Holmes Part II - Nothing But Trouble
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released November 19, 2015. About 66 minutes.
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Last Podcast On The Left
Episode 202: H.H. Holmes Part III - Professional Uncle
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released November 26, 2015. About 72 minutes.
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Criminology
H.H. Holmes
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released July 30, 2023. About 58 minutes.
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Crimes of the Centuries
H.H. Holmes and His Macabre "Murder Castle"
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released April 12, 2021. About 53 minutes.
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Outlore with Eleanor Neale
28: H H Holmes & His Murder Castle
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released July 20, 2023. About 66 minutes.
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Morbid
H.H. Holmes Part 1
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released May 8, 2023. About 96 minutes.
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Morbid
H.H. Holmes Part 2
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released May 11, 2023. About 72 minutes.
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Morbid
H.H. Holmes Part 3
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released May 15, 2023. About 62 minutes.
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Rotten Mango
#73: Hotel Of Horrors (Serial Killer - H. H. Holmes)
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released June 16, 2021. About 84 minutes.
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Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
SERIAL KILLER: H. H. Holmes Pt. 1
Podcast coverage of the H. H. Holmes case. Released April 27, 2026. About 46 minutes.
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Rotten Mango · Stephanie Soo
Rotten Mango — H. H. Holmes (Episode 73)
Episode 73 discusses H. H. Holmes. The official episode page identifies this case and provides the show’s listening options. Contains descriptions of violence; this is podcast commentary, not a court record.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
4 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Maryland State Archives · Free Full Text
A Book of Remarkable Criminals
Public-domain historical book with a section about Holmes. Read it as a period account, alongside modern sources.
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Library of Congress · Free Article
Introduction - H.H. Holmes and the Murder Castle: Topics in Chronicling America
Publicly accessible source material and historical context related to this story.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Depraved
Harold Schechter. Related reading for H. H. Holmes. Book information and any pages made available by Google Books; this is not a promise of full-text access.
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Everand · Subscription Access
Depraved — Ebook
Harold Schechter. Related reading for H. H. Holmes. Check the current subscription terms and available sample; trial offers are not permanent free access.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Project Gutenberg, Maryland State Archives, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemssmithsonianmag.com
Reporting on H. H. Holmes
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Free Historical Newspaper Image
The Journal’s Coverage of Holmes’s Claimed Confession
The Journal, New York · April 12, 1896 · Front Page
The original front page illustrates the sensational reporting surrounding Holmes. Statements printed here are historical claims, not a verified account of every alleged crime.
Image Credit & Rights
U.S. newspaper published in 1896; public domain. Scan: Library of Congress. Archive rights guidance. Reviewed 2026-09-15.
More from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
Chicago Tribune · 1895-07-28 · Page 2
Investigators examine evidence in the Holmes case
A continued historical report follows witnesses and possible links to missing people.
Nineteenth-century reporting contains speculation; suspected victims are not confirmed totals.
Read this article on Newspapers.comThe Chicago Chronicle · 1895-07-27 · Page 3
The Williams sisters and Holmes’s dealings
Contemporary coverage recounts claims about the Williams sisters and their property.
A continued historical article; allegations and inferred motives require caution.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
1 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · Library record · 2017
H. H. Holmes : the true history of the White City Devil
Selzer, Adam, author. A library catalog record for a book connected with H. H. Holmes. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionArchive copy
Commonwealth v. Mudgett — H. H. Holmes’s murder appeal
Historical opinion reviewing Herman Webster Mudgett’s conviction for Benjamin Pitezel’s murder. It includes trial testimony and the court’s reasoning; it does not establish every later claim about Holmes.
- Court / agency
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court
- Document date
- March 4, 1896
- Case / citation
- 174 Pa. 211 · 34 A. 588
- Hosted by
- OpenJurist
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
6 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
Bailey Sarian
A Murder Castle in America?! - Self Made Psycho H.H. Holmes | Mystery & Makeup | Bailey Sarian
Video from Bailey Sarian covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 1:05:16.
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Our History
The Chilling Story Of Americas First Serial Killer: HH Holmes | Our History
Video from Our History covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 48:37.
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The Casual Criminalist
H.H. Holmes: Ladykiller and Child-Murderer
Video from The Casual Criminalist covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 2:01:25.
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BuzzFeed Unsolved Network
How They Were Caught: H.H. Holmes
Video from BuzzFeed Unsolved Network covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 9:04.
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A&E
Infamous Killers: H.H. Holmes | A&E
Video from A&E covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 5:26.
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True Crime Central
Jane Toppan and H.H Holmes | American Serial Killers WITHOUT Conscience | True Crime Central
Video from True Crime Central covering the H. H. Holmes case. Length: 47:04.
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