(Austin, Texas) – Many of you love to hear a good ghost story any time of the year. The spookier the tale, the better. What if I told you that it’s very possible America’s first serial killer came from Austin, Texas?
It’s a documented story that you can retrace to this day. There was a killing spree that took place in our capital city in the late 1800s and you can walk that path in modern day Austin. Some believe, even though there is no proof, this killer could have turned into Jack the Ripper.
America’s First Serial Killer Possibly Came From Austin
On December 20, 1884, in the small town (at the time) of Austin, Texas, Mollie Smith was killed when she was struck 24 times with an ax. It was said by witnesses that she looked like she’d been attacked by a wild animal. Over the next year, seven more women and one man were brutally killed.
Two men were seriously injured by the so-called Servant Girl Annihilator. No one was ever caught for these murders. Some believe whoever this person was traveled to England and became Jack the Ripper because that killing spree started about three years after these attacks and the killer used similar killing methods.
History Lesson of Austin
This may sound like a scary tale to tell around the campfire, it is not. It’s the beginning of what is considered America’s first serial killer. The story of the “Midnight Assassin” is recreated in through a walk of Austin with Walking Tours of Austin (KVUE)…