Most Terrifying Things About America’s First Serial Killer

A Growing Obsession

Some say that Holmes was obsessed with death. After the experience at the doctor’s office, Holmes got into some strange hobbies as a kid. At age 11, he was known to practice surgery on innocent animals, which sparked his interest in medicine. Nowadays, animal surgery would surely be a sign that there was something mentally wrong with the young man.

He was said to have tortured them until they were almost dead, before bringing them back to life. Other serial killers are also known to have practiced such grotesque experimentations on animals throughout their childhood. Both Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy and an array of other serial killers were said to have killed animals in their youth. Also during his youth, he was an assistant to a local doctor that helped him learn about the human body during life and death. The same doctor wrote recommendations to help Holmes get into medical school. Surely, once this doctor found out about the fate of his former mentee, he had to have been disturbed!