Frederick Mors
Elderly Care Facility Murders
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
New York City, New York
TIME PERIOD
1914-1915
VICTIMS
8 confirmed
Frederick Mors, an Austrian-American serial killer, operated in a nursing home in Unionport, New York, from September 1914 to January 1915, where he murdered eight elderly residents using arsenic and chloroform. After an unusually high number of deaths at the facility prompted an investigation, Mors was apprehended in January 1915, during which he confessed to the murders, claiming they were acts of mercy. Following his arrest, he was diagnosed as a megalomaniac and committed to an insane asylum; however, he later escaped. The investigation revealed a pattern of fear among the residents and staff regarding Mors, which ultimately led to his identification as the primary suspect.
Frederick Mors is believed to have been motivated by a desire for power and control, as evidenced by his insistence on being addressed as "Herr Doktor" and his megalomaniacal behavior. Some speculate that his charm towards younger residents and visitors masked his sinister intentions, allowing him to operate undetected for a time. Additionally, the unusually high death rate at the nursing home during his employment has led to theories that he may have been responsible for more deaths than the eight confirmed murders.
The Chilling Case of Frederick Mors: An Austrian-American Serial Killer
Frederick Mors, born Carl Menarik on October 2, 1889, in Vienna, Austria, became an infamous name in early 20th-century America as a serial killer with a chilling modus operandi. His story unfolds across continents and years, weaving a tale of murder, madness, and mystery that remains unsettling to this day.
Arrival in America
In June 1914, Mors emigrated from Austria-Hungary to New York City, a bustling metropolis that offered new beginnings for many. The German-speaking Mors found work as a porter at the German Odd Fellows' Home in Unionport, New York—what is today known as the Bronx. This institution provided refuge to 250 orphans and 100 elderly men and women. Despite the comfort he seemed to provide to the younger residents and visitors, the elderly lived in fear of him. [2]
Mors's behavior soon took a disturbing turn. He began exhibiting signs of megalomania, strutting around the nursing home in a white lab coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck. He demanded that the elderly residents refer to him as "Herr Doktor," a chilling precursor to the horrors that would follow. [2]
A Series of Murders
Between September 1914 and January 1915, an alarming number of deaths—seventeen in total—occurred at the home. This spike in mortality raised suspicions and prompted the administration to involve the police. [2]
The investigation revealed that Mors had used arsenic and chloroform to kill at least eight of the elderly residents. When confronted, he calmly confessed to the murders, claiming he was "putting them out of their misery." His first victim fell to arsenic, procured from a local druggist. Finding this method cumbersome, he later switched to chloroform, a substance that allowed for a more hands-on approach to his grim task. [2] [5]
The Victims
Among those who fell victim to Mors's twisted sense of mercy were:
- Carl Hitzel, 78, killed with morphine.
- Henry Haensel, 67, poisoned with arsenic.
- Carl Garf, 65, poisoned with arsenic.
- Mrs. Katherine Piazza, 75, given chloroform.
- Mrs. Frederick Drey, 75, given chloroform.
- Mrs. Elizabeth Hauser, 70, given chloroform.
- Henry Horn, 68, given chloroform.
- Ferdinand Scholtz, 77, given chloroform. [6]
The Investigation
As the investigation progressed, Mors emerged as the prime suspect due to the pervasive fear he instilled among both patients and staff. His confession was chillingly detailed, describing a process of inducing unconsciousness with chloroform before sealing the body’s orifices with cotton to ensure death. Mors also alleged that the home's superintendent had encouraged him to target the more frail and elderly residents, a claim that added another layer of horror to the case. [2] [7]
The district attorney, however, decided against prosecuting Mors. Instead, he was deemed criminally insane and committed to the Hudson River State Hospital, pending deportation to Austria. But the story did not end there. [7]
Escape and Disappearance
In May 1916, Mors managed to escape from the institution, resurfacing the following year in Torrington, Connecticut. There, he assumed the alias Frederick Maurice Beno and found employment in the first aid department of Turner & Seymour Company. His disguise was thin, as he used the same birthdate as Mors on his World War I draft registration. He even penned three letters asserting that he was indeed the man responsible for the eight murders in New York. [8] [3] [6] [9] [10]
In April 1918, Mors vanished once more, leaving behind notes that hinted at suicidal intent. Five years later, in May 1923, a skeletonized corpse was discovered in the area. Officials identified the remains based on the distinctive shoes Mors, or Beno, had worn. Nearby, two bottles believed to contain poison were found, suggesting a final, fatal act. [8] [3] [6] [9] [10]
Conclusion
The life and crimes of Frederick Mors remain a haunting chapter in the annals of American criminal history—a story of a man who crossed oceans to escape his past, only to become a specter of death in a foreign land. His case raises unsettling questions about madness, morality, and the thin veneer that separates the caregiver from the killer.
Sources
- "Serial killer murdered 8 residents of the nursing home where he worked before confessing to police." Life Death Prizes, June 4, 2017.
- Lane, Brian, and Wilfred Gregg. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Berkley Books, 1995.
- "Identify Northfield Skeleton As That of Frederick Beno." Meriden Morning Record, May 8, 1923.
- Nash, Jay Robert. World Encyclopedia of 20th Century Murder. Rowman & Littlefield, 1992.
- Blum, Deborah. The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York. Penguin, 2011.
- "Suspects Torrington Man of Murdering 8." Hartford Courant, July 20, 1919.
- "Serial Killer Frederick Mors | Ephemeral New York."
- "May Confirm Identity of Mors by Teeth." The Yonkers Herald, May 11, 1923.
- "Fugitive Ends His Own Life, Police Theory." The Yonkers Herald, May 7, 1923.
- "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," FamilySearch.
Wikipedia URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Mors
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Mors Immigrates to the U.S.
Frederick Mors immigrates to New York City from Austria-Hungary.
First Murder Committed
Mors commits his first murder using arsenic at the nursing home.
Investigation Begins
Police investigate the unusually high death rate at the nursing home.
Mors Arrested
Frederick Mors is arrested after admitting to killing eight elderly patients.
Committed to Asylum
Mors is diagnosed as criminally insane and committed to Hudson River State Hospital.
Mors Escapes Asylum
Frederick Mors escapes from the Hudson River State Hospital.
Reappears in Connecticut
Mors resurfaces in Torrington, Connecticut, under the alias Frederick Maurice Beno.
Mors Disappears
Mors leaves notes of suicidal intent and disappears.
Body Identified
A skeletonized corpse identified as Frederick Mors is discovered in Torrington.
Frederick Mors, an Austrian-American serial killer, operated in a nursing home in Unionport, New York, from September 1914 to January 1915, where he murdered eight elderly residents using arsenic and chloroform. After an unusually high number of deaths at the facility prompted an investigation, Mors was apprehended in January 1915, during which he confessed to the murders, claiming they were acts of mercy. Following his arrest, he was diagnosed as a megalomaniac and committed to an insane asylum; however, he later escaped. The investigation revealed a pattern of fear among the residents and staff regarding Mors, which ultimately led to his identification as the primary suspect.
Frederick Mors is believed to have been motivated by a desire for power and control, as evidenced by his insistence on being addressed as "Herr Doktor" and his megalomaniacal behavior. Some speculate that his charm towards younger residents and visitors masked his sinister intentions, allowing him to operate undetected for a time. Additionally, the unusually high death rate at the nursing home during his employment has led to theories that he may have been responsible for more deaths than the eight confirmed murders.
The Chilling Case of Frederick Mors: An Austrian-American Serial Killer
Frederick Mors, born Carl Menarik on October 2, 1889, in Vienna, Austria, became an infamous name in early 20th-century America as a serial killer with a chilling modus operandi. His story unfolds across continents and years, weaving a tale of murder, madness, and mystery that remains unsettling to this day.
Arrival in America
In June 1914, Mors emigrated from Austria-Hungary to New York City, a bustling metropolis that offered new beginnings for many. The German-speaking Mors found work as a porter at the German Odd Fellows' Home in Unionport, New York—what is today known as the Bronx. This institution provided refuge to 250 orphans and 100 elderly men and women. Despite the comfort he seemed to provide to the younger residents and visitors, the elderly lived in fear of him. [2]
Mors's behavior soon took a disturbing turn. He began exhibiting signs of megalomania, strutting around the nursing home in a white lab coat with a stethoscope draped around his neck. He demanded that the elderly residents refer to him as "Herr Doktor," a chilling precursor to the horrors that would follow. [2]
A Series of Murders
Between September 1914 and January 1915, an alarming number of deaths—seventeen in total—occurred at the home. This spike in mortality raised suspicions and prompted the administration to involve the police. [2]
The investigation revealed that Mors had used arsenic and chloroform to kill at least eight of the elderly residents. When confronted, he calmly confessed to the murders, claiming he was "putting them out of their misery." His first victim fell to arsenic, procured from a local druggist. Finding this method cumbersome, he later switched to chloroform, a substance that allowed for a more hands-on approach to his grim task. [2] [5]
The Victims
Among those who fell victim to Mors's twisted sense of mercy were:
- Carl Hitzel, 78, killed with morphine.
- Henry Haensel, 67, poisoned with arsenic.
- Carl Garf, 65, poisoned with arsenic.
- Mrs. Katherine Piazza, 75, given chloroform.
- Mrs. Frederick Drey, 75, given chloroform.
- Mrs. Elizabeth Hauser, 70, given chloroform.
- Henry Horn, 68, given chloroform.
- Ferdinand Scholtz, 77, given chloroform. [6]
The Investigation
As the investigation progressed, Mors emerged as the prime suspect due to the pervasive fear he instilled among both patients and staff. His confession was chillingly detailed, describing a process of inducing unconsciousness with chloroform before sealing the body’s orifices with cotton to ensure death. Mors also alleged that the home's superintendent had encouraged him to target the more frail and elderly residents, a claim that added another layer of horror to the case. [2] [7]
The district attorney, however, decided against prosecuting Mors. Instead, he was deemed criminally insane and committed to the Hudson River State Hospital, pending deportation to Austria. But the story did not end there. [7]
Escape and Disappearance
In May 1916, Mors managed to escape from the institution, resurfacing the following year in Torrington, Connecticut. There, he assumed the alias Frederick Maurice Beno and found employment in the first aid department of Turner & Seymour Company. His disguise was thin, as he used the same birthdate as Mors on his World War I draft registration. He even penned three letters asserting that he was indeed the man responsible for the eight murders in New York. [8] [3] [6] [9] [10]
In April 1918, Mors vanished once more, leaving behind notes that hinted at suicidal intent. Five years later, in May 1923, a skeletonized corpse was discovered in the area. Officials identified the remains based on the distinctive shoes Mors, or Beno, had worn. Nearby, two bottles believed to contain poison were found, suggesting a final, fatal act. [8] [3] [6] [9] [10]
Conclusion
The life and crimes of Frederick Mors remain a haunting chapter in the annals of American criminal history—a story of a man who crossed oceans to escape his past, only to become a specter of death in a foreign land. His case raises unsettling questions about madness, morality, and the thin veneer that separates the caregiver from the killer.
Sources
- "Serial killer murdered 8 residents of the nursing home where he worked before confessing to police." Life Death Prizes, June 4, 2017.
- Lane, Brian, and Wilfred Gregg. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Berkley Books, 1995.
- "Identify Northfield Skeleton As That of Frederick Beno." Meriden Morning Record, May 8, 1923.
- Nash, Jay Robert. World Encyclopedia of 20th Century Murder. Rowman & Littlefield, 1992.
- Blum, Deborah. The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York. Penguin, 2011.
- "Suspects Torrington Man of Murdering 8." Hartford Courant, July 20, 1919.
- "Serial Killer Frederick Mors | Ephemeral New York."
- "May Confirm Identity of Mors by Teeth." The Yonkers Herald, May 11, 1923.
- "Fugitive Ends His Own Life, Police Theory." The Yonkers Herald, May 7, 1923.
- "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," FamilySearch.
Wikipedia URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Mors
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
Mors Immigrates to the U.S.
Frederick Mors immigrates to New York City from Austria-Hungary.
First Murder Committed
Mors commits his first murder using arsenic at the nursing home.
Investigation Begins
Police investigate the unusually high death rate at the nursing home.
Mors Arrested
Frederick Mors is arrested after admitting to killing eight elderly patients.
Committed to Asylum
Mors is diagnosed as criminally insane and committed to Hudson River State Hospital.
Mors Escapes Asylum
Frederick Mors escapes from the Hudson River State Hospital.
Reappears in Connecticut
Mors resurfaces in Torrington, Connecticut, under the alias Frederick Maurice Beno.
Mors Disappears
Mors leaves notes of suicidal intent and disappears.
Body Identified
A skeletonized corpse identified as Frederick Mors is discovered in Torrington.