July 4, 1876 - Helmuth Schmidt

Operating in the early twentieth century, Schmidt exploited the anonymity of immigrant life in America to pursue a pattern of fraud, bigamy, and murder that went largely undetected until a single arrest unraveled it. The case drew particular attention for the calculated nature of the violence and its domestic setting — a maid employed in his household. He died by suicide before standing trial, leaving the full extent of his crimes unresolved.

From Wikipedia

Helmuth Schmidt (July 4, 1876 – April 23, 1918), also known as The American Bluebeard, was a German-born American bigamist, murderer and suspected serial killer. Soon following his arrest in connection with the murder of maid Augusta Steinbach, Schmidt committed suicide in his jail cell. After searching through his properties, he was connected to the murders of three more women, with additional located jewelry and watches indicating possible other victims in New York and Missouri.

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