Carl Panzram admitted committing thousand of crimes between 1903-1928, including arsons, burglaries, larcenies, robberies, sodomy of men and boys, and at least 21 murders. As reported by Investigation Discovery, Panzram was ultimately convicted on multiple counts of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed in Leavenworth, Kansas, on September 5, 1930.

During his incarceration, Carl Panzram developed an amicable relationship with a corrections officer named John Lesser. Investigation Discovery reports Lesser provided Carl Panzram with pencils and paper and encouraged him to write a memoir to pass the time while awaiting execution. The memoir, which was not published until 1970, provided a number of disturbing details about Carl Panzram’s childhood — which may explain what drove him to commit thousands of heinous crimes.

The child of Prussian immigrants, Carl Panzram spent his early years on his family’s farm in Grand Forks, Minnesota. As reported by The Criminal Code, Panzram’s father abandoned the family when Carl was seven or eight years old, leaving Carl’s mother to care for the farm and five children on her own. Carl said he was often forced to attend school during the day and do farm work every afternoon and evening. As she was left with an immense amount of responsibility, Panzram’s mother was reportedly bitter and often mentally and physically abusive toward her children.

Although he committed a number of petty crimes throughout his childhood, Carl Panzram committed his first serious crime at the age of 11.

Carl Panzram claims he suffered unimaginable abuse at the Minnesota Training School

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