By: Chelsey Dagner
Mary Bell
In 1968, when she was just eleven, Mary Bell strangled and killed two young boys, even going so far as to carve an “M” into one. She and another girl were tried, though it was the self-possessed Mary who was found guilty. (After the death of one boy, Mary showed up asking to see the boy in his coffin.) She went to prison but was released under a new name in 1980.
Joshua Philips
Fourteen-year-old Joshua Philips’ mom thought his waterbed was leaking, but what she found was much worse. Her son had stored the dead body of a young neighbor girl under his bed and her corpse had been leaking blood and fluids for days. He said her initial injuries were an accident, but Philips was convicted and is still in prison today. Since he was under 16 at the time of his trial, he escaped the death penalty.
Eric Smith
Thirteen-year-old Smith was frequently bullied at school due to his red hair, glasses, and large ears. In 1993, he decided to take out his frustration on a small child and killed a four-year-old by dropping large rocks on his head and sodomizing him with a stick. Smith confessed shortly after the murder and remains in prison.
Graham Young
As a teen, Young began experimenting with poison on his family members. His stepmother eventually died from complications related to the poisoned tea she’d been drinking. Young had long been obsessed with violence and poison, so it wasn’t surprising when he confessed to the crime. He was sent to a mental institute and classified as schizophrenic. He was released in 1970, only to go on to continue to poison his coworkers. Young died in 1990, but in 2005 a young Japanese girl poisoned her mother in a case related to a movie inspired by Young. The film A Young Poisoner’s Handbook is inspired by Young.
David Brom
Minnesota teenager David Brom murdered his family with an axe and later showed up to school as if nothing had happened. After bragging about the murders, he was arrested and remains in prison.
About the Author: Chelsey Dagner is a full time horror writer and aspiring librarian. When she isn’t writing articles for Blumhouse and The Lineup, she can typically be found watching creepy movies, playing Elder Scrolls, or taking leisurely strolls with her cats. Check out her horror blog at www.macabreadore.com. Chelsey Dagner is a full time horror writer and aspiring librarian. When she isn’t writing articles for Blumhouse and The Lineup, she can typically be found watching creepy movies, playing Elder Scrolls, or taking leisurely strolls with her cats. Check out her horror blog at www.macabreadore.com