George Hassell

George Jefferson Hassell (July 5, 1888 – February 10, 1928) was an American serial mass murderer who killed his wife and eight children (from one to 21 years old) on December 5, 1926, in Farwell, Texas. After his arrest, Hassell also confessed to the murder of his previous family, consisting of his wife, stepson, and two adopted children, in California in 1917.

Family background Hassell was born in Smithville, Texas, the youngest of seven children. After his brother Thomas died from being kicked in the head by a mule, he married his brother's widow, Susan Ferguson of Oklahoma. According to Hassell, his mother died in 1901 and his father died in 1905. Believing that his stepmother had poisoned his father, Hassell said he'd planned to kill her and anyone with her, but said "I got too much whiskey and didn't use any gun." Hassell also said he served prison time for embezzlement.

Victims Susan, age 40 Alton, age 21 David, age 15 Maudie, age 13 Russell, age 11 Virgil, age 7 Johnnie, age 6 Nannie Martha, age 4 Samuel, age 1 Marie Vogel (Whittier, CA) Vogel adopted son, 8 (Whittier, CA) Vogel adopted daughter, 2 (Whittier, CA) Vogel adopted daughter, 1 (Whittier, CA)

Arrest, trial, and execution

Claiming that he and his family were returning to Oklahoma, Hassell sold all of their belongings in a large yard sale. During the auction, a wagon ran over the sinkhole and aroused the suspicion of law enforcement. Soon afterward, Hassell unsuccessfully attempted suicide, and excavations revealed the remains in the root cellar. He also confessed the murder of the members of his other family in 1917, Marie Vogel and her three adopted children, two of whom were adopted from Colorado: a boy c. 8, a girl c. 5 and an infant c. 1. They were living under the family name "Baker" in Whittier, California. Hassell said he killed his common-law wife and three children during an argument over whether he would join the Army to fight in World War I. His confession was corroborated after he directed the police to the location of the bodies. Hassell said he confessed to the earlier murders to ensure no one was wrongfully accused of committing them.

Hassell blamed his first wife, whom he'd married in 1909, for inciting the murders. He'd married her in Texas in 1909. He then went to Oklahoma to join the Army, then deserted to join the Navy in California since he wanted to see his family. During this time, Hassell received a letter from his wife, who said she was through with him. Hassell claimed that the letter ruined his life. Shortly after, he was arrested for desertion and spent two years in a military prison. When he returned to Texas to see his family, his wife and son wanted nothing to do with him.

After Hassell confessed, a short trial was convened, and Farwell and its sister city of Texico, New Mexico, took on a carnival atmosphere. He was only tried for Alton's murder. On February 10, 1928, George Hassell became the 37th man to be put to death in the electric chair in the state of Texas. He is buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.

Motive Hassell had a lengthy history of criminal behavior. A psychiatric report at the time characterizes him as a sociopath. Hassell had allegedly been thinking about murder since he was 17 and before joining the Army.