Wiley Harpe

Serial Killer

Wiley "Little" Harpe: Frontier Serial Killer and Outlaw

Who Was Wiley Harpe?

Wiley Harpe, commonly called "Little Harpe," was an American frontier outlaw, highwayman, river pirate, and murderer who operated during the closing years of the eighteenth century. Historical accounts usually place his birth around 1770, although the details of his early life are uncertain. He was also known as William Harper and later used aliases including John Setton or John Sutton. Wiley traveled and committed most of his notorious crimes with Micajah "Big" Harpe. The two men have traditionally been called brothers, although some historians believe they were cousins. Together they became known as the Harpe Brothers and are frequently described as among the earliest documented serial killers in American history.

A Violent Partnership

Wiley and Micajah Harpe moved through the sparsely settled frontier regions of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois during the late 1790s. Unlike ordinary highway robbers who generally killed to obtain money or property, the Harpes gained a reputation for murdering people even when there appeared to be little financial reason for doing so. Their victims included travelers, farmers, children, and infants. Contemporary information is incomplete, and later accounts often mixed documented events with frontier legend, so historians disagree about the exact number of people they killed. Estimates commonly range from about 28 documented or traditionally identified victims to 39 or more attributed victims. The Harpes traveled along isolated roads where victims could disappear without immediate investigation. Several accounts describe bodies being mutilated or weighted before being thrown into rivers. Because law enforcement was limited on the frontier, news traveled slowly and local posses often had to pursue criminals themselves. These conditions allowed Wiley and Micajah to move across large areas while avoiding capture. ...

Confirmed Victims: (0)

Harpe brothers - Wikipedia