George Jefferson Hassell

Serial Killer

George Jefferson Hassell: The Family Annihilator of California and Texas

George Jefferson Hassell was an American murderer responsible for the deaths of thirteen people in two separate family massacres. His known crimes occurred in Whittier, California, in 1917 and near Farwell, Texas, in December 1926. Nearly all of his victims were women and children who lived with him as members of his household. Hassell is frequently described as both a serial killer and a mass murderer. More precisely, he was a repeat family annihilator. He murdered one household in California, concealed the bodies for nearly a decade, and later destroyed a second household in Texas. The earlier killings remained unknown until Hassell confessed after his arrest for the Texas murders.

Early Life

George Jefferson Hassell was born on July 5, 1888, in Smithville, Texas. He was the youngest of seven children. Accounts of his early life describe a troubled man who moved frequently, drank heavily, committed financial crimes, and served time for military desertion. Hassell worked at different times as a farm laborer, railroad worker, oilfield worker, and tenant farmer. He also used different names while traveling. During the period connected to the California murders, he and the people living with him were reportedly known by the surname Baker. His personal history included several relationships and marriages. Hassell later attempted to blame his violent behavior on earlier romantic rejection and family conflict. These explanations came from Hassell himself and did not excuse or adequately explain the deliberate nature of his crimes.

The 1917 Whittier Murders

Hassell's first known group of victims was a woman named Marie Vogel and three young children living with her. The household lived near Whittier, California, under circumstances that were not fully understood by authorities until many years later. Marie was commonly described as Hassell's common-law wife. The three children were reported to have been her children or adopted children. Some contemporary reports identified the children as Gerald Vogel, Rita Baker, and Anthony Baker. Because the family was living under assumed or inconsistent surnames, records concerning the children differ. The murders occurred during June 1917. The exact day of the killings has not been reliably preserved in the available historical record. Hassell later claimed that an argument began over his possible military service during the First World War. According to his confession, he killed Marie and the children and buried their bodies near the residence. The disappearances did not immediately result in Hassell being charged with murder. He left the area, and the victims remained buried for approximately ten years. Their fate was discovered only after Hassell confessed while being held for the later Texas killings. In early 1927, California investigators followed Hassell's directions to the former property near Whittier. Human remains believed to belong to Marie and the three children were recovered. The discovery supported his confession and established that the Texas massacre was not his first act of family murder. ...

Confirmed Victims: (13)

Marie Vogel Age: (32), Date of Death: 1917-06

George Hassell - Wikipedia