Isaac Heller

Serial Killer

Isaac Heller: The Crimes of Isaac Young

Background

Isaac Heller, also known by his birth name Isaac Young, was an early nineteenth-century American murderer whose known crimes occurred in Pennsylvania and Indiana. He was born on May 2, 1809, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Heller is commonly described as a serial killer because he committed a fatal attack in Pennsylvania and, several years later, murdered four members of his own family in Indiana. Information about Heller is limited because his crimes occurred during the 1830s, when criminal records and newspaper reporting were often incomplete. Much of what is known about him comes from accounts of his trial and a confession published shortly after his execution. Some modern summaries contain conflicting details, particularly concerning the spelling of his first victim's surname and the precise methods used against individual members of his family.

The Murder in Pennsylvania

In 1830, Heller killed a nine-year-old girl identified in later accounts as Catherine Muckeroy. Her surname has also appeared in variant spellings. The killing occurred in Pennsylvania, apparently in or near Dauphin County. Although an exact date and more precise location have not been reliably preserved, available accounts agree that Catherine died in 1830. Heller reportedly attacked the child with a bladed weapon and decapitated her. He was arrested and prosecuted, but the court found him not guilty because of insanity. Rather than being sent to prison, he was placed in an institution. At some point afterward, he escaped or otherwise left confinement. He began using the surname Heller instead of Young and eventually moved west to Indiana. The Pennsylvania case is important because it showed that Heller had already committed extreme violence before the destruction of his family. His release or escape also meant that he was able to establish a new identity and begin another life without many people in Indiana knowing about his past. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Catherine Muckeroy Age: (9), Date of Death: 1830

1836: Isaac Young/Heller