Monroe Hickson

Serial Killer

Monroe Hickson: The Aiken Killer

Background

Monroe Hickson was an American serial killer and violent robber whose crimes terrorized Aiken, South Carolina, during 1946. He was born on July 8, 1908, in Aiken County. Although he had little formal education, people who knew him reportedly considered him intelligent and well-read. He was also known for carrying and reading a Bible, an outward habit that sharply contrasted with his record of violence. Hickson had been in trouble with the law long before he became known as a murderer. In 1931, he was convicted of assault with intent to kill and received a five-year prison sentence. He was released early in 1933. In 1937, he was convicted of burglary and larceny and sentenced to another year in prison. These offenses established a pattern of theft accompanied by violence that became far more deadly in 1946.

The 1946 Murders

Hickson murdered four people between April and September 1946. His victims were attacked in small businesses or private homes in and around Aiken. Robbery appears to have been the immediate motive in each case. The amounts taken were small, but Hickson used extreme and unnecessary violence against the people he encountered. His first known murder occurred on April 17, 1946. Hickson entered a shop operated by David Garrett in Aiken and attacked Garrett with an axe. After killing him, Hickson searched the business and stole approximately $22, along with a pistol. The stolen firearm soon became the weapon used in his next two murders. Eleven days later, on the morning of April 28, 1946, Hickson entered the Aiken County grocery store operated by Edward L. Bennett and his wife, Mary Bennett. The Bennetts were shot during the robbery, reportedly in the presence of their young children. Mary was fatally wounded, while Edward survived briefly and spoke to investigators before dying. Hickson escaped with only several dollars and another firearm. The closeness of the Garrett and Bennett crimes created fear throughout the area. Three people had been murdered in less than two weeks, and local authorities believed the attacks were connected. A reward of $2,500 was offered for information leading to the killer, but Hickson was not identified. On September 28, 1946, Hickson attacked 76-year-old Annie Gilbert Weisberg in her Aiken home. Her surname was reported in some contemporary accounts as Wiseberg or Wiseburg. Hickson later admitted that he beat her with a piece of firewood and stole approximately five dollars. Other accounts also describe a stabbing during the assault. Weisberg died at the scene or from her injuries that same day. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

David Garrett , Date of Death: 1946-04-17

Survivors:

Unnamed Female Liquor Store Clerk , Date of Attack: 1946

Lucy Hill Parker , Date of Attack: 1946

Monroe Hickson - Wikipedia