Frederick William Hollman

Serial Killer

Frederick William Hollman: Crimes and Victims

Background

Frederick William Hollman, born Friedrich Wilhelm Hoellman in Brandenburg, Germany, in 1859, was a nineteenth-century murderer whose known and suspected crimes occurred in the American Midwest. He immigrated to the United States with his first wife, Amelia, in 1883 and settled in Grand Haven, Michigan. Hollman worked at different times as a farmer, sailor, laborer and traveling salesman. After Amelia died during childbirth in 1887, he married Augusta Pauline Rohde and eventually moved with her to Wisconsin. Accounts of Hollman's domestic life described him as violent, controlling and deeply hostile toward women. He abandoned his second wife and children in the early 1890s and began traveling under different names. Because he moved frequently and gave misleading information about himself, investigators later found it difficult to reconstruct his movements. Contemporary authorities suspected that he had attacked or killed women in several states, although only one murder resulted in a conviction.

Pattern of Violence

Hollman usually approached women who lived alone, particularly older women in rural communities. He attempted to appear harmless by presenting himself as a religious, polite or hardworking traveler. He reportedly carried a Bible and spoke about faith, creating a striking contrast with his violent behavior. Once he gained access to a victim's home, he could overpower her, steal money or property and leave the area before suspicion fell upon him. Strangulation was associated with several killings attributed to Hollman. His confirmed victim, however, was beaten and hanged in a manner intended to resemble suicide. This effort to disguise the crime became an important part of the prosecution's case. Hollman was also suspected of returning to isolated houses or observing potential victims before attacking them. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Wiebke Geddes , Date of Death: December 2, 1896

Suspected Victims:

Grethe Seifkin Age: (60), Date of Death: June 13, 1896

Bertha Hilgendorf , Date of Death: July 1896

Anne Catherine Mohr Age: (73), Date of Death: September 22, 1896

Caroline Lenz , Date of Death: November 26, 1896

Final Doom: The Frederick Hollman Story: Kevin Collier - Amazon.com