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Charles “Carl” Panzram was a notorious American criminal who is known for his heinous crimes, which included murder, rape, arson, robbery, and more. Born on June 28, 1891, in Minnesota, Panzram had a troubled childhood. He was forced to work on his family’s farm from a young age and was not allowed to attend school regularly. Panzram’s parents were abusive, and punishments in the home ranged from being chained to being starved. Panzram also claimed that his parents had a lobotomy operation performed on him when he was very young.
Panzram’s criminal record started early. At age eight, he was charged in juvenile court with being drunk and disorderly. By his early teens, Panzram was exhibiting alcoholism and had a lengthy criminal rap sheet, mostly for burglary and robbery offenses. At age 14, he ran away from home to live on the streets and often traveled via train cars.
Throughout his criminal career, Panzram committed several murders and was suspected of having killed more than a hundred men in the United States alone, and several more in Portuguese Angola. He also confessed to having committed more than a thousand acts of rape against males of all ages. In his autobiography and prison confessions, Panzram confessed to having committed twenty-one murders, only five of which could be corroborated.
