EP 10: The Killer Priest - Father Hans Schmidt

In 1913, New York City was captivated by a horror story that seemed too gruesome to be true. A handsome, intellectual Catholic priest living a double life: performing Mass by day, and running a counterfeiting ring and a slaughterhouse by night.

​In this episode, Matt deep dives into the twisted life and crimes of Father Hans Schmidt—the only Catholic priest ever executed in the United States. From his blood-soaked childhood in Germany to the secret "love nest" in Harlem where he married his housekeeper in a fake ceremony, we uncover the man behind the collar.

​Was he a religious fanatic commanded by St. Elizabeth to drink blood? A cold-blooded counterfeiter trying to get rich? or a sexual predator who used God as a cover for his darkest urges?

​In This Episode, We Cover:

• ​The Origin Story: Growing up in the shadow of a German slaughterhouse and the chilling "Goose Incident" that marked the beginning of his blood fetish (hematolagnia).
• ​The Double Life: How Schmidt balanced life at St. Boniface Rectory with a secret identity as "Dr. Emil Van Dyke" in a rented Harlem apartment.
• ​The Queer Angle: The mysterious and intense relationship with his counterfeiting partner, Dr. Ernest Muret. Was Anna Aumuller just a "beard" for Schmidt’s real life?
• ​The Crime: The brutal murder and dismemberment of Anna Aumuller, and the "Cinderella Clue" (a laundry stamp) that led Inspector Faurot right to the church steps.
• ​The Trial of the Century: The "insanity" defense, the tales of blood sacrifice, and the media circus that branded him "The Vampire Priest."
• ​The Execution: His final moments in "Old Sparky" at Sing Sing Prison.

​The "Homocidal Tendency" Deep Dive:

We look beyond the headlines to ask: Was Schmidt actually insane? Or was he a psychopath who viewed people—men and women alike—as props in his own divine play? We explore the theory that his "blood lust" was a replacement for traditional sexuality and how he used the priesthood to mask a lifetime of predation.

​Content Warning:

This episode contains graphic descriptions of dismemberment, sexual coercion, religious trauma, animal cruelty, and botched medical procedures. Listener discretion is advised.

​Resources & Visuals:

• ​Check out our Instagram for the "Murder Map" of the Harlem apartment and the original 1913 sketches of the trial.
• ​Historical Context: The "Yellow Journalism" wars of Hearst vs. Pulitzer that turned this case into a national spectacle.

​Credits:

• ​Host: Matt
• ​Podcast: Homocidal Tendency
• ​Research: Deep dive into 1913 NYPD records, the "Hudson River Torso" files, and contemporary psychiatric reports on Hans Schmidt.

​Tags/Keywords:

#TrueCrime #FatherHansSchmidt #HansSchmidt #QueerTrueCrime #History #NYCHistory #1913 #KillerPriest #SerialKiller #Forensics #OldSparky #Horror #HomocidalTendency #LGBTQTrueCrime #ReligiousTrauma #VampirePriest