Even the most harmless-looking child can grow into something unrecognizable when early life is shaped by chaos, violence, and abandonment.
And that was undeniably the case with the man we’re about to talk about today.
It’s almost unimaginable that the innocent-looking boy in this photo would one day become one of the most notorious criminals in history.
Born to a 16-year-old mother on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the boy’s early life was anything but stable. His father was a con artist who vanished before he was born.
By age four, after his mother was arrested for assault and robbery, he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in McMechen, West Virginia.
His mother, Kathleen, had committed the crime alongside her brother, Luther, who smashed a bottle over a man’s head before stealing his car. Luther received ten years in prison, while Kathleen was sentenced to five — but only served three.
Visits with his mother were mandatory, though the boy often protested.
Kathleen eventually returned home, and the first weeks after her release from prison were described as the happiest time in his life. But then, she descended into alcoholism.
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