Hannibal Lecter and Albert Fish

Walter Winchell, the popular newspaper journalist, was Detective King’s biggest ally in 1934. Just about everyone (including Albert Fish) read his column, "On Broadway," published in the New York Daily Mirror. Here’s an excerpt from Winchell’s November 2, 1934 column:

I checked on the Grace Budd mystery. She was eight when she was kidnapped about six years ago. And it is safe to tell you that the Dep’t of Missing Persons will break the case, or they expect to, in four weeks. They are holding a "cokie" [a cocaine addict] now at Randall’s Island, who is said to know most about the crime. Grace is supposed to have been done away with in lime, but another legend is that her skeleton is buried in a local spot.

 Winchell, of course, made up the story to help Detective King. But as events transpired over the next few weeks, his column proved to be amazingly prescient.

On November 12, Gracie’s mother received a letter that would crack the case. Functionally illiterate, Delia gave the letter to her son. Edward’s face turned white as he read:

On Sunday June the 3 - 1928 I called on you at 406 W 15 St. Brought you pot cheese - strawberries. We had lunch. Grace sat in my lap and kissed me. I made up my mind to eat her. On the pretense of taking her to a party. You said Yes she could go. I took her to an empty house in Westchester I had already picked out. When we got there, I told her to remain outside. She picked wildflowers.