Retta McCabe – The youngest murderer at 4 years old

Nicknamed “the Jekyll and Hyde girl”, Retta McCabe doesn’t look like a monster at all. Born in 1893 in Troy, New York, she seems like any other little girl, blonde, with big blue eyes and an innocent air. So how did she earn such a terrible nickname?

The story of Retta McCabe

In 1897 a story appeared in the main American newspapers. The headlines read things like “The Jekyll and Hyde girl” or “Child murderess”, and the news was chilling. The articles, published on 26 or 27 October 1897, told how Retta, a girl of just 4, while at home with her parents and siblings, picked up her newborn baby brother and threw him to the floor, jumping on his body and head with all her weight and strength. The baby was defenceless, he could not even escape his sister’s senseless violence, and by the time his parents realised what was happening it was too late. The child was taken away, but despite treatment he died a week later. When her mother told Retta the baby had died, instead of showing remorse for her little brother she burst into loud laughter.

Retta’s strange behaviour

We don’t know what happened to Retta after her brother’s death; we only know that a few weeks later the girl was found at the station in grave danger, with a train approaching. The scene caused a commotion and some women felt faint at the sight. Retta was brought to safety by a policeman, but this triggered the little girl’s fury, and she began kicking and biting the officer, who struggled to keep her under control. Retta was so ferocious that she was put in a cell. Once behind bars she despaired and screamed non-stop. Then, just as her rage had flared up, it burned out and Retta went back to being a calm, smiling 4-year-old.

After the murder

The reports stop when Retta is locked in the cell. What happened to her next? Some say she was never arrested because of her young age (remind you of anyone?) and that she was sent home. Her parents, unable to cope with her fits of rage and perhaps, understandably, afraid of what she might do to them or their other children, decided to send her to an institution. Other sources suggest she escaped from the policeman’s custody, going out and trying to hurt other children. The last news about her supposedly dates from 1934, when a missing person notice was published. Nothing more was ever heard of her.

The reports of her brother’s death and of the episode at the station can be read in the digital editions of the newspapers of the time.

Sources

• The Lafayette gazette, October 30, 1897
• The Saint Paul globe., October 26, 1897
• Photo, California Digital Newspaper Collection