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Gerald Vogel
Case from Whittier, CA dated Jun 22, 1917
Victim Details
Gerald Vogel
Male
White / Caucasian
Whittier
California
1917-06
7
Jul 24, 2026
Case Description
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On June 2, 1917, 7-year-old white male Gerald Vogel was murdered in Whittier, California, by George Jefferson Hassell. Gerald was one of four victims in this early killing spree, which also included his mother, Marie Vogel, and two younger siblings: Rita Baker, age 2, and Anthony Baker, age 1. At the time, Hassell was living with the Vogel family under the alias 'Mr. Baker.' He and Marie Vogel were in a common-law relationship, and the children were her adopted or biological offspring. The murders occurred during an argument over Hassell's potential enlistment in the U.S. Army during World War I. In a fit of rage, Hassell clubbed and strangled Marie Vogel and her children, including 7-year-old Gerald Vogel, before burying their bodies beneath the house.
The crime went undetected for nearly a decade. Neighbors accepted Hassell's explanation that Marie had taken the children to San Francisco. It wasn't until 1926, after Hassell committed another familicide in Farwell, Texas, that the earlier murders came to light. In Texas, Hassell killed his wife, Susan, and her eight children, ranging in age from 1 to 21. Following his arrest, Hassell confessed to the 1917 murders in Whittier. Authorities exhumed the remains of Marie Vogel and her children, including Gerald, from beneath the house.
George Jefferson Hassell was tried and convicted for the murder of his eldest stepson, Alton, in Texas. He was executed by electric chair on February 10, 1928, at the Huntsville Unit in Texas. Hassell's confession to the 1917 murders, including that of 7-year-old Gerald Vogel, was corroborated by the discovery of the victims' remains. No other suspects were identified or arrested in connection with these crimes.
