Russell Hassell, an 11-year-old boy, was among the victims of a mass murder committed by George Jefferson Hassell on December 5, 1926, in Farwell, Texas. Hassell, who had a history of violent crimes, killed his wife and eight children, including Russell, using various weapons such as a ballpeen hammer, straight razor, stockings, shotgun, and axe. The killings followed an argument between Hassell and his wife over his sexual assault and impregnation of his stepdaughter, who was also his niece.
After murdering his wife, Hassell proceeded to kill each of the children, moving from youngest to oldest. The two eldest boys awoke during the attack, leading to a violent struggle before Hassell ultimately killed them. He then buried all the bodies in a newly dug root cellar near the house. When the eldest son, Alton, returned home from working in Clovis, New Mexico, Hassell lied to him about the family's whereabouts before killing him as well.
Hassell attempted to cover up the crime by selling the family's belongings and claiming they had moved to Oklahoma. However, suspicions arose when a wagon passed over the burial site, leading to an investigation. Hassell attempted suicide but survived, and authorities soon uncovered the remains. He confessed to the murders, and his trial quickly became a spectacle in Farwell and its neighboring town, Texico, New Mexico.
Hassell was convicted and sentenced to death. On February 2, 1928, he was executed in the electric chair, becoming the 27th person to be executed in Texas. His motive was reportedly a combination of a crime of passion and an attempt to protect himself from exposure. A psychiatric evaluation at the time characterized him as a sociopath.
Russell Hassell, along with his siblings and mother, tragically lost his life in this horrific crime. His ethnicity was not specified in the available sources.
