Before the “Murder Castle”:

• While enrolled at the University of Michigan Medical School in 1884, Holmes has access to the morgue, and stole many bodies. Over his period at school, he disfigured and examined the bodies, and defiled them. Afterwards, he claimed that the people were killed accidentally in order to collect insurance money from policies he took out on each deceased person.

During the “Murder Castle”:

• Insurance Scams- Holmes and partner Benjamin Pitezel collected up to $10,000 during the time Holmes owned the Murder Castle in insurance fraud.
• Murder Castle Murders- After being caught and accused of the crimes committed in the murder castle, he committed to killing 27 people.
• Murder Castle Murders- After being caught and accused of the crimes committed in the murder castle, he committed to killing 27 people. Other Estimates range from 20-100 victims.