This Washington Killer’s Hex Killed 6 More AFTER Execution

This story sounds like an urban legend but is actually completely true.

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The Ax Serial Killer of Washington State

I have lived in Washington State my entire life but had never heard the freaky story of Jake Bird the ax killer. He was executed after being found guilty of killing a mother and her daughter in 1947. After he was captured, Jake Bird also admitted to killing a total of 44 people before his death and has been linked to 11 more, but that is not the freakiest & most scary part of the story. It is the things that happened after his death that will haunt your nightmares.

The Tacoma Ax Killer: Who was Jake Bird?

According to records, Jake Bird was born in 1901 somewhere in Louisiana. After leaving home at the age of 19, he was quickly in trouble with the law as he traveled around the country working odd jobs. By the time Bird was 45, he had already spent 31 of those years behind bars for assaults, burglary, and even attempted murder. After being released from jail again, Bird took to working on the railroad near Tacoma, Washington in 1947. That is where he found the home of Bertha Kludt (52) and her 17-year-old daughter named Beverly.

Jake Bird Found an Ax and Entered Their Home

According to Jake Bird at first, he entered the home to rob them. Prosecutors of the case believed Bird had a much sicker plan in his head instead, to kill both women with an ax. They say Bird was getting sexual satisfaction from the killings, and took all his clothes off before he entered the house. Prosecutors say that Bird then attacked the women, chopping them up into pieces, and left the entire house covered in blood. When police arrived at the scene, they found Jake Bird naked and covered with blood as he attacked them with a knife. He immediately swore he was innocent, but detectives knew better.

Jake Bird Confessed to Killing 46 People After Being Found Guilty

After the trial and Jake Bird was found guilty, he admitted to killing the two women and 44 other women before them while he traveled the country. After getting details, police were able to confirm Jake Bird had victims in Louisville, Kentucky; Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City, Kansas; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Cleveland, Ohio; Orlando, Florida; and Portage, Wisconsin. After looking at his confession, 11 convicted murderers were set free after officials found Jake Bird was the actual killer. One case had a striking resemblance to the Tacoma killings with two women being killed by an ax in Evanston, Illinois in 1942. Most of the victims were found to be white women and most were killed with an ax or a hatchet. Even reading all of that, the scariest and most freaky thing about Jake Bird did not happen until after he was hanged for his crimes in Walla Walla, Washington.

Jake Bird Put a Hex on People Responsible for His Punishment

While Jake Bird was on the stand, he spoke for 20 minutes about things he was unhappy with in his case and then put a hex curse on anyone he thought contributed to him being punished. He said, "I'm putting the Jake Bird hex on all of you who had anything to do with my being punished. Mark my words, you will die before I do". He went on "You policemen and judges will be settin' and waitin' at the pearly gates long before I roll up." His curse was overlooked and not taken seriously until later.

While Bird was still alive and only 1 month later, the judge in the case had a heart attack and died. The chief court clerk involved in the case also died of a heart attack soon after that and then two detectives and a prison guard. Less than 7 months after his speech, a 5th person, one of his first defense attorneys named J. Selden, also died. In total, 6 people supposedly died that were directly connected to his case after the "Bird hex" was made in court.

One of the most chilling statements about this story came from the defense attorney who said "My heart does not beat sympathy for this man"...and then he dies of a heart attack like the others.

You can read more about this story by clicking here.