Colorado. 1883. Alfred Packer is standing trial. His alleged crime? Luring five men into the mountains with the intention of murdering them and stealing their belongings, then eating their bodies when food ran out.

London. 2021. Casting Lots Podcast is here to answer the question once and for all: Alfred Packer, guilty or not guilty?

CREDITS

With thanks to Emily for transcription help.

Written, hosted and produced by Alix Penn and Carmella Lowkis.

Theme music by Daniel Wackett. Find him on Twitter @ds_wack and Soundcloud as Daniel Wackett.

Logo by Riley. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @tallestfriend.

Casting Lots is part of the Morbid Audio Podcast Network. Network sting by Mikaela Moody. Find her on Bandcamp as mikaelamoody1.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Adams, C. (1874). ‘A party of miners on the plains kill and eat each other’, National Republican, 26 May, p. 5. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86053573/1874-05-26/ed-1/seq-5/#words=Packer 
• Bailey, D.P. (2009). ‘Solving the American West’s Greatest Mystery: Was Alferd Packer Innocent of Murder?’ [PDF] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20130117101738/https://www.museumofwesternco.com/media/cms/includes/pathways_article_packer_solve.pdf 
• Benson, K. and M. Benson. (2000). Alfred “Alferd” Packer. Available at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/785/alfred-packer 
• Colorado State Library. (n.d.) Alferd Packer: Notorious Cannibal. Available at: https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/digital-colorado/colorado-histories/beginnings/alferd-packer-notorious-cannibal/ 
• Colorado Tourism Office. (n.d.) Alfred Packer. Available at: https://lakecity.com/alfred-packer/ 
• Curry, A. (2002). ‘Case of the Colorado Cannibal’, Archaeology, 55(3). Available at: https://archive.archaeology.org/0205/abstracts/cannibal.html 
• Daily Arizona Silver Belt. (1907). ‘Scout who ate human flesh dies’, Daily Arizona Silver Belt, 27 April, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87082863/1907-04-27/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Alfred+Packer 
• Di Stefano, D. (2006). ‘Alfred Packer’s World: Risk, Responsibility, and the Place of Experience in Mountain Culture, 1873-1907’, Journal of Social History, 40(1), pp. 181-204. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4491860 
• Dobson, G.B. (n.d.) Fort Fetterman. Available at: http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/fetterman.html 
• Elk County Advocate. (1874). ‘A White Cannibal’, Elk County Advocate, 1 October, p. 4. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026259/1874-10-01/ed-1/seq-4/ 
• Herald and Tribune. (1885). ‘A cannibal’s trial’, Herald and Tribune, 19 November, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033429/1885-11-19/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• History.com Editors. (2020). ‘“Colorado Cannibal” Alferd Packer is paroled’, History, 6 January. Available at: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cannibal-alfred-packer-is-paroled 
• Idaho Semi-Weekly World. (1883). ‘The Colorado ghoul’, Idaho Semi-Weekly World, 1 May, p. 2. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022135/1883-05-01/ed-1/seq-2/ 
• Kansas City Journal. (1897). ‘Packer asks pardon’, Kansas City Journal, 12 September, p. 11. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063615/1897-09-12/ed-1/seq-11/ 
• Las Vegas Daily Gazette. (1883). ‘Callous cannibal’, Las Vegas Daily Gazette, 18 March, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051703/1883-03-18/ed-1/seq-1/#words=Alfred+Packer 
• Las Vegas Daily Gazette. (1883). ‘Packer packed’, Las Vegas Daily Gazette, 14 April, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90051703/1883-04-14/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• Museums of the San Luis Valley and Southern Colorado. (n.d.). Alferd Packer – “The Colorado Cannibal”. Available at: https://www.museumtrail.org/alferd-packer.html 
• National Republican. (1883). ‘An American cannibal’, National Republican, 13 April, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86053573/1883-04-13/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• Neihart Herald. (1899). ‘Alfred Packer, the “man eater”’, Neihart Herald, 12 August, p. 2. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85053323/1899-08-12/ed-1/seq-2/#words=Alfred+Packer 
• New York Tribune. (1886). ‘Eating the bodies of men’, New York Tribune, 7 August, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1886-08-07/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• Omaha Daily Bee. (1901). ‘Alfred Packer is paroled’, Omaha Daily Bee, 9 January, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99021999/1901-01-09/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• Rautman, A.E. and T.W. Fenton. (2005). ‘A Case of Historic Cannibalism in the American West: Implications for Southwestern Archaeology’, American Antiquity, 70(2), pp. 321-341. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/40035706 
• Salt Lake Herald. (1892). ‘Packer, the man-eater!’, Salt Lake Herald, 16 December, p. 1. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1892-12-16/ed-1/seq-1/ 
• Schechter, H. (2015). Man-Eater. London: Head of Zeus.
• Simpson, A.W.B. (1981). ‘Cannibals at Common Law’, The Law School Record, 27, pp. 3-10. Available at: https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=crosskey_lectures 
• True Northerner. (1886). ‘The Colorado Cannibal’, True Northerner, 19 August, p. 3. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033781/1886-08-19/ed-1/seq-3/ 
• Washington Times. (1907). ‘Colorado’s “man eater” dies on lonely ranch before pardon comes’, Washington Times, 27 April, p. 6. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026749/1907-04-27/ed-1/seq-6/#words=Alfred+Packer 
• Weiser-Alexander, K. (2020). Alfred Packer – Colorado Cannibal. Available at: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/alfred-packer/ 
• Yale Expositor. (1900). ‘An odd case revisited’, Yale Expositor, 23 March, p. 5. Available at: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn98066406/1900-03-23/ed-1/seq-5/#words=Alfred+Packer 
• Yost, M. (2015). ‘The Gruesome taste of Colorado: Alfred Packer the Colorado Cannibal’, Out Front Magazine, 21 October. Available at: https://www.outfrontmagazine.com/trending/the-gruseome-taste-of-colorado-alfred-packer-the-colorado-cannibal/

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