Alfred Griner Packer [ a ] January 21, — April 23, , also known as the " Colorado Cannibal ", was an American prospector and self-proclaimed wilderness guide who confessed to cannibalism during the winter of Though no clear or definitive evidence has been found to this day, and despite in-depth research about proof of his deeds, [ 1 ] he is one of the four persons historically convicted for cannibalism in the United States.
After emerging as the sole survivor of a six-man party who had attempted to travel through the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Territory , he eventually confessed to having lived off the flesh of his companions, giving more than one version of his account as to the circumstances.
After his story was called into question, Packer escaped jail and hid from justice for nine years. He was eventually tried, convicted of premeditated murder , and sentenced to death. Packer won a retrial , and was eventually sentenced to 40 years in prison on five counts of voluntary manslaughter. An almost completely fictitious biopic of his exploits, The Legend of Alfred Packer , was released in A more comedic and heavily fabricated take on the story, titled Cannibal!
The Musical , was released in He was one of three children born to James Packer and his wife, Esther Griner. Eight months later he was honorably discharged due to epilepsy , which had triggered seizures. Packer then traveled west, and worked at numerous jobs over the next nine years. These professions included being a hunter, wagon teamster , ranch hand, and field worker, but his seizures and overall attitude ensured that he never kept a job for long.
Packer also worked for a couple of months as a guide, but those who knew him at this time later stated that he was ill-suited to the role and was prone to losing his way. He ended up working mining -related jobs, drifting from mine to mine, but never found prosperity through the industry. He worked for a short time in the Colorado Territory as a miner but, having no luck, moved on to the Utah Territory. Most who knew Packer generally disliked and distrusted him, owing to his argumentative personality, his nearly pathological lying , and his reputation for theft.
