As reported by CBS News, Jesse Pomeroy enjoyed reading dime novels, especially those that featured stories of a violent nature. It has been suggested that Pomeroy was reenacting scenes from the fictional stories. However, there is no evidence linking the boy’s behavior to any of the stories he read. It has also been suggested that Pomeroy may have had a personality disorder. Although he was never formally diagnosed, Pomeroy seems to have displayed a number of traits commonly associated with some personality disorders, including torturing and killing small animals, a clear lack of empathy or remorse, and habitual lying.
According to Radford University, Pomeroy was placed in solitary confinement on December 11, 1874, at the age of 14. He remained in solitary confinement until January 1917, when he was 54 years old. While incarcerated, Pomeroy wrote and published a book of poetry and an autobiography. He also attempted to escape on several occasions and pleaded for an early release.
Pomeroy died on September 29, 1932, at the age of 72. According to his obituary, Pomeroy was transferred to a medical facility prior to his death due to declining health. His official cause of death was listed as heart disease.
