Jesse Harding Pomeroy was born on November 29, 1859, in Charlestown, Massachusetts. His parents were Thomas Jesse Pomeroy and Ruth Ann Snowman. Jesse was the second of two sons in the family.

On February 21, 1872, Jesse Harding Pomeroy attacked a seven-year-old boy named Tracy Hayden in Chelsea. Hayden was beaten and left on Powder Horn Hill. Later in May, Pomeroy assaulted another boy, eight-year-old Robert Maier, who was found beaten in an abandoned outhouse. On July 22, he attacked Johnny Balch, tying him up and beating him in a similar manner.

As concerns grew in the community, Pomeroy continued his spree of violence. On August 17, he assaulted seven-year-old George Pratt, who was discovered by local fishermen after being beaten. By September, another boy named Joseph Kennedy was lured to a vacant boathouse, where he was beaten and cut. Soon after, on September 17, railway workers found five-year-old Robert Gould tied and cut near the tracks.

Pomeroy’s actions caught up with him when Joseph Kennedy recognized him while peering through the window of a police station. He pointed Pomeroy out as the attacker, leading to his immediate arrest. Pomeroy openly admitted to the crimes and was quickly identified by the other victims. By September 21, 1872, he was charged and confessed during his arraignment. He was sentenced to six years at a reform school.

In February 1874, at just 14 years old, Pomeroy was paroled back to live with his mother and brother. Shortly after, in March, 10-year-old Katie Curran went missing. The investigation intensified when the dismembered body of a four-year-old boy, Horace Millen, was found in Dorchester Bay. Later, Katie Curran’s body was discovered hidden in the basement of Pomeroy's mother's dress shop.

Pomeroy was brought to court for the murders. The trial lasted from December 9 to 10, 1874. The prosecution aimed for a conviction of first-degree murder, but ultimately, Pomeroy was convicted and given a sentence of death by hanging. The Governor refused to sign the execution warrant, and after several votes from the Governor's Council, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in solitary confinement in August 1876.

At Charlestown State Prison, Pomeroy spent many years learning various languages and studying law. His behavior continued to draw attention as he attempted multiple escapes and concealed improvised tools in his cell. In 1917, his sentence was adjusted, allowing him some privileges.

Eventually, he was sent to Bridgewater Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where he died on September 29, 1932.