Alferd Packer
About
American prospector who shot a member of his expedition and was also accused of cannibalism in the winter of 1873.
Before Fame
He enlisted in the Union Army in 1862 and served briefly before being discharged as a result of his epilepsy. At the close of his military service, he decided to become a prospector.
Trivia
He allegedly became a vegetarian in the years prior to his death.
Family Life
He was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Associated With
His life was the subject of a folk song called The Ballad of Alferd Packer that was composed by singer-songwriter Phil Ochs in the early 1960s.
