Packer was found in March 1883 and was taken back to Denver, Colorado. It was here that he was again questioned about the events that took place. Although Packer stuck to his original story, he added that he did take $70.00 and a rifle from the men. Packer was charged with Israel Swan’s murder, and a trial was set to take place in Lake City. Judge Melville B. Gerry found Packer guilty and pronounced that Packer be hanged by the neck until he was dead. An appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court saw the verdict reversed and changed to manslaughter, where he was told he would spend 40 years in the state penitentiary. Packer served 17 years of his sentence before a grassroots campaign in Denver saw him receive parole. Packer moved to Littleton, Colorado, where he was considered a model citizen before his death in 1907.
It still remains a mystery as to what happened on that eventful day. It can be agreed that a murder did indeed take place, and human flesh was consumed by Packer, but the circumstances remain blurred. On July 17, 1989 James E. Starrs, a law professor from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., planned on an archaeological dig of Packer’s victims. His findings, which included evidence of blunt force blows to the head and nicks to the bones, led Starrs to go on record saying that Packer was indeed a murdering cannibal and a liar. It should be noted that not everyone on the team agreed with this outcome.
Alfred Packer has been highlighted in popular culture. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of “South Park,” made “Cannibal! The Musical” based on Packer’s life, albeit loosely. He also had an album dedicated to him by death metal band Cannibal Corpse, entitled “Eaten Back To Life.” Another movie adaptations include “The Legend of Alfred Packer” (1980) and “Devoured: The Legend of Alfred Parker” (2005)
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