15 Facts About Fred Burke

Fred "Killer" Burke was an American armed robber and contract killer responsible for many crimes during the Prohibition era.

Fred Burke was considered a prime suspect in the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929.

Fred R Burke was born Thomas A Camp, one of eight children of Mr and Mrs Wall Camp of Mapleton, Kansas.

Fred Burke fled to avoid prosecution and became involved with criminal enterprises around St Louis, Missouri.

Fred Burke had moved to St Louis, Missouri, by 1915 where he became a member of the city's top gang, Egan's Rats.

Fred Burke, described as tall, well-built, and honest-looking, acted as a "front man" for the Egan gang in various forgery and fraud schemes.

In 1917, Fred Burke enlisted in the US Army after being indicted in St Louis for forgery.

The United States had recently entered World War I, and Fred Burke served as a tank sergeant in France.

In 1924, the leaders of the Egan gang were jailed, after which Fred Burke returned to Michigan with other Egan's Rats members where they became associates of The Purple Gang of Detroit.

The murders received international press attention and within a few weeks Fred Burke was named by Chicago police as a principal suspect.

In December 1929, an intoxicated and paranoid Burke, using the alias Fred Dane, was involved in a minor traffic collision in St Joseph, Michigan.

When Patrolman Charles H Skelly became involved with the parties in the collision, Burke shot and killed him.

In 1930, Fred Burke married a woman from Sullivan County, Missouri, Bonnie Porter, and took up residence near Green City in Sullivan County.

On March 26,1931, a citizen in the Green City area who had read of Fred Burke and seen his picture in True Detective magazine recognized him and notified authorities.

Fred Burke was captured at the home of his father-in-law without incident.