The Hex and the Hatchet: America's Forgotten Serial Killer Summary Jake Bird's name should echo through the annals of American crime alongside Bundy and Gacy, yet this African American drifter who terrorized the nation for two decades remains largely forgotten. Born in Louisiana in 1901, Bird transformed from a railroad worker into one of America's most prolific serial killers, using his mobility as a gandy dancer to prey on victims across twelve states between 1928 and 1947. His signature weapon-an axe-earned him the moniker "The Tacoma Ax-Killer" after his final murders in Washington State led to his capture. Bird's profile shattered every stereotype about serial killers: a Black man who primarily targeted white victims, operating across vast distances when law enforcement barely communicated across county lines. Confirmed for 13 murders but suspected of up to 46, his crimes exposed catastrophic failures in America's fragmented justice system. Most chilling was Bird's final courtroom pronouncement-a hex cursing all involved in his trial to die before him. Five men connected to his case died within a year, creating a supernatural legend that haunts the Pacific Northwest. From his unmarked grave, Bird's legacy lives on in modern criminal profiling, inter-agency cooperation, and our understanding of how evil can exploit society's vulnerabilities.