Long before the term serial killer became part of everyday language, one man left a dark and mysterious mark on Tacoma history.

In 1947, Jake Bird was convicted of murdering a Tacoma mother and her daughter. After a trial that lasted just three days, he was sentenced to death. But the story didn’t end there. Because while he was awaiting execution, Bird claimed responsibility for an astonishing 44 murders across 12 states, transforming his case from a local tragedy into one of America’s most chilling criminal legends.

Then came the twist that would make Jake Bird infamous.

Before his execution, Bird was given the opportunity to make a final statement. Looking at the men involved in his case, he reportedly declared:

“All you guys who had anything to do with this case are going to die before I do.”

The remark became known as The Jake Bird Hex.

Within a year, five men connected to the case—including the Superior Court judge, Bird’s attorney, two police officers, and the court reporter—had all died of heart attacks. Coincidence? Curse? The debate continues to this day.

In 1948, Jake Bird was hanged at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Yet nearly eighty years later, his story remains one of Tacoma’s strangest and most enduring mysteries.