Alfred Packer (1842-1907), also known as the “Man Eater” or “Colorado Cannibal,” was a guide who accompanied five prospectors on a mountain voyage from Utah to Colorado in the winter of 1873-1874. The party soon ran out of food, and, fueled by starvation, Packer reportedly killed and consumed the flesh of his companions. The incident was considered one of the most brutal, controversial, and outrageous occurrences of the 19th century. Did the circumstances justify Packer’s means? Read more about it!

The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.

The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.