Robert George Irwin

Who was Robert George Irwin?

Robert George Irwin, an artist-sculptor and recurring mental hospital patient, pled guilty to killing three persons on Easter weekend in 1937 in the Beekman Hill area of New York City’s Turtle Bay neighborhood.

One of his victims, Veronica “Ronnie” Gedeon, was a model who often appeared in seductive pulp magazine pictures. The crime, its investigation, Irwin’s arrest, and the resulting court proceedings were heavily publicized, often with eye-catching photos of Miss Gedeon and headlines describing Irwin as the “mad sculptor.” Veronica Gedeon left behind a portfolio of sexy photos that, in retrospect, had no relevance to the crime, its cause or Irwin’s responsibility for it. However, that coincidence kept the story on front pages of newspapers around the country for months, publicity which ultimately helped to bring Irwin into custody.

Irwin’s prosecution, which ended through a plea-bargain that kept him incarcerated for life, renewed debate about the use and scope of New York’s version of the insanity defense. Once sentenced, Irwin was deemed “definitely insane” by state psychiatrists. He spent the rest of his life in secure mental institutions.