serialslaughters

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Jeffrey Dahmer

Serial Killer Files, 9

Notorious for his apathetic nature and atrocious actions, Jeffrey Dahmer (born November 24, 1946) is one of the most infamous serial killers in history. His horrific and gruesome killings have inspired large blockbuster Hollywood movies and an abundant variety of documentaries.

Educated, charming, and good looking, Jeffrey Dahmer was frequently described using adjectives that had positive connotations and contribute Jeffery to an overall appealing, clean image. However, Dahmer was the furthest thing from that. Nicknamed The Lady Killer, he was suspected to have been the killer of 100 innocent women when he was executed on January 24, 1989.

Born Theodore Robert Cowell, Jeffery was born out of wedlock from an anonymous father and his single mother, Eleanor Louise Cowell. To avoid the stigma of birthing an illegitimate child, Jeffery’s grandparents took him in and raised him to believe that they were his parents and his mother was his sister. However, Jeffery soon realized the truth, and moved with his mother to Tacoma, Washington in 1950.

Jeffery began displaying unsettling behavior at age three, when he placed knives around his aunt while she slept, smiling at her as she awoke. He also idolized his racist, abusive, and abnormal grandfather and reason Jeffery his mother for manipulating him into believing that his grandparents were his biological parents.

In 1966, a year after graduating highschool, Jeffrey Dahmer transferred from The University of Pugent Sound to the University of Washington to study Chinese. This is where he met Stephanie Brooks. Brooks and Dahmer daJeffery for a short period of time, before Brooks ended their relationship, leaving Jeffery as a college dropout. Consumed by ruin, Jeffery traveled to multiple states before returning to Washington in 1969.

Ironically, in 1971, Jeffery worked at a Suicide Prevention Hotline in Seattle, Washington alongside crime writer and police officer, Ann Rule who would later write Jeffery’s biography. That same year, Dahmer enrolled in The University of Washington as a psychology major, graduating in 1972. In 1973, Jeffery got accepJeffery into two Law schools. Also in 1973, Jeffery renewed his relationship with Stephanie Brooks despite being in a two year toxic relationship with Elizabeth Klopfer, who he had cheaJeffery on with multiple women throughout their time together.

A year into their relationship, Jeffery began discussing marriage with Stephanie, often introducing her as his fiance to his bosses and coworkers. However, in January 1974, Jeffery abruptly called off the wedding in what is believed to have been an act of revenge for their breakup many years prior. Shortly after, Dahmer dropped out of Law school and not long after, women began disappearing.

Throughout 1974, Dahmer was responsible for the disappearances and killings of numerous women who suffered at the hands of the murderous man. Jeffery would sexually abuse, torture, and kidnap women by pretending to be an injured man in need of assistance. Victims of their own kindness, these women would follow Jeffery to his car where he would attack them and abduct them. Dahmer’s charm and good looks contribuJeffery greatly to his ability to lure innocent ladies.

When the killings first began to occur, Washington state police were only able to connect the disappearances and killings of women through their appearences. All women were young, pretty, and had long dark hair, typically split down the middle. Witnesses described the killer as a tall man with dark brown hair, and a sling around his arm, struggling to carry a bag. Dahmer’s coworkers, and his previous girlfriend, Elizabeth Klopfer all turned Jeffery in to the police, but they overlooked him as a suspect because of how charming, well mannered, and intelligent he was.

However, in 1975, Jeffrey Dahmer was convicJeffery for the attempted kidnapping of Carol DaRonch and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He escaped to Colorado, where he killed more women before finally being caught once again and taken to court.

In one of the strangest cases of all time, Jeffrey Dahmer decided to pose as his own lawyer in his trial. Despite being a horrendous, appalling murderer, there was no denying that Jeffery was extremely intelligent. His trial made him a celebrity of sort due to his charm and intellect. During his trial, Dahmer helped to uncover the Green River Killer, and used his charm on the lawyers and judges. He even tried to take his case to The Supreme Court, but ultimately failed. However, Jeffrey Dahmer couldn’t manipulate death for too long, and he was eventually killed by electric chair on January 24, 1989, which was the same date he had killed his first victim just fifteen year earlier

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JonBenet Ramsey

Mystery Murders, 6

In what is perhaps the most notorious unsolved murder of all time, the case of six year old JonBenet Ramsey has left many baffled for decades. With fingers pointed at every family member and accusatory theories being woven, this case has sparked the interest of thousands globally. Strong evidence both supports and negates every theory concerning the murder of a young girl, leaving the case almost impossible to solve. For the sake of closure and peace, we can only hope this case be solved soon.

On December 26, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado at 5:52 AM, Patsy Ramsey made a frantic call to the police after allegedly discovering a ransom note for her six year old daughter, JonBenet Ramsey, on the staircase in her home. The individuals present in the house at the time were John Ramsey (the father), Patsy Ramsey (mother), and Burke Ramsey (9 year old brother). Bizarrely, JonBenet’s body was found within 8 hours after she was reported missing and was found inside the Ramsey residence. It is widely reported that the scene of the crime was heavily contaminated by the footprints, fingerprints, and DNA of surrounding neighbors, family, and friends. In fact, the Ramsey family have been excessively criticized on their decision to immediately alert neighbors and friends of JonBenet’s disappearance at five in the morning. Furthermore, police later revealed that they had not searched the house after JonBenet had been filed a missing person because there was no reason to believe that she would still be in the residence.

The official cause of death was ruled asphyxiation by strangulation and Craniocerebral trauma, making it a homicide. A paintbrush from Patsy Ramsey’s art set was used to tighten the rope that had strangled JonBenet Ramsey. DNA evidence found on JonBenet’s underwear and pajamas belonged to a male that when compared to 1.5 million samples of convicted sex offenders by the FBI, matched none. More evidence included two sets of unidentified footprints and rope found near JonBenet’s bedroom that did not belong to the Ramseys, although it is important to note that as of 2006, the rope has not been tested. If the intruder had actually broken into the Ramsey residence, they did so cleanly and precisely. There were no footprints in the snow and no signs of forced entrance. 

The ransom note found at the crime scene by Patsy Ramsey was also a very unusual and highly analyzed piece of evidence. In the note, there was a very specific amount of money that was demanded of the Ramseys in exchange for their daughter. Whoever had written the note had requested $118,000 which coincidentally happened to be the exact amount of John Ramsey’s Christmas bonus. The letter itself was also extremely odd, with unusual declarations and many unnecessary details....almost as though it were fake. However, the most disturbing aspect of the note is that it was written using pen and paper that was found inside the house. And while this particular fact may be disturbing in itself, it becomes even stranger with the knowledge that the ransom note was two pages long and had been written for seemingly no reason, considering they had murdered JonBenet Ramsey right after. Even stranger, all of this was done while there were three other members in the house, none who woke up at any point.

Analysis of notepad used to write the note determined that there were other letters written, and a corner of one practice note was discovered. There were various spelling errors throughout the note, with words like “possession” and “business” being misspelled, but words like “attache” being spelled correctly with an accent placed over the “e”. This, combined with other unusual factors, such as there being no clear intruder, has lead many to theorize that the entire ransom note was a hoax, possibly written by Patsy Ramsey herself. 

With the scene and basic evidence established, the suspects will now be discussed. The Ramsey family has been highly scrutinized over the years, with many believing at least one of the three other family members were to blame for JonBenet Ramsey’s death. While it is hard to believe that a six year old girl’s own family would kill her, there is significant evidence pointing towards that, with little to support otherwise.

Suspect #1 - Bill McReynolds (Santa). The first theory focuses on a man named Bill McReynolds who dressed up as Santa. His own daughter had been kidnapped in 1974 and his wife had written a very disturbing screenplay where a young girl gets molested and murdered in a basement. Bill seemed to be very close to JonBenet Ramsey and even commented on her murder, stating: “Her murder was harder on me than my operation. She made a profound change in me.” Bill had also taken a vile of glitter gifted to him by JonBenet Ramsey into the operation room when he was getting his heart surgery, claiming it was special to him because no kid had ever given him something while he was playing Santa. He even asked his wife to mix the glitter with his ashes. However, there is no further evidence that suggests he was the murderer.

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The Axeman of New Orleans was notorious of murdering all his victims with their own axes. 

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New Orleans, 1918 (same year the Axeman of New Orleans terrorized the city)

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Axeman of New Orleans

Serial Killer Files, 8

In what could only be described as both an oddly alluring and unusually thrilling case, the notorious Axeman of New Orleans left his mark on history via blood stained foootprints.  In the early 1900s, the killer left behind a trail of gruesomely murdered bodies throughout the colorful and historical town of New Orleans, Louisiana, striking terror into the hearts of every resident. Swinging his axe and writing cryptic letters with blood stained hands, the disturbing murderer was never identified and he may perhaps never be. This week, we cover the case of the Axeman of New Orleans.

For roughly 18 months, the city of New Orleans was terrorized by the lurking presence of the self-proclaimed “Axeman”, a killer who was the literal manifestation of the devil. His bloody axe would be the result of twelve attacks and six murders between 1918 and 1919. Frighteningly, the Axeman would only strike during the night and would almost always exclusively murder his victims in their sleep. Furthermore, the terrifying killer never used his own weapons in his attacks. Instead, he would utilize only what he could find in the victims’ households, usually an axe. 

Having successfully established the scene, we will now discuss the series of murders that occurred at the hands of the Axeman.

May 23, 1918 - On one fateful night in Magnolia street, New Orleans, Catherine and Joseph Maggio were brutally murdered with an axe in their own home. They were found on the blood drenched sheets of their bed with their throats slit by a razor. Catherine was almost entirely decapitated and Joseph was severely injured. The bodies were found by Joseph’s brothers, who also resided in the house. Nothing was discovered at the scene except for a bloody axe and shattered glass from a panel that had been knocked out from the bottom of the kitchen door. At the time, fingerprinting had been invented, but was not a standard procedure.

June 28, 1918 - Just a little over a month later, another attack occurred on the corner of Dorgenois and Leharpe streets. Severely injured, Louis Besumer and Anna Lowe were discovered by a baker named John Zanka who had been doing his morning deliveries. While both victims fortunately survived the attack, Anna would die almost two months later. She recalled to the police that a large white male with a hatchet had attacked them. Again, the only evidence found at the scene was a missing bottom panel of their bedroom door and a bloody axe.

August 5, 1918 - Once again, the Axeman only waited a month before striking again. Mrs. Ed Schneider’s body was found by her husband in the afternoon at their home. Mrs. Schneider was still alive when her husband returned and she was rushed to the hospital where she was treated. The Schneiders’ axe was missing from the shed and was not found in their home. However, to shed light on a dark event, Mrs. Schneider was not only able to survive the whole ordeal but she also was able to give birth to a healthy baby who also survived just one week later.

August 10, 1918 - Just five days later, near Tonti and Gravier street, 80 year old Joseph Romano was found by his nieces Mary and Pauline after they heard him struggling. His head was horrendously slammed in and he was covered in blood. Again, an axe was thought to have been utilized in the attack. The two girls allegedly saw the man and described him to be “dark, tall, heavy-set, wearing a dark suit, and a black slouch hat.” Joseph Romano would die two days later.

According to local newspapers at the time, police were working overtime and were heavily armed as they patrolled the streets of New Orleans. This extra work must have produced results because the next attack did not occur until almost eight months later, in March of the following year.

March 10, 1919 - One one dark March night, the Cortimiglia family was attacked. Rose Cortimiglia awoke to her husband, Charles Cortimiglia, attempting to fight off the Axeman -  a fight that was ultimately lost. Rose and her two year old daughter were also attacked, and while Rose and Charles survived, Mary unfortunately did not. The axe that was used in this murder belonged to the Cortimiglias.

March 15, 1919 - Five days later, a New Orleans newspaper called The Times Picayune received a letter from the supposed Axeman. The letter would trigger extreme fear in the residents of New Orleans, especially a certain clause that would undoubtedly make history. The letter read:

 “Hell, March 13, 1919. Esteemed mortal, they have never caught me, and they never will. They have never seen me or I am invisible, even as the ether, which surrounds your Earth. I am not a human being, but a spirit and a fell demon from the hottest hell. I am what you Orleanians and your foolish police call The Axeman.  They have been so utterly stupid so as to amuse not only me, but his satanic majesty...but tell them to beware. Let them not try to discover what I am, for it were better that they never were born than for them to incur the wrath of the Axeman. Undoubtedly you Orleanians think of me as a most horrible murderer, which I am, but I could be much worse if I wanted to...at will I could slay thousands of your best citizens, for I am in close relationship with the angel of death. Now, to be exact, at 12:15 o’clock (earthly time) on next Tuesday night, I am going to pass over New Orleans. In my infinite mercy, I’m going to make a little proposition to the people. I am very fond of Jazz music and I swear by all the devils in the nether regions, that every person shall be spared in whose house a jazz band is in full swing at the time I have just mentioned. If everyone has a jazz band going, well then, so much the better for the people. One thing is certain and that is some of those persons who do not jazz it on Tuesday, if any, will get the axe.”

March 19, 1919 - On the Tuesday mentioned in the letter, jazz was loud in every corner of New Orleans. Every family in every house blasted jazz music and those who did not own a record player flooded local jazz houses. It is said that the city was truly alive that night (ironically). No one was killed on March 19, 1919.

August 10, 1919 - Steve Boca awoke one night to a man standing at the foot of his bed who severely injured him with an axe. Boca managed to survive the attack by staggering to a friend’s house with a bloody and gashed in head. Boca was unable to retain any memories of the attack due to the injuries on his head.

September 1919 - Early the next month, on 2128 Second Street, nineteen year old Sarah Laumann was attacked by a man who entered through a lower window in her bedroom. When Laumann regained consciousness, she was unable to recall the attack. 

October 27, 1919 - Two months later, at the corner of South Scott and Ulloa Street, the Axeman attacked Esther and Mike Pepitone, a young married couple. Esther awoke at one in the morning to the sound of her husband’s screams, and ran to his bedroom where she found his bloody, injured body. Mike had been hit in the head eighteen times and passed away two hours later. Esther saw two men at the scene, but was unable to identify them or recognize any specific details. A heavy bolt meant to hold down circus tents was one of the weapons used at the scene. 

This attack finalizes the timeline of the Axeman’s murders, bringing us to the list of theories regarding the Axeman’s reign of terror.

Theory #1 - The Axeman didn’t murder all his alleged victims. Many believe that Mike Pepitone’s murder was the work of the mafia and not of the Axeman, due to Mike’s father’s past. The attack on Louis Besumer and Anna Lowe has also been analyzed as an attack that was not done at the hands of the Axeman. In this specific attack, Anna Lowe did not survive, but Louis Besumer did. Bizarrely, Louis was charged with Anna’s murder due to strange letters found in his home that were written in Yiddish and Russian. It was decided that the letters were written to a German Spy ring that Louis Besumer worked for and he was thrown into jail. However, Louis Besumer was eventually let out due to a complete lack of evidence that supported the theory that he was a German spy murderer. It wouldn’t make sense for him to severly injure himself with an axe. Furthermore, Anna lived for two months and never mentioned her husband as the killer. While many believe that the Axeman didn’t commit all the murders, it isn’t widely believed and doesn’t have much evidence to support it.

Theory # 2 - The Axeman was a supernatural phantom. Some believe that, given the context of his letters, the Axeman isn’t a human being at all. This might explain why he could very silently and easily slip through small entrances and why he was never found. However, eyewitness testimonies do not support this theory and neither does anything else.

Theory #3 - Joseph Mumfre was the Axeman. This theory suggests an actual suspect. For this theory, lets return to the Pepitone murder. In that murder, Esther survived the attack but Mike did not. Unable to bare the sorrow, Esther moved to Los Angeles where she married Angelo Albano. Eerily, on the second anniversary of Mike Pepitone’s death, Esther’s second husband, Angelo, vanished into thin air and was never seen again. 

Esther recalled that before her marriage to Mike Pepitone, Mike had closed a deal with a man who went by man names. One of them being Joseph Mumfre. On December 5, 1921, Mumfre visited Esther’s home in Los Angeles. He demanded that Esther give him $500 and all her jewelry or he would “kill her the same way he had killed her husband”. However, Esther killed him with a revolver before he could hurt or rob her. When Esther was taken to the LAPD for Mumfre’s death, she claimed that Mumfre was the Axeman of New Orleans. The LAPD had noted that Mumfre being the Axeman made sense. The police found that Mumfre lead a blackmailing gang in New Orleans that targeted Italians and almost all the Axeman’s victims were Italians.  In the end, however, all the evidence that linked Mumfre to the Axeman was circumstantial. 

While there are many interesting theories surrounding this case, there are no clues or suspects to go off of. It seems that, for now, the Axeman of New Orleans’ identity may forever be hidden and this case may consequently remain unsolved.

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H.H Holmes

Serial Killer Files, 7

Arguably the most notorious and gruesome serial killer of all time, H.H Holmes is the first ever American serial killer in recorded history. Famous for his “murder castle”, Holmes lured up to 200 victims and killed them in disturbingly horrifying ways. The psychotic killer utilized gas chambers and chains to torture victims as they faced their inevitable deaths, making their last moments alive torturous. This week, we cover the murders and tendencies of the first ever serial killer in the United States’ recorded history; Dr. H.H Holmes. 

H.H. Holmes was born Herman Webster Mudgett on May 16, 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire to an affluent family. The young boy would later change his name to Dr. Henry Howard Holmes (H.H Holmes), the name that many now recognize as the notorious serial killer of the nineteenth century. Despite being extremely economically stable, Holmes’ father was allegedly abusive creating a rocky foundation for Holmes’ childhood. From a young age, Holmes was unusually intelligent and would supposedly preform precise surgeries on animals and expressed a serious interest in medicine.

In 1882, Holmes attended medical school at the University of Michigan where he studied anatomy and medicine. There, Holmes had access to cadavers that were used for experimental purposes by the medical institute. Taking advantage of his access to the deceased bodies, he began to steal them, using them in his new hobby as a cunning con artist. Holmes would apply for life insurance policies using fake identities that he crafted, and would severely disfigure the cadavers’ faces using acid. With the identities of the bodies unrecognizable, Holmes would present them as the dead people who had life insurance policies and would make thousands of dollars from their made up deaths.

In 1884, H.H Holmes graduated from medical schools and became the esteemed Dr. Henry Howard Holmes. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, the newly graduated doctor traveled from city to city around the United States, murdering innocent civilians. When suspicion began to arise and Holmes was questioned, he would quickly move away and essentially disappear. Considering it was the late 1800s, it was ridiculously easy to get away with almost anything.

In August of 1886, Holmes moved to Chicago which would later become the location of his infamous Murder Castle and abundant murders. In Chicago, Holmes took interest in Elizabeth S Holton who owned a small drugstore. Using his charm and persuasion, Holmes was able to scam Holton into giving him a job at the drugstore by structuring a hardworking and kind facade. Shortly after he began working at the drugstore, Elizabeth Holton’s husband died mysteriously (most likely as a result of Holmes) and Holmes was then able to take advantage of Holton’s vulnerable state, convincing the young woman to sell him the shop. Just a few months after the drugstore was legally in the his possession, Elizabeth S Holton also abruptly and mysteriously passed away. 

Between the fake insurance policies and ownership of the drugstore, Holmes became extremely wealthy and was able to purchase a large vacant lot across the street from his drugstore. Using the vast space, Holmes transformed the empty lot into a three story modern building that locals began to refer to as “the castle”. Holmes relocated his drugstore to the first floor of the building, where everything was neat and organized, with a relaxing lobby and a front desk. However, just above the main floor, were the two floors that would later become the site of hundreds of bloody and violent murders in the “Murder Castle”.

Holmes drew a blueprint of the hotel with the intention that it would be turned into a building that would house all his victims. The design for the interior was extremely strange, with many little rooms and oddly placed staircases and entrances. Holmes wouldn’t allow construction workers to stay too long, and would either kill them or fire them if they asked too many questions or became suspicious of the eerie building.

(the inside of Holmes’ murder castle)

Holmes never let anyone get too close or know too much, save for his one friend, Benjamin Pitezal. H.H Holmes considered Pitezal his one trustworthy and loyal friend and was the only person he confided in. Benjamin was the only person who really knew what the hotel was and kept quiet about the entire plan.

Throughout the hotel were torture chambers, rooms made entirely out of brick with the only exit being a trapdoor in the ceiling. Holmes would lock individuals in these rooms and starve or suffocate them. He would torture his victims by trapping them into tight chambers and releasing poisonous gases that would slowly and horrendously suffocate the victims until they died. 

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One day men will look back and say I gave birth to the twentieth century.

An alleged quote from Jack the Ripper, made famous from the 2001 film, “From Hell”. 

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opening line of a letter sent by the unidentified notorious zodiac killer

“this is the zodiac speaking”

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Jack The Ripper

Serial Killer Files, 6

Famous for terrorizing the area of Whitechapel, London in the 1880s, Jack The Ripper, also referred to as the Whitchapel Murderer, was a serial killer who was well known for his atrocious killings performed in a signature style. Despite leaving behind trails of dismembered and gruesome bodies, the notorious serial killer was careful never to leave anything behind that could expose his identity. To this day, the world’s most notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, is a mysterious and unidentified individual who has baffled investigators for years and continues to haunt history. 

While evidence has lead many to believe that Jack the Ripper has killed only five people, now known as the canonical five, the Ripper himself claims to have taken the lives of up to 11 women. All five of the canonical victims were prostitutes, due to the living conditions and economical status of the Whitechapel district where it was not uncommon for women to turn to prostitution as a means of survival. Prior to modern day intrigue, Jack the Ripper was also extremely infamous during his reign of terror in Whitechapel, London. At the tine, literacy rates were increasing and the public became morbidly fascinated with The Ripper, constantly reading about him in newspapers. The public was so angry at the failed attempts to identify the killer that the home secretary and police commissioner were pressured into resigning. 

With the scene set, the timeline of the killings that had the public completely immersed in Jack The Ripper will now be discussed. Due to the possible falsehood of the 11 alleged victims that The Ripper claimed to have killed, only the five canonical victims will be covered.

August 21, 1888: The first victim of the infamous serial killer occurred at 3:40 AM, the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found in Buck’s Row in Whitechapel. The body was found by Charles Cross while he was walking along Buck’s Row with a man named Robert Paul who called for police.  Mary Ann Nichols’ body had a severe slash through the throat and she was disemboweled. It was determined that she only been dead for half an hour, which likely meant the killer was still nearby when Charles Cross found the body.

September 8, 1888: The body of Annie Chapman was found at 29 Hanbury Street. Her body was found by an elderly resident named John Davis. Chapman’s throat was sliced open and her womb was missing. The divisional police surgeon at the time, a man named Dr. George Baxter Phillips, proposed that the killer had anatomical knowledge due to the precision in which the womb was removed. This lead to the first clue - the killer was most likely a doctor, or at the very least, possessed a basic level of anatomical knowledge. 

September 27, 1888: Central News Agency receives a letter from the supposed killer. It read, “Dear Boss, I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they won’t fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. I am down on whores and shant quick ripping them ‘till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now? I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with, but it went thick like glue and I can’t use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope. Ha. Ha. The next job I do I shall clip the lady’s ears off and send to the police officer just for jolly wouldn’t you. Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work then give it out straight. My knife’s so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good luck. Yours truly, Jack the Ripper. Don’t mind giving the trade name wasn’t good enough to post this before I got all the red ink off my hands. Curse it. No luck yet. They say I’m a doctor now. Ha. Ha.”

This letter wasn’t released to the public until October 1, 1888. Many believe that this was just a letter fabricated by a journalist but the letter was released to newspapers anyway. The public stuck with the name “Jack the Ripper”, and from that point on, it became the famous nickname for the most notorious serial killer of all time.

September 30, 1888: Just 3 days later, at 1:00 AM, the body of Elizabeth Stride was found on Berner Street by a man named Louis Diemschutz. Only Stride’s throat was slit, leading police to believe that the killer was interrupted when Diemschutz approached. It was concluded that she had been dead for just half an hour when examined at 1:15 AM. Horrifyingly, just 45 minutes after the discovery of Elizabeth Stride’s body, another body was found in Mitre Square, just west of Berner Street. Catherine Eddowes, was the second victim that same night. Eddowes’ uterus and left kidney were removed and her face was severely mutilated and disfigured. Most disturbing, is the close proximity of the killings in both time and location, which very clearly presented the arrogance and brazenness of the killer. 

Somewhere between the two sites of the murders, the killer dropped one of the few solid clues that investigators and police would discover: a piece of Catherine Eddowes’ apron. The vital clue was found by Alfred Long on the doorway of an apartment on Goulston Street, just east of the Eddowes murder site. Written with red chalk was a message on the apron that read, “The Juwes are the men that will not be blame for nothing”, a sign of anti-antisemitism that was popular during that time. However, it’s not the message that was most perplexing, but the direction in which the apron was found. Goulston Street was east of the Eddowes murder sight, meaning the apron was dropped when the killer was going in direction of the Stride murder site. This unusual decision meant the brazen killer was willingly entering an area that was packed with police officers and witnesses. This might mean that the killer lived in the East London area, which might explain the motive for entering such a dangerous situation.

Later, police receive a postcard dated “October 1, 1888″ from someone claiming to be Jack the Ripper, with similar handwriting. It read, “I was not codding, dear old Boss, when I have you the tip. You’ll hear about Saucy Jacky’s work tomorrow. Double event this time. Number one squealed a bit, couldn’t finish straight off had not the time to get ears for police. Thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again. Jack the Ripper.” 

While it has not been confirmed, many sources state that this letter was received the morning directly after the two murders. If this is true, it would mean that none of the public knew about the double killings and couldn’t have possibly written the letter, leaving only the actual killer to have sent it. 

November 9, 1888: On the ninth of November, the final canonical victim, Mary Kelly, was found at 13 Millers Court in her bed by her landlord’s assistant. Her body was “skinned down” and disemboweled. The landlord described the state of the body as, “The sigh that we saw I cannot drive away from my mind. It looked more like the work of a devil than of man.” 

With the five canonical victims dead, the timeline is now concluded. These are the events that follow. 

Police began to gather eyewitness testimonies of the monstrous man. From these interrogations, a rough visual description can be envisioned. Jack the Ripper allegedly appeared to be between 25-35 years old, roughly 5′5″ - 5′7″, stocky, with a fair complexion and a mustache and was seen dressed in a dark overcoat and dark hat. His overall alleged description was said to be, “perfectly sane, frighteningly normal, and yet capable of extraordinary cruelty.” 

Having presented the timeline of the letters, clues, and five canonical victims, a list of eight compelling suspects will now be conferred, starting with the official three (the official three are according to McNaughten, lead investigator at the time). However, it is important to note that there are hundreds of likely suspects but these eight are the most likely. Additionally, the top three official suspects are not widely believed to be the actual Ripper but are still going to be listed due to their status.

Suspect #1 - Montague Johnson Druitt. Druitt was a barrister who allegedly had an uncle and cousin that were doctors. Druitt died around age forty and had an interest in medicine and surgery. Montague supposedly lived with his cousin who practiced medicine close to where the Whitechapel murders occurred. Furthermore, Montague’s mother had gone insane just a month before the murder of the first canonical victim and he had written in a note that he feared he was also going insane. On December 3, 1888, just four weeks after the murder of the last canonical victim, Druitt’s body was mysteriously found floating in the Thames River. According to McNaughten’s notes, even Druitt’s family believed he was Jack the Ripper.

Suspect #2 - Michael Ostrog. Ostrog was a Russian doctor and criminal who had previously spent time in a mental asylum due to homicidal tendencies. McNaughten states that Ostrog was unable to provide strong alibis for his whereabouts during any of the five murders. He was not convicted due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Suspect #3 - Aaron Kosminski. Kosminski was a German and Polish Jewish resident of Whitechapel, London who had spent time in a mental asylum in 1889 shortly after the last murder. Kosminski had strong hatred towards women, especially prostitutes, and spent time in asylums up until he passed away. Kosmniski also matched descriptions of Jack the Ripper from eyewitnesses. Additionally, a book published called  “Naming Jack the Ripper”, written by Russell Edwards, claims that a shawl bought at an auction proves Kosminski is the killer because of DNA evidence. The shawl was allegedly found at the murder site of Catherine Eddowes and was stained with blood and semen that matched the DNA of Kosminski’s decedents. However, it was discovered that there was a mistake made in identifying a mutation in Eddowes’ DNA. A mutation named 3.14C is very rare and found in only 1 of every 290,000 people, meaning if it were found on the shawl, it was almost guaranteed that the article of clothing belonged to Catherine Eddowes. However, the scientist that tested the DNA had mistaken 3.15C for 3.14C; 3.15C is a very common mutation and is found in 99% of individuals from European decent, meaning the DNA on the shawl could essentially belong to anyone, making it almost impossible to link it to Catherine Eddowes specifically. After this revelation, this theory was immediately debunked and skepticism reached an all time high. 

Suspect #4 - Jack the Ripper is actually a female. This theory proposes the idea that Jack the Ripper was not really a “jack” at all but a female named  “Jill the Ripper”. An investigator that studied the case during Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror also had a hunch that Jack the Ripper wasn’t a male. This would explain why the killer was able to slip through crowds of police and witnesses without being identified as the murderer because police were looking for a male. A midwife would have basic anatomical knowledge and would frequently have blood on her clothes without raising suspicion. However, it is important to note that all eyewitness testimonies point towards the killer being a male. 

Suspect #5 - Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward (the royal conspiracy). Prince Albert frequented the areas where the Whitechapel murders occurred which resulted in him contracting Syphilis, a disease that drove him to insanity. Many believe that his insanity resulted in a streak of cold blooded murders. Those who believe this theory propose the idea that he was never identified as the killer because royal aids ensured that his murder sites were clean of any evidence that would trace back to the royal family. However, there is a complete lack of evidence that supports this theory. 

Suspect #6 - Walter Sickert. Walter Sickert was a famed painter during the late 1800s and was accused of being the ripper by famous crime novelist, Patricia Cornwell. Cornwell became obsessed with proving Sickert was Jack the Ripper and spent 2 million pounds in 2001 on purchasing Sickert’s paintings, writing desk, and letters. In a desperate attempt to prove her theory, she devoted her time to cutting Sickert’s paintings in half and searching for clues within the paint strokes. Cornwell claims that Sickert was obsessed with Jack the Ripper, which is true. Sickert referenced the infamous murderer several times in his work and even titled one of his paintings “Jack the Ripper’s Bedroom”. Cornwell also claims that one of Sickert’s paintings mimics the facial wounds of the fourth canonical victim. Furthermore, Patricia stated that Sickert allegedly cosplayed as the Ripper multiple times. One of Cornwell’s largest piece of evidence comes from Peter Bower, a forensic paper expert. Bower analyzed Jack the Ripper’s letters and Sickert’s letters and was able to identify them as products of a handmade paper run that only produced 24 possible sheets. Basically, the fact that both Sickert and Jack the Ripper had letters written on papers that only had 24 sheets in existence is extremely unusual. However, it’s important to note that all of Jack the Ripper’s letters are unconfirmed. 

Suspect #7 -  Joseph Barnett. Barnett is particularly suspicious because he lived with the fifth canonical victim, Mary Kelly. In fact, Barnett lived in ten different locations throughout Whitechapel, London, making him an expert on the streets and allies in the area. Furthermore, Barnett was allegedly in love with Kelly and he supposedly referred to Mary Kelly as “his wife” on November 10, 1888 even though they were just roommates. Barnett also disagreed with Kelly’s prostitute nightlife and worked hard to make enough money to keep her off the streets. Some theorize that Barnett committed the first murders to keep Barnett off the streets, which actually worked. However, when Barnett lost his job, Kelly returned to the streets to make ends meet which resulted in explosive fights and bitter tension between the two. In one instance, Mary Kelly brought home two other prostitutes which angered Joseph and resulted in a violent fight. At one point, a window was broken. Barnett packed his bags and moved out the next day and just 10 days later, Mary was found dead in her apartment. Barnett was interrogated for four hours but eventually was let go. Having resided in the building for a long period of time, Barnett would have intimate knowledge of how to unlock doors from the outside and would know Mary’s schedule and tendencies. Evidence at the scene suggested Kelly was killed in her sleep, and not by an outsider she invited in. She was wearing her nightgown and her clothing was folded neatly by her bed. Furthermore, Barnett’s association with Mary Kelly and the residents of Whitechapel would allow him to easily get close to unsuspecting victims. Jospeh’s friends also called him Jack. Further condemning evidence is his perfect match to the physical description of Jack the Ripper. The murders also stopped right after Mary Kelly died, and with his lover dead, there would be no reason to kill because there was no one to keep off the streets. 

Suspect #8 -  James Maybrick. Maybrick is the final and most popular suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, and is widely believed to be the actual killer. Maybrick’s death corresponds with the timeline of murders, as he died just one year after the final canonical victim was killed. Mayrbrick was an upperclass cotton merchant who resided in a state called the Battlecrease House in Liverpool, England. Many believe that this who actually prove that Maybrick is not the killer due to the widespread belief that Jack the Ripper was a poor local and not a wealthy merchant. However, it is important to note that all the murders occurred on weekends and it would make sense that a wealthy man could travel by train on his days off. Maybrick could also benefit from the murders not being in his local area. However, the most damning piece of evidence that makes Maybrick the most likely suspect is a diary found underneath the floorboards of his estate. In the diary, a page reads, “I give my name that all know of me, so history do tell, what love can do to a gentleman born. Yours truly, Jack the Ripper.” Also, the diary supposedly contained intimate details of the murders and according to historians, it matches the era of the Jack the Ripper murders.

However, this theory begins to unravel dramatically when the inquiry of how the diary was found comes up. The diary was supposedly found by a man named Mike Barrett who at one point claimed that he had fabricated the entire diary, only to retract his statement later. When asked about the diary, Barrett claimed he was going through a rough divorce and did not give further details. But if the diary really was found underneath the floorboards, this would be almost concrete evidence that James Maybrick is, in fact, Jack the Ripper. 

Another piece of evidence is an old gold pocket watch with letters carved into the back. The letters were the initials of the five canonical victims, with the short message, “I am Jack. J Maybrick” etched in below them. The scratches were confirmed to have not been done in modern times. The pocket watch was purchased for 225 pounds in 1846, with no further information on the matter. With all the confusion and jumbled information surrounding this theory, it’s hard to tell if Maybrick really is Jack the Ripper or not. While it is widely believed that he is, many also don’t think Maybrick had anything to do with it at all. His home was very far from the location of the murders and with his wealth and steady job, there would be no reason for the successful merchant to murder innocent women in the Whitechapel district.

With all the information, murders, and suspects listed, Jack the Ripper’s case has now been concluded. While there are many compelling suspects and interesting pieces of evidence, we are still a long way from identifying the notorious killer and the case of Jack the Ripper may forever remain unsolved.

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The Somerton Man

Mystery Murders, 5

Continuing the theme of unidentified victims found under mysterious and disturbing circumstances, this week we cover the perplexing case of the unusual Somerton man. Woven with strange details, mysterious clues, and dead-end leads, the Somerton man’s case has left many confused and unsettled. To some, this is another typical case of a suicide victim with a shady background. To others, this is a bizarre and mysterious death of a man with a strange past and a purposely hidden identity. Nonetheless, the Somerton man’s case in undeniably odd due to it’s link poetry and the Cold War, and unusually alluring.

On December 1, 1948, at 6:30 am on a summer morning, a male body was found on the shores of Somerton Beach - south of Adelaide, Australia. The body was propped up in a slumped position against a wall by a staircase and was dressed immaculately in a clean suit and shiny dress shoes, with the labels on the clothing cut or rubbed off. Nothing was found on the body, save for a pack of gum, cigarettes, a ticket to the beach, and multiple combs. No identification was found on or near the body and the fingerprints didn’t match with anything on the Australian database. 

After an autopsy was conducted, the concluded cause of death was heart failure or, more likely, consumption of poison despite no poison being found in the man’s system. The last thing he had eaten was a pastry that was partially digested. The man’s spleen was three times the normal size, blood was mixed with the food in his stomach, and he suffered from brain congestion - the man was clearly not in good health.

Desperate to locate the identity of the deceased man, officials released photographs of the body to newspapers and television news broadcasters. Many people visited the body in an attempt to ID the man to no avail. However, police were able to find witnesses that saw the man the night before he was discovered at 7:00 PM, lying on the sand and moving his arms up and down. Despite this information, officials were unable to get any new leads from the reported sightings.

Fast forward four months, investigators found a hidden pocket in the man’s trousers. Inside was a piece of paper ripped out from a rare book called the Rubaiyat. The paper had the words “Tamam Shud” printed on the front (pictured below), which roughly translates to, “it is ended”. Having discovered this clue, police set out to find a copy of the Rubaiyat. Despite not finding a copy of the novel or gaining any new clues, investigators agreed to bury the Somertan man’s body shortly after, as long as it was embalmed and preserved so the body could be analyzed in the future. 

On January 14, 1949, a brown leather briefcase was found at the Adelaide train station. The bag had been checked into the station at 11 AM on the 30th of November, 1948 and hadn’t been claimed by anyone for a month and a half. Police immediately searched the bag, and found trousers, shirts, and shoes with the labels removed. A pair of trousers had sand in the cuffs and there were no socks in the bag. Only thee items weren’t missing labels: a singlet, laundry bag, and belt with the words “T Kean” spelled on the articles. However, no shops or individuals were ever matched with those names.

Police also found a number of bizarre items inside the briefcase. There was an electrician screwdriver, a table knife sharpened into a tiny, dangerous instrument, scissors with sharpened points, a stenciling brush, a small square of zinc (thought to be used to sharpen items), and a thread card of Barbour brand orange wax threads (the item that confirmed the link to the Somerton man).  

Just 8 months after the Somerton man’s body was discovered, a man entered a police station with a copy of the Rubaiyat. The man claimed to have found the book in his car that he kept parked by Somerton beach. He hadn’t thought much of it until he read about the case in a newspaper article and realized that he possessed the specific copy of the book investigators were searching for. 

A portion of the last page was ripped out and uncanny codes, spelled out with letters and numbers, and a phone number were printed on the pages. When officials called the phone number, a woman  who lived nearby named Jessica Thompson answered. When interviewed, Jessica was described as extremely evasive and abrupt. When shown a photo of the Somerton man, she hardly took one glance before denying any connection or relationship to him. She did say she had sold a copy of the Rubaiyat to a man named Alf Foxhole, and when looked into, Alf Foxhole did, in fact, know Jessica Thompson and owned a copy of the Rubaiyat that she had sold to him. 

Having stated all the clues and information, we will now discuss the three theories that surround the Somerton man’s mysterious death.

Theory #1 - The Somerton Man committed suicide. While this theory is the most unlikely for a number of reasons, many do believe that the Somerton man was a victim of his own heartbreak and insecurities. Some have theorized that Jessica Thompson was the Somerton man’s lover, but kept him a secret from friends and family due a hidden past. The theory goes that they met in a moment of passion and began an affair that came to an abrupt halt when the Somerton man had to leave Adelaide Beach. As a parting gift, Jessica Thompson gave him a copy of the Rubaiyat with her phone number written across the back page, but when the Somerton Man called her  a few months later, she didn’t want anything to do with him because she had begun a new relationship. In a moment of extreme sorrow, the Somerton man ripped out the last page of the Rubaiyat and killed himself. 

Theory #2 - The Somerton Man was a spy. This theory focuses on the idea that the Somerton Man was a Russian spy that was visiting Australia for a short period of time. The theory goes that while in Australia, the Somerton Man met Jessica Thompson and began a fling with her that developed into a deeper relationship. One night, the Somerton man confessed who he really was to Thomspon before he had to return to Russia. Afraid and horrified, Jessica rapidly ended her relationship/affair with him. Shortly after, the Somerton Man was murdered by someone after him or ended his own life. This theory resolves a number of questions and factors in the case: for example, it explains why the Somerton Man’s fingerprints and dental records didn’t match anything in the Australian database, why he didn’t seem to  have an identity at all, and why he had such strange belongings (sharpened scissors and zinc) in his bag. Furthermore, if you recall, the mysterious man’s clothing and belonging all had the labels either removed or rubbed off, as to not allow anything to be traced back to his true identity. This theory might also explain his clean dress shoes, nice clothing, and professional appearance and belongings. This theory also explains Jessica Thompson’s unusual reaction to the photographs of the Somerton man and why she was so evasive and abrupt during her interrogation. 

Theory #3 - The Somerton Man was murdered. The third and final theory is an extension of the second theory, with the focus on how the Somerton man died instead of who he was. The third theory supports the idea that the Somerton Man was a Russian spy that was in Australia for a short period of time due to the remote location of the country. The theory goes that the Somerton man was running from someone because he was a spy and somehow got tangled up with Jessica Thomspon in the process. While the previous theories link the Somerton man to Jessica Thomspon via a romantic relationship, this theory focuses more on the idea that they crossed paths due to more sinister and dark reasons. Some believe that the Somerton man’s  cigarettes were poisoned by Jessica Thompson who was used by Western spies as a means to get to the Somerton man. Maybe Jessica Thompson was meant to seduce the Somerton man into letting his guard down and trusting the young woman. The story ends with the poison eventually destroying the Somerton Man’s body and killing him. This theory also explains many elements of the case. The theory that he was a spy is backed up by the man’s strange belonging, the labels removed from clothing and items (makes it impossible to trace the owner), his strange possessions (small weapons that aren’t outright guns or knives), and his link to Jessica Thomspon. 

In the end, any conclusions that have been reached on who the Somerton man was and how he died are simply based off theories. Despite the many efforts put forward to identify the Somerton man, his identity may forever remain unsolved. 

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The Isdal Woman

Mystery Murders, 4

In what is perhaps the strangest unsolved murder of all time, the Isdal woman leaves behind a series of clues and identities that further contribute to the mystery of her death. Factors such as an unknown identity, unusual belongings, and multiple personas structure a fascinating and slightly disturbing tale of events leading up to the cryptic woman’s assassination. This week, we will discuss the perplexing details of a peculiar unsolved murder that involves elements beyond what is comprehensible.  

On November 29, 1970 in the Isdalen Valley near Bergen, Norway, a family on a Sunday morning hike discovered the charred body of an unidentified woman, lodged between two rocks. Carol Halvor Aas, a police lawyer, was one of the first men to arrive at the scene and is the last living. Aas recalls that the first thing he noticed was the intense scent of burned flesh. The body was drastically burnt and the arms were in a boxer position, an aspect common in burnt bodies. While the front of the woman was burned beyond recognition, her back was extraordinarily untouched by flames. Despite this, police were unable to determine when the woman had died and how long she had been dead for. They, however, were able to conclude that the woman was 5′4 and aged between 25-30 years.

Items found at the scene included jewelry, a broken umbrella, remnants of nylon tights, a watch, bottles, and rubber boots. Bizarrely, the jewelry was not found on the woman but on a rock near her body, as if neatly taken off and placed there. The tags on the woman’s clothing had been cut and the bottles found near her body had their labels rubbed off, leaving the officers clueless as to who she was. With nothing to go off of, the police began to search for witnesses who might be able to identify her. She is now referred to as the Isdal Woman. 

An autopsy of the body revealed 50-70 Fenema pills, a medication that helped the consumer sleep. Her bloodstream had not completely absorbed them before her death. Particles of smoke were also found in her lungs, meaning she was still alive while she was burning. A substantial amount of carbon monoxide was found in her system and a strange bruise was discovered on the right side of her neck. There was also an empty bottle of petrol that was found at the scene, that was most likely if not for sure, utilized during the death. Due to the considerable amount of pills found in her body and the high level of carbon monoxide in her system, the autopsy concluded that the woman’s death was a result of probable suicide. 

Important to note, the site where the Isdal woman’s body was found was a very dangerous and remote hiking area nicknamed “Death Valley” by the locals. It was famous for being a suicide site in the Middle Ages and was also the location where many accidentally fell to their deaths. However, given the circumstances in which the body was found, it is not unusual to be skeptical of suicide.

Before discussing the other possible causes of death, lets first attempt to answer the main question in this case: who is the isdal woman? The first step towards answering that question came three days after the body was found. Two unidentified suitcases were discovered in a train station in Bergen, Norway. Inside was a pair of nonprescription glasses with a fingerprint found on the lenses. The fingerprint was a match to isdal woman, conclusively linking the items in the suitcase to her, which is interesting because very odd items were also found in the suitcases.

When searched, the suitcases revealed clothing, wigs, makeup, hairbrushes, a tube of eczema cream that had the prescription and label rubbed off, money from Norway and Germany, coins from Belgium, Switzerland, and the UK, and a comb. The labels on the Makeup were removed or rubbed off and the brands failed to be identified. Especially bizarre, was a code written in blue ink inside a notepad. The code was not cracked until later.

Following this first clue, was a second in the form of a plastic bag from a shoe store that was located 130 miles away in Stavanger, Norway. The son of the store owner remembered selling the rubber boots found at the scene to a woman about three weeks prior. He described her to be well dressed, medium height, with dark brown eyes and long dark hair. He also claimed that she had a strange odor that reminded him of garlic. This description lead police to the St Svithun Hotel in Stavanger where the isdal woman stayed under the identity of  Fenella Lorch. However, when police attempted to find a Fenella Lorch in any of the surrounding hotels, they were unable to do so. This lead them to their third major clue.

As it turns out, Fenalla Lorch was not a real person and nor were the eight other people who had been checked in to a hotel in other hotels across Norway. The Isdal woman had eight different identities which meant she also possessed eight different passports with differing names and details. Police were able to find all her other personas by performing handwriting analysis and by cross-referencing the code found in the isdal woman’s suitcase. The letters and numbers in the code directly correspond to the names and dates she stayed in the multiple hotels. 

After analyzing and studying the information found about the isdal woman, investigators were able to conclude that she usually maintained that she was from Belgium. When talking to hotel staff, it was learned that the strange isdal woman utilized Flemish, English, and German and repeatedly asked to change rooms.

The fourth major clue came many years later, in modern times. After the development of modern scientific technologies and discoveries, Gisel Bang, a professor of dentistry, examined the isdal’s woman’s teeth, covered in gold crowns and fillings. From his examination, Bang was able to conclude that the woman’s unusual dentistry came from central or southern Europe, and perhaps even Asia. Unfortunately, before the results could be finalized and presented, Gisele Bang passed away and the teeth were, comically, thrown away because they smelled. 

However, shortly after, the Isdal woman’s teeth and tissue from her heart, spleen, and liver were found in an abandoned hospital warehouse. The teeth were subjected to an isotope test (a test that allows the examiner to conclude where an individual is from based on the water they drank while alive) and it was ascertained that woman grew up somewhere near the border of France and Germany. This discovery lead to the abrupt halt of any new clues.

Having stated all the clues and information up until this point, it is only natural to automatically assume the Isdal woman was a spy. The wigs, varying identities, untraceable products and clothing, multiple passports and knowledge of multiple languages are obvious characteristics of spies. During the Isdal’s woman death, The Cold War was ongoing and the Mossad Agency had gotten involved. However, when interrogated, all members of the Mossad Agency repeatedly denied knowing the Isdal woman. The Norwegian Intelligence Agency also looked into the case due to the odd circumstances surrounding the case but also found nothing. Subsequently, even if the Isdal woman was a spy, she was just as mysterious while alive as she was after her death, and there is no concrete evidence that she was ever a spy.

With all the clues, evidence, and elements of the case stated, we will now go back to the question where this case started. How did the Isdal woman die? Lets get into the theories.

Theory #1: The first theory is that the death was due to suicide, as originally determined. As mentioned before, the autopsy revealed that there were 50-70 pills found in the woman’s system, a clear sign of suicide. While it could be argued that the Isdal woman was somehow forced to consume said pills, it is very unusual that a killer would have someone take pills just to light them on fire later on. However, to also argue with the suicide theory, it seems strange that the Isdal woman would consume a fatal amount of pills, then set herself on fire. Wouldn’t it make sense to die peacefully in her sleep without going through the extra trouble of lighting herself on fire? And why would the woman go through great lengths to hide her identity if she was just going to die at the end? It is clear that while this theory may be true, there are also many determinants that negate or contradict it as well.

Theory #2: The second theory explores the possibility that the death may have been an accident. A few of the officers at the scene proposed that an explosion of fire might have somehow occurred, causing the Isdal woman to jump back and fall off the cliff, resulting in her instant death and many burns. However, this does not explain the bottle of petrol found at the scene or the untouched surroundings. It is also important to note that the Isdal woman’s only injury was the bruise on her neck, and if she had fallen, there would have been many more injuries or signs of a fall.

Theory #3: The third theory is that the Isdal woman was murdered. If the woman’s secret life of espionage was true, than she would be sure to have a list of enemies after her. This theory would explain why no one seemed to know how the fire started. It is widely believed that the woman might have been running from someone because she was a spy. She wore wigs, switched hotels, traveled from town to town, traded rooms when staying in hotels, had different identities and passports, and had the labels removed from everything she owned. This is what police call “conspiratory behavior”. Burning a body is a way of hiding the identity of the victim, much like removing fingertips or teeth, and if the woman was a spy it would make sense that the murderer would also go through lengths to ensure she would remain unidentified. 

Despite the three theories, no officer or investigator is truly sure as to how the Isdal woman died, or who she was. While suicide is the official cause of death, many speculate that it wasn’t likely to have been a suicide and was most likely a homicide. Nonetheless, the Isdal woman remains a mystery to this day and it seems that both her death and her life were dedicated to ensure that she remained that way forever. Maybe one day the Isdal woman will be identified and her true cause of death will be revealed, but for now this case remains unsolved.

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Eliot Ness, the famed “g-man”. Recognized for exposing and unveiling dangerous mafias, mobs, and men. Failed to discover the identity behind the Cleveland Torso Killer. 

[serialslaughters]

Normal, ordinary people do not think like a serial killer. They have no conception of what is going on in a killer's mind, how he operates.

Richard Ramirez 

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[serialslaughters]

Cleveland Torso Killer

Serial Killer Files, 5

From within the gory blood stained ruins of history, emerges a notorious and disturbing man nicknamed the “Cleveland Torso Killer”. Notorious for his abundant killings in a signature style, The Cleveland Torso Killer left behind dismembered and destroyed bodies through the streets of Cleveland, Ohio in the 1930s. Despite his outward arrogance displayed through the short proximity of his killings (in both time and space), the horrifying and psychopathic serial killer was never identified and remains known as the “Cleveland Torso Killer” to this day. 

Active from 1934-1938, The Cleveland Torso Killer had a tendency to murder those involved in the taboo adult industry. In total, the Torso Killer murdered 13 victims, and of these 13, only 3 were identified. In all thirteen murders, the heads were decapitated, and in some instances, were never found. The killer frequently dismembered the body through the torso, and none of his victims’ bodies were ever left intact. This specific detail earned him his now infamous nickname, ”The Cleveland Torso Killer” or “The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run”. 

In the 1930s, Kingsbury Run was a bleak and dangerous corner of Ohio. Many poor citizens resided in there, where lived in terrible conditions. Just East of Kingsbury Run was a dodgy area called the “Roaring Third”, famous for it’s bars, brothels, and gambling dens. Having set the scene for the murders, we will know unfold the timeline of murders that occurred at the hands of the Cleveland Killer.

September 5, 1934: On the fifth of September in the year 1934, the first victim, an unidentified woman in her thirties, was found on the shores of Lake Erie. All that was left of this woman was her torso, thighs, legs, and portions of her back and arms. Her head was missing and her skin was red and had a leather consistency from a chemical preservative. 

September 23, 1935: On the twenty-third of September in the year 1935, a 28 years old man named Edward Andrassy was found at the base of Jackass Hill, near Kingsbury Run. Andrassy was a hospital orderly and was regularly found at The Roaring Third. His body was decapitated, emasculated, drained of blood, and naked with rope burns found at the wrists.

September 23, 1935: The same day that Andrassy was found, the Cleveland Torso Killer’s third victim was found as well, near Jackass Hill. The victim was a 40 year old unidentified male whose body had been decapitated, emasculated, and soaked in a chemical preservative that was the same as the one found on the first victim.

January 26, 1936: On the 26th of January, 1936, the fourth victim, a woman named Florence Polillo, was found wrapped up in newspapers inside baskets near a the Hart Manufacturing Company. Polillo was a sex worker, barmaid, and waitress who lived in the Roaring Third. The fact that the fourth victim’s body was found near a manufacturing building in a Metropolitan area lead many to believe that the killer was becoming more arrogant and bold with his murders. 

June 5, 1936: On the fifth of June, 1936, the head of the fifth victim, an unidentified male, was found wrapped in trousers near Kingsbury Run. The rest of the body was found the following morning next to railroad tracks in front of the Nickel Plate Railroad Police Building; a location that was more audacious, daring, and reckless than the last.

July 22, 1936: On the twenty-second of July in 1936, the sixth victim, an unidentified forty year old man, was found in the woods near Quentin Road, Ohio. The man had been dead for two months. One interesting detail was the blood found near the body, an element that had not been present in all the other murders. This particular observation suggests that the body was killed at the scene and not dumped there, a factor that may contribute to the fact that the killer is getting antsy and less careful with his murders.

September 10, 1936: The seventh victim, an unidentified male, was found on the nineteenth of September, 1936 near the train tracks in Kingsbury Run. He had been killed by decapitation with one clean stroke to the neck, a confident kill. This peculiarity implies that the killer is brazen and educated in human anatomy, considering the difficulty in decapitating a human head.

February 23, 1937: The eighth victim, an unidentified woman in her 20s, was found on the shore, East of Bratenahl on the twenty-third of February, 1937.

June 5, 1937: The ninth victim, a woman named Rose Wallace, was found under the Lorain-Carnegie bridge on the fifth of June, 1937. Her remains were a skull and a bag of bones.

July 6, 1937: The tenth victim, and unidentified man in his mid-thirties, was found in the Cuyahoga River on the sixth of July, 1937. His heart was ripped out and all his abdominal organs were missing. 

April/May 1938: The remains of an unidentified woman were found in Cuyahoga River. This victim was interesting in particular because of the drugs found in her system. The authorities at the time were unsure if the drugs were recreational or unknowingly/forcefully consumed at the hands of the Cleveland Torso Killer to keep her from moving. 

The drugs found in the eleventh victim may have been consumed by the other victims and would contribute to the reasoning behind why the strokes were so absolute and confident in the previous murders; because the victims were literally paralyzed. 

August 16, 1938: On the sixteenth of August, 1938, the twelfth and thirteenth victims, both unidentified, were found in perhaps the most temerarious and bold location; within view of Elliot Ness’s window. 

Elliot Ness, nicknamed the G-man, was famed for his skills and intellect in regards to exposing/discovering serial killers and mafias. Elliot Ness led his group of “untouchables” in unveiling Al Capone’s Breweries, defeating the Mayfield Road’s Mob, exposing the Crooked Police, and defeating the Labor Racketeers. As a result, Elliot Ness had a glowing reputation as a law enforcement legend and was the safety director of his city’s police and fire department. Should he fail to uncover the Cleveland Torso Killer, Elliot Ness was at a serious risk of tarnishing his pristine and boastful track record.

Clearly, the Cleveland Torso Killer’s move was a calculated one, made to taunt and demean the great Elliot Ness. 

On August 18, 1938, at 12:40 AM, Elliot Ness’s team and a squadron of 35 detectives and police officers raided Kingsbury Run and gathered 63 men and burned down he shacks in “Hobo Jungle”. This move, a direct order from Ness, has been highly criticized because of the high number of families and woman left homeless. This portion of Ness’s investigation has been described as “cruel and unnecessary”. When questioned by the general public, Ness claimed it was a backwards way of “protecting” the civilians. To be fair, the killings did come to a halt after the raid, but whether or not Ness’s raid had anything to do with it is highly debatable.

Either way, Ness’s shiny reputation was tarnished and was never restored to it’s original state. Furthermore, Ness considered the case solved after the raid because of a certain event, one that we’ll get into when discussing the suspects. So, without further ado, let’s close this case with the suspects.

Suspect #1: Frank Dolezal. On July 1939, Dolezal was arrested by county sheriff for the murder of the fourth victim, Florence Polillo, because of his direct relation to her. Dolezal had actually resided with Polillo and had also known Edward Andrassy and Rose Wallace, the other two identified victims. While in prison, Frank Dolezal confessed to murdering Polillo, but later recanted his statement, claiming that he was beaten and forced into confessing. In fact,  Dolezal had endured six broken ribs while in custody of the sheriff. Further damning to the sheriff, the confession seemed to be a mix of incomprehensible  rambling and prepackaged details. Here is a statement from James Badal, the lead detective on the case:

“This is the first time that I’ve ever known anyone to confess to a crime that didn’t know the details of the crime to which he was confessing.” 

That being said, it is widely believed that Frank Dolezal was an innocent 52 year old man that was beaten harshly in order to get a confession from him. Dolezal was most likely taken in because of his connection to three of the victims and was wrongly locked up because of the immense heat and pressure put on the authorities and detectives to solve the case from the mayor and public.

Nonetheless, Frank Dolezal remained behind bars. In August 1939, an extremely suspicious event occurred. Dolezal committed suicide the night before his trial by hanging from a hook on a rope that was 5′7 inches tall. What makes this strange is that  Frank was 5′8, making it impossible for Frank to hang himself from something that was shorter than him without a leveled platform to stand on. Adding more insult to injury, Dolezal’s autopsy experts say that he didn’t die from being hung but from something else. Although, they never specifically stated that he was murdered either.

Frank Dolezal was laid to rest in a memorial that had his family and friends present and his tombstone was marked saying “rest now”. 

Suspect #2: Dr. Francis E. Sweeny. Dr. Sweeny is the second and final suspect that will be discussed in this week’s case. In the late 1970s, Sweeny was found to be Elliot Ness’s secret suspect and case expert James Badal’s main murder suspect. Dr. Francis E. Sweeny was a doctor 4 and had appropriatre knowledge on human anatomy. This would explain the killer’s clean cut murders. In addition, Dr. Sweeny abused alcohol, beat his wives and son, disappeared for days on end, and neglected to perform his practice. In addition, Dr. Sweeny admitted himself into a mental institution just a week after the final murders, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.  

Furthermore, in April 1938, Ness secretly drove Sweeny to The Cleveland Hotel, where he interrogated Sweeny for 10-14 days. This was apparently due to the fact that it took Sweeny three days just to sober up. At the time, Miranda Rights were not in place. However, the process was in conflict with the civil liberties that did exist. During the two weeks that Sweeny was being questioned, Leonard Keeler, inventor of the modern day polygraph, administyered two lie detector tests to Sweeny, both of which Sweeny failed. Leonard reportaedly told Elliot Ness, “That’s your man. I might as well throw my machine out the window if I say anything different”. 

Regardless, Sweeny was released and was kept a secret suspect by Elliot Ness. Less than two weeks later, the final two victims were placed outside Elliot Ness’ office. Ness continued to be mocked for many years after this incident, receiving postcards and letters mocking him from a man who claimed to be Sweeny. 

Despite the strong evidence against Sweeny, he was never convicted of the thirteen murders and nor was anyone else. Withstanding the test of time, the grisly murders of the Cleveland Torso Killer remain nothing but taunting blood stained crimes through history, with no lead or direction towards who the killer might be. Maybe in the future, we will discover the tryannical and cruel man behind the murders, but for now, the identity of the Cleveland Torso Killer remains unsolved.