Death mask of the victim; sketch by Wesley Neville. To view postmortem photos, please click here and here.
Death mask of the victim; sketch by Wesley Neville. To view postmortem photos, please click here and here.
Date of Discovery: June 5, 1936
Location of Discovery: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Estimated Date of Death: 1-2 days prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by decapitation
Estimated Age: 20-30 years old
Race: White. The coroner commented the victim looked to be of Slavic or possibly Scandinavian descent
Sex: Male
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Hair Color: Reddish-brown
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Slender build, well-nourished with small hands and feet. Narrow, handsome face with high cheekbones, a fair complexion, strong jaw and a slightly prominent nose. He had six tattoos; One on the left calf was the character Jiggs from the comic strip Bringing Up Father. On the right calf was an anchor under a superimposed Cupid. On the right forearm was "Helen-Paul" over a dove. A butterfly on the right shoulder. On the left forearm was crossed flags. Also on the left forearm were the initials WCG with an arrow through a heart. The tattoos may have suggested a naval background of the victim.
Dentals: Unknown. Missing five teeth - one upper and three lower molars on the right side and a lowar molar on the left.
Fingerprints:Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.
Clothing: Dark brown cashmere pants with a zipper. Found in the area were three shirts, one of which was a white Park Royal Broadcloth knit polo shirt, an old brown cap, white undershorts with blue stripes and a laundry mark variously reported as "J. D. X.", "JD" or "J. D. A.," and a pair of tan Oxford shoes (size 7 1/2), rather worn, with their laces tied together and a pair of thick socks stuffed inside.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
The victim's decapitated body was located on June 5, 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. His head was found near the Shaker Rapid Transit tracks. His torso was found between the New York Central and Nickel Plate tracks by an old freight shed. The body was nude but unmutilated, and was found only about fifteen hundred feet away from the head.
There was no blood on the ground, indicating he had been killed elsewhere and his head and torso then flung into the wastes of Kingsbury Run.
A railroad worker�s testimony that the head was not in the vicinity at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, and an eyewitness�s report of a late-model Cadillac seen under the Kinsman Road bridge about 11:00 p.m. that same night suggested the latter time as the dumping hour.
The physical evidence of the decapitation suggested it had been done while the victim was alive. The head had been cut off between the first and second cervical vertebrae. There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in the victim�s body, and nothing to suggest that he had been tortured or bound before being killed.
The case is believed to be one of 12 Kingsbury Run Murders committed in the Cleveland area in the 1930s by the Cleveland Torso Murderer or Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, who has never been identified. It is now believed that several more murders were committed by the killer in other areas of Ohio between the 1920s and 1950s.
The other unidentified victims believed to be related to this case are
According to the Cleveland Police Museum, all official police records on these murders have been lost, destroyed, or removed.
Agency Name: Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office
Agency Contact Person: N/A
Agency Phone Number: 216-721-5610 or 216-698-4267
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: John Doe II
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: Not entered
Cleveland Police Museum
Torso Murders - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Wikipedia: Cleveland Torso Murderer
Cleveland Torso Murders
Crime Library: The Kingsbury Run Murders or Cleveland Torso Murders
The Maniac in the Bushes
Torso by Steven Nickel
Added: 7/22/00; Last Updated: 12/22/17
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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