Date of Discovery: April 8, 1938
Location of Discovery: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Estimated Date of Death: Days prior
State of Remains: Partial remains with soft tissues
Cause of Death: Homicide
Estimated Age: 25-35 years old
Race: White
Sex: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Hair Color: Light brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Flat chested. Once had a cesarean birth. Sustained a bilateral laceration of the cervix from an additional birth or an abortion. Appendix removed.
Dentals: Not available.
Fingerprints: Not available.
DNA: Unknown.
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
A woman's leg was located in the Cuyahoga River in the Cleveland Flats on April 8, 1938. A month later, two burlap bags containing a woman’s nude bisected torso; thighs and foot were hauled out of the Cuyahoga River. Her head and arms were never found. The unidentified female became known as "Victim 10."
The Cleveland Torso Murderer was an unidentified serial killer active in the Cleveland, Ohio, area in the early 20th century. The official toll of the murderer was 12, killed between 1935 to 1938, but some believe that there may have been as many as 40+ victims in the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Youngstown, Ohio, area between the 1920s and the 1950s. Two strong candidates for addition to the list of those killed are an unidentified victim known as "Lady of the Lake," found on September 5, 1934, and Robert Robertson, found on July 22, 1950.
The serial killings officially stopped in 1938. The last victim, the so-called Victim Ten, was killed in April of 1938 even though remains of so-called Victims Eleven and Twelve were found in mid-August of that year.
The other victims are believed to be 885UFOH, 1788UMOH, 121UMOH, 1789UMOH, 1790UMOH, 886UFOH, 1791UMOH, 887UFOH, and 889UFOH.
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: Victim 10
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: Not listed
Former Hot Case Number: 254
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: 2/27/07; Last Updated: 3/5/18
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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