The Doe Network:
Hot Case 254


No Image Available

Unidentified White Female

  • The victim was discovered on April 8, 1938 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
  • Estimated Date of Death: a few days
  • Cause of Death: Decapitation


Vital Statistics

  • Estimated age: 25-30 years old
  • Approximate Height and Weight: 5'3"; 120 lbs.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: Light brown hair. Very little could be told about this unknown woman except that she was flat chested, had once had a cesarean birth, had sustained a bilateral laceration of the cervix from an additional birth or an abortion, and had her appendix removed. The autopsy showed no presence of hypnotic or narcotic drugs in the tissues.


Case History
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 the unknown victim nicknamed the 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.


Investigators
If you have any information about this case please contact:
The Doe Network
Email

You may remain anonymous when submitting information.

Agency Case Number:
"Victim 10"

NCIC Number:

Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
Kinsbury Run Murders
The Crime Library
Kinsbury Run
Wikipedia