Date of Discovery: September 23, 1935
Location of Discovery: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Estimated Date of Death: 1 to 4 weeks prior
State of Remains: Unknown, but likely unrecognizable.
Cause of Death: Homicide by decapitation
Estimated Age: 40-45 years old
Race: White
Sex: Male
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: He had one testicle missing (it is unclear if this was pre or post mortem).
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: None located.
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
The decapitated remains of a white male were located in weeds at the foot of East 49th Street and Praha Avenue. Located next to him was another decapitated male who was later identified via fingerprints as Edward A. Andrassy. Andrassy had been dead for two to three days and was approximately 28 years old at the time of his death. At one time, he had been an orderly in the psychiatric ward at Cleveland City Hospital. He met a nurse at the hospital and married her in 1928, but she left shortly afterward and bore him a daughter sometime later. When he left the hospital in 1931, he sold magazines for a while. At the time of his death, he was unemployed and had no visible means of support.
Evidence suggests that the unidentified victim's body was saturated with oil and set afire after death. The fire merely scorched the skin leaving it with a peculiar condition of having a reddish yellow color and being tough not unlike bacon rind. The skin was carefully washed in benzol, dried, and examined under the microscope. Nothing of importance, other than the hair follicles minus the hair, was noted. It appeared as though the hair had either been shaved or burned off. The skin itself was hard and tough, and very resistant to both acids and alkalis. Warm or hot water caused it to swell and curl although no difference in texture resulted. It was finally decided that scorching would produce such a condition on dead tissue only.
The unidentified male became known as "Victim 1." 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 other unidentified victims believed to be related to this case are 885UFOH, 121UMOH, 1789UMOH, 1790UMOH, 886UFOH, 1791UMOH, 888UFOH, 887UFOH, 1792UMOH, 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 1
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
NamUs Case Number: Not entered
Former Hot Case Number: 248
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: 3/4/18
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information may be estimated.
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