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20 Infamous Serial Killers from Ohio · Murder Files Unsealed

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ohio. You know, when you think about it, it's rolling farmlands,
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  passionate football fans, but then also a pretty unsettling number
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  of infamous serial killers. Kind of a strange juxtaposition, don't
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  you think.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is.
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  Speaker 1: You've been asking for a deep dive into this side
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  of the Buckeye State, and honestly, the research is it's
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  fascinating and disturbing all at the same time.
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  Speaker 2: It really speaks to I think that universal fascination with
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  true crime, you know what I mean, like this desire
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  to try to understand the darkest parts of human nature.
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  But it's also it is a delicate balance, right, We're
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  not here to glorify violence, no all. We want to
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  examine these cases responsibly and see, you know what insights
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  we can actually glean from them.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and we've got a long list to unpack. I mean,
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  some of these guys known across the globe, Oh yeah,
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  I mean Jeffrey Dahmer, Others identified by these almost like
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  chili nicknames, like doctor Noyea. It just sticks with you.
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  But let's start with Dahmer. I mean, he's practically synonymous
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  with the term serial killer, even though his horrific crimes
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  they primarily took place in Wisconsin, not in Ohio.
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  Speaker 2: Right. But what a lot of people don't realize is
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  that Dahmer was actually born and raised right here in Ohio.
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  Speaker 1: Oh Wow.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, adds a whole other dimension to the case, doesn't it.
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  Speaker 1: It does.
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  Speaker 2: The stark contrast between, you know, a seemingly ordinary Midwestern
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  upbringing and then the horrific acts that he committed later
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  in life.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it really makes you wonder what factors, what experiences,
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  can lead someone down such a dark path. And sadly,
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  you know, Dahmer isn't the only notorious killer with Ohio ties.
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  I mean, the FBI called Samuel Little the most prolific
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  serial killer in US history. Wow, even more so than
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  Ted Bundy, and some of his confirmed victims were found
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  in northern Ohio.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. And what's particularly tragic about Little's case is that
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  he often targeted marginalized women, many of whom were struggling
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  with addiction or involved in sex works or their disappearances
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  they often went unreported for years, highlighting just this heartbreaking vulnerability.
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  Speaker 1: It's a stark reminded that justice isn't always swift, especially
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  for those on the fringes of society, right, But moving on,
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  I mean, some of these Ohio cases have these nicknames
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  that are both you know, they're intriguing and terrifying all
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  at the same time.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: I mean take Anthony Saul, the Cleveland strangler. That immediately
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  it says, chills down your spine.
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  Speaker 2: It does. Yeah. The sheer scale of his crimes is horrifying. Yeah,
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  I mean, eleven victims were found in his home. God,
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  it's a stark reminder I think of how someone can
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  live a seemingly normal life on the outside, Yeah, while
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  hiding such darkness beneath the surface.
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  Speaker 1: It's almost unimaginable. And then there's Donald Harvey, known as
• 2:50
  the Angel of Death, a nurse who killed.
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  Speaker 2: His own patients, and his reason for the killings was
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  particularly chilling. He claimed he was relieving their stuff God,
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  which is a really twisted justification, wouldn't you say?
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  Speaker 1: Oh? Absolutely?
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  Speaker 2: That highlights that complex psychology of an angel of death killer.
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  I mean, these individuals often hold these positions of power
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  and trust, preying on those who are most vulnerable, often
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  within a system that's designed for care and healing.
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  Speaker 1: Just a horrifying betrayal of trust and a reminder of
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  how easily, someone can exploit positions of power. Absolutely, But
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  speaking of unsettling cases, the Cleveland Torso murderer has to
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  be one of the most unsettling unsolved mysteries out there.
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  I mean, decapitating victims, sometimes while they were still alive.
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  That's I mean, that's the stuff of nightmares.
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  Speaker 2: The brutality of those murders. And then, you know, coupled
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  with the fact that the killer was never caught, it
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  casts a long shadow, wouldn't you agree, Like a chilling
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  reminder that some mysteries may never be solved. It leaves
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  a community and perhaps even a whole generation with this
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  lingering sense of unease.
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  Speaker 1: It definitely feeds into our deepest fears for sure.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: And while we're on the topic of you know, kind
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  of these disturbing monikers, Robert Burdella, the Kansas City butcher,
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  comes to mind immediately. His crimes centered in Missouri, but
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  what's unsettling is that he was actually born in Ohio.
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  Speaker 2: Huh. Adds another point to this strained pattern we're seeing.
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  And then you have the Cincinnati strangler, who was believed
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  to have been a cab driver at the time praying
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  on older women. God it's a reminder I think that
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  evil can lurk behind even the most ordinary facades, you know,
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  those everyday interactions that we just take for granted.
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  Speaker 1: It's a chilling thought shadowing that sense of normalcy and safety.
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  And then there's doctor No. Right, I mean in nickname
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  that sounds more like a bond villain than a real
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  life killer. What's the story behind that name?
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  Speaker 2: So he targeted vulnerable women, often along highways, often those
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  working truck stops or living cransient lifestyles, women who might
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  not be immediately miss and the name doctor No is
• 5:00
  thought to have come from this uncanny ability to leave
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  very little evidence behind. Wow, it's been decades and investigators
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  still haven't cracked the case.
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  Speaker 1: So not only were his crimes calculated and brutal, but
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  he also he seemingly knew how to evade capture. Are
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  there any promising leads, any suspects that kind of stand out?
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  Speaker 2: There have been a few persons of interest over the years,
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  but nothing definitive enough for an arrest. Some investigators believe
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  doctor No might be connected to similar unsolved murders in
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  other states. Oh wow, which you know stretches the potential
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  victim count even higher. It begs the question, how many
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  more victims before he's caught?
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  Speaker 1: If ever, God, that's a chilling thought knowing you could
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  still be out there, but before we, you know, spidal
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  down that rabbit hole. I think it's important to can
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  step back and look at the bigger picture. We've been
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  talking about individual cases, but are there any common threads,
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  any patterns, any trends that emerge when you examine these
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  Ohio cases, you know, collectively.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, one recurring theme is the role of mental illness. Take,
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  for example, Thomas Lee Dillon. Okay, he claimed voices in
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  his head compelled him to kill, shooting victims seemingly at random.
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  Speaker 1: Right.
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  Speaker 2: And while it's crucial to remember we're not here to
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  diagnose anyone, understanding the complexities of mental health I think
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  is essential when we try to grapple with these crimes.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you're touching on something really important. While mental illness
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  doesn't inherently lead to violence, it's clear that it plays
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  a role in some of these cases and makes you
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  think about the systems in place, the resources that are available,
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  whether there were missed opportunities for intervention.
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  Speaker 2: Precisely, and that ties into another I think crucial aspect
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  of this, and that is how these killers were ultimately caught.
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  In some cases, it was pure chance, like with Michael Madison,
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  his neighbors detected the smell of decomposing bodies coming from
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  his garage, a horrifying discovery that ultimately led to his capture.
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  Speaker 1: It makes you realize that sometimes it's the seemingly mundane,
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  the everyday observations that can crack a case wide open. Yeah.
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  But of course we've also seen incredible advancements in forensic science.
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  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, Paces.
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  Speaker 1: Like those of Anthony and Nathaniel Cook cold for years
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  were finally solved using DNA.
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  Speaker 2: Technology, right, and those advancements are astounding. I know, it's
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  crazy to think that a single piece of genetic material
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  overlooked for years can now be analyzed and linked to
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  a perpetrator, I mean, with incredible accuracy. It's remarkable, Yeah,
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  but it also makes you wonder how many other killers
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  might be out there, just waiting for technology to catch
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  up with them.
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  Speaker 1: It's both fascinating and terrifying to think about how technology
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  is changing the landscape of criminal investigations. It really is.
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  But you know, I want to circle back to something
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  you mentioned earlier about the doctor, no case being unsolved,
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  but it makes you think about all the families that
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  are left without answers, the victims whose stories might ever
• 8:00
  be fully told.
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  Speaker 2: It's a heartbreaking reality, and you know, it speaks to
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  a larger question. I think about the impact of these crimes,
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  not just on the victims and their families, but on
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  society as a whole. You know, does learning about these cases,
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  delving into the darkest corners of human behavior, does it
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  make us safer or does it simply make us more fearful?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, a question I've grappled with myself, especially during this
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  deep dive. I mean, on one hand, you know, understanding
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  the patterns, the warning signs, you can certainly make us
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  more aware of our surroundings. Sure, perhaps even help us
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  to identify, you know, potential threat right.
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  Speaker 2: But it's a delicate balance, it is, for sure. We
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  don't want to live in this constant state of fear,
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  suspicious of everyone we encounter. It's about finding that middle ground.
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  I think, being informed but not paralyzed, right, vigilant but
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  not consumed by paranoia.
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  Speaker 1: I completely agree, and I think that's a good note
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  to kind of end on. We've covered a lot of
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  ground today, from the chilling details of individual cases to
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  the broader themes of mental illness, investigative techniques, and the
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  lasting impact these crimes have had on individuals and communities.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been a journey into a dark and oftentimes
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  unsettling aspect of human nature. But I believe it's crucial
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  to have these conversations, you know, to shed light on
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  these dark corners, to learn from the past, and hopefully
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  worked what a future where such acts are less likely
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  to occur.
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  Speaker 1: Well said, We've explored the lives and crimes of some
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  of Ohio's most notorious killers, from household names to those
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  shrouded in mystery like the elusive doctor No. But as
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  we wrap up this deep dive, I think it's important
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  to remember that behind every case, every nickname, every chilling detail,
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  there were real people whose lives were tragically cut short.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and while we may never fully understand what drives
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  someone to commit such horrific acts, it's crucial that we
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  honor the victims and their families, you know, by continuing
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  to seek answers, to learn from these tragedies, and to
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  strive for a safer world for everyone.
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  Speaker 1: And have said it better myself to our listener, thank
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  you for joining us on this unsettling but important journey.
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  We hope this steep dive has provided you with some
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  new insights and perhaps even sparks some reflection. Until next time,
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  stay informed, stay engaged, and stay safe,