Number 7: The Cleveland Torso Murderer

Why is he called the "Cleveland Torso Murderer?" A fine question, gentle reader. First off, no, it isn't a family name. That's what I thought at first, too. No, he's called the Cleveland Torso Murderer because he primarily worked out of the Cleveland area. Also he hacked up his victims, beheaded them, dismembered them, occasionally castrated them, and treated their mutilated bodies with chemicals. All he left were the torsos. Cleveland Torso Murderer. Get it? It's pretty clever. 

Ah, it'll grow on you.

Anyways, the Torso Murderer's total number of victims ranges from a definite 12 to a grand total of 15 hypothetical murders. Most of his victims were drifters or destitute individuals, most of which were never identified. Eventually Elliot Ness (better known the scary guy in the trench coat from Unsolved Mysteries) was called in to solve the case. Ness never found the killer, and he busted Al Capone and, like, a million sasquatches.

There's a number of individuals that were suspected of being the Torso Murderer (again, it would have been much easier to find the guy if it was a family name), but none of these leads ever produced someone that could be tried and convicted. That's why all we have is the nickname instead of something like "Dr. Francis E. Sweeney," which doesn't nearly strike the same amount of terror.

Now, mutilation has been done before, but this guy mutilated people in spades. He mutilated these poor people so bad they couldn't even be identified. And in the outdoors, apparently. That takes some doing. You've got to get up awfully early in the morning to do that kind of thing. You think you can just butcher up somebody that badly? I'd like to see you try! No, wait, don't do that. That's a terrible idea. That's the worst idea I've ever come up with. 

James Kislingbury for Citadel Interactive © 2009 

Photo courtesy of Photographer's Choice

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