Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The burglary case was then dismissed with leave to reinstate, and Smrekar was refunded $450. The small town of Circleville and the people of Pickaway County began to encounter what some might call a real-life-A -from-Pretty-Little-Liars-experience in the late 70s when thousands of individuals started receiving personal, mysterious letters about their lives. They also say he was deceiving doctors and pharmacists to obtain pain medications such as Percocet, and that he misused money for the department and altered records. Hoffman hid their bodies inside a tree in the Kokosing Lake Wildlife Area, according to The Columbus Dispatch. He then raped the girl before beheading both of the children, according to the website Forgotten Ohio. Crime Scene: Cleveland, Feb. 12, 2006. John C. Stojetz has been sentenced to death for masterminding the murder of a black inmate at the Madison Correction Facility. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Then there is the 1930 murder of Logan Police Chief Roy Knotts, who was shot and killed on his first day on the job by Enoch Scaggs, a former Logan deputy and close ally of the Hatfield. Butler County native and former hospital orderly Donald Harvey killed at least 37 people with cyanide, arsenic and suffocation in Kentucky and Ohio, according to The New York Times. EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio (WKBN) For over 46 years, Rhoda Monigold has had a hole in her heart. Mansfield reluctantly accommodated Smrekar, but after Smrekar left campus and hitchhiked to Joliet (with the guitar) Mansfield got scared and dumped the records under a stairwell near a trash chute in his dormitory. Fible said she believes the case was botched from the beginning because detectives placed blame on her. John Hedrick killed seven people before being executed in 1926 for the murder of James McCumber of Meigs County. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Bob and Kathy Kennedy told us they had been running into. Former Law Enforcement Present Misleading Information in the 1976 Schneider Triple Homicide. The signal lasted for a full 72 seconds and indicted a non-terrestrial and non-Solar System origin. Gregory McKnight has been sentenced to death for the 2000 murder of Kenyon College student Emily Murray. She was going to live a great life. He dropped his KA-Bar knife because he was supposedly too tired to hold on to it; it was found three days after the crime alongside the winding lane leading to the home not far from the gravel road in front of the property. Following the incident, Hanley tried to run me off the road and then he blocked a one-lane bridge with his truck, preventing me from crossing it. Fairfield Detective Doug Day said the department investigates all leads. Following his arrest, information began to surface about another probable victim, Michael David Mansfield. Cleveland.comcompiled what we believe is the definitive list of the most infamous person from each of Ohio's 88 counties. Clearly, these murders should be reinvestigated by agencies outside Logan County, for many obvious and warranted reasons. All Rights Reserved. Litteral then relocated to Oregon, but investigators tracked him down and he confessed to the killing, according to a 1929 edition of The Athens Messenger. Ive devoted much of my life and financial resources to uncovering the truth in the hope of achieving complete justice for the murdered victims and their families some have never received justice of any kind. Hoffman beat one man with a frying pan, strangled two others with an electrical cord and shoelaces and attacked a fourth with a pry bar. In Ohio, some residents are wondering if the same killer is targeting young women in and around the city of Columbus. She was seen at the market talking on the payphone, and her bicycle was still out front when the store closed at 8 p.m. The new unit based at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation reaches out to local law enforcement agencies to initiate a fresh look at unsolved cases. Prior to 2002, not many people knew much, or anything, about it. Back in 76, crime lab analysis was unable to determine the exact blood type on the T-shirt, but with todays technological advancements DNA testing could yield important findings with respect to the blood and possible perspiration that existed in the cotton material. After being plagued by several bizarre and frightening dreams in which she was abducted and murdered by a stranger, Cindy Anderson mysteriously went missing on August 4, 1981. Irwin said the Cold Case Unit is investigating the case at the request of Fairfield police. Investigators haven't named a suspect and won't tell whether they know why the murders happened. signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected by Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977, at the Big Ear radio telescope of Ohio State University, (then located at Ohio Wesleyan University's Perkins Observatory in Delaware.) Two days later, the Catalina was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Bloomington, IL Holiday Inn, 30-miles north of Lincoln. One of her coworkers was surprised to find that Cindy's book that she was reading was opened to the only violent part of the book. But the state of Ohio did not execute anyone from 1963 to 1999, and Keaton is not listed in state Department of Rehabilitation and Correction execution records. Anita Taylors page from the Unsolved Homicides Database. He later became an investment banker and author. Ruth disappeared on a weekday during morning hours, sometime around 9:15. It spurred a lot of debate, but we've come up with what we think is the most completelist of current and former Ohioans who are known for all the wrong reasons. Somehow, Drabing managed to return to his mothers house (where he also lived) within 10-15minutes of the killings, by 11:40 PM. His alibi for the night of the Schneider murders was never fully corroborated. Willie McCloud' page from the Unsolved Homicides Database. Risners found the 50-year-old dead in the garage behind his home in Mach 2006. Search for: View All Cold Cases. To request that an unsolved homicide be included in BCI's statewide database and featured on this website, Ohio law enforcement agencies should contact BCI at 855-BCI-OHIO (224-6446) or e-mail OhioUnsolvedHomicides@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov and reference Ohio Unsolved Homicides. His accomplice Eve Irene Kelley is serving more than 15 years in prison for her role in the murder. Murder Mysteries: . You will receive your first email soon. Investigators say Overmyer was improperly taking drugs from the drop boxes. In 1980, the FBI charged the then-Mahoning County sheriff of accepting bribes from mobsters. Detectives found both bodies on McKnight's property in Vinton County. He has been sentenced to life in prison. Schoolcraft was survived by a widow and six children. Worley had already been charged with abducting the. It seems obvious to me why theyre resisting because I opened a HUGE can of worms, and I think theyd prefer the public not know all the facts. As for Mansfield, there was very little evidence in his case, which has made his murder the toughest one to solve. Taylors husband found her beaten and apparently raped at their home on Oct. 29, 1966. He was released from prison in 2017, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Travis Lee Fischer was just 17 years old when he raped and killed a woman authorities described as being like a mother to him. Historians believe McAdams described as a peculiar girl with cold eyes poisoned their food. Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Stojetz headed the Aryan Brotherhood at the prison, court records show. He died in 2015 after spending nearly two decades in a behavioral health facility in Athens, according to The Daily Independent. Neither Krueger nor the Lincoln PD will account for its whereabouts they are remaining silent. The 42-year-old sheriff has refused to resign after being indicted. The finalconfrontation was the most heated, and it was an enraged Pat Hanley who threatened toget andkill Lloyd Schneider. Jacob Nesbitt strangled his wife on Feb. 11, 1926. Carol Zastudils page from the Unsolved Homicides Database. The harasser has never been seen and the police have no leads on who he or she may be, though it's possible a neighbor, "friend," or family member is the cause, given the degree of knowledge of the Wacker's that he or she had. For women the figures were or 140 per cent. James Serey, 26, And Children, Age, 4, and 1, Fatally Shot., The terribly sad story reads, A 26-year-old Hutchinson mother shot her two young sons to death in the living room of her home yesterday afternoon and then turned the .38 caliber revolver on herself, inflicting a head wound which resulted in her death several hours later., The wife of James Serey was described by The Logan Banner as an attractive brunette and former member of the Womens Army Corps.. Kinley remains on Ohio's death row following his 1991 conviction. I saw Rick Jones regularly while we were both employed at the courthouse. Joy Hoop is also serving 25 years in prison for her role in the murder. Incident location: Lockbourne, Ohio - Franklin County . The following are what we consider to be some of the creepiest, strangest and most unsettling unsolved mysteries that have taken place in the state. No one has seen him since that cold December day. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Seven members of Morans gang were killed in the St. Valentines Day Massacre of 1929 in Chicago. On October 18, Smrekar and three of his friends were at the Logan County Courthouse for a hearing on the Kroger case, and Russell was arrested for the Fry double homicide. Detectives arrested him the next week, but his 2006 escape from prison earned him a spot on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. On June 8th, 76, a family fishing in Kickapoo Creek Park (located a short distance across the highway from the Martin subdivision) found a partially burned, Ruth Martins remains have never been found. Hensley hanged himself in his cell in 2015. Then there is the 1930 murder of Logan Police Chief Roy Knotts, who was shot and killed on his first day on the job by Enoch Scaggs, a former Logan deputy and close ally of the Hatfield family, with Joe Hatfield serving as sheriff at the time of the killing at the Smoke House restaurant in Logan. We won't share it with anyone else. No one has seen him since that cold December day. The incident led Ohio legislatures to make changes to the states adoption laws. After Fry and two store managers apprehended Smrekar in the parking lot, Ruth pulled out of her space and drove off and Fry retrieved the meat package that had been under her car. She was last seen at 1:15 a.m. near Fifth and Madison in Covington, Kentucky, attempting to obtain a ride to her home in Latonia, Kentucky. On Aug. 4, 2016, a property owner was mowing grass between a wooded area and Alderlick Road in Wayne Township when he came across the body of 26-year-old Samantha Jo Stewart. the most comprehensive account and reveal of the facts concerning the 1976 Logan County murders. The Republican and former chairman of the House Administration Committee had been known as Mayor of Capitol Hill before he pleaded guilty to corruption charges. The April 2016 murders of. Ashland County Sheriff's Office via The Times Gazette via AP. During the last few weeks Ive written about the 1969 double murders of Justice of the Peace Ezra Butcher and a woman with him at the time of the shootings. Ohio city ranked second safest small city or town in U.S. 'The final straw;' Mikesell's . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Ted, who was studying engineering at Ohio State University at the time of Vicki's murder in 1981, said he and his sister were a lot alike. These 12 Photos Of Ohio In The 50s Are Mesmerizing. Ruth Martin was shopping at Kroger and returning to her vehicle when Smrekar ran by her with a package of stolen ribeyes and ditched them under her car. Additional evidence collected with the white T-shirt linked to similar evidence inside the Martin Catalina in Bloomington. After being shot, Ruth was loaded into the trunk of her Pontiac Catalina, and the perpetrator(s) drove off with it and her body. Choose wisely! My father, Logan County States Attorney Roger W. Thompson (1972-1980), alerted authorities the morning of Oct. 10, States Attorney Thompson and his assistant, John Foltz, offered to defer Mansfields charges if he would agree to turn states evidence and testify against Smrekar in the burglary case. The greatest hindrance in 76 was that forensic capabilities were not what they are today, but there are other bothersome things that I cant explain. They were indicted in 2003 and later pleaded guilty to child abuse charges. Former superintendent Mike McVey had also been accused of misleading authorities investigating the case. Smrekar, a known thief from upstate Joliet, IL, had been expelled from Lincoln College on September 25, 75, just prior to the October 1, 75 shoplifting. His crimes occurred in Ohio and West Virginia. The family dropped the lawsuit after Ohio announced it would stop using the two drugs used in the execution. He didnt have a vehicle, so he was on foot. Prior to 2002, not many people knew much, or anything, about it. The history of Logan County is vast, and its longtime existence is marked by numerous tales of murder, beginning as far back as the 1700s when Aracoma and her tribe were attacked at what is now Midelburg Island in Logan. Donald Hoffman was sentenced to life in prison for the 2014 murders of four older men with health problems. Husband and wife Michael and Sharon Gravelle adopted 11 special needs children but kept them in cages at their Clarksfield Township home. He had a deep cut in his neck and and suffered further injuries to his head and one arm. A few months later, in early March, a cunning cat burglar climbed a ladder to a second floor rear window of the Lincoln PD and stole the recovered B.C. The woman later found the boy bludgeoned to death in her house. John Spirko Jr. has been sentenced to life in prison for the 1982 murder of Elgin postmaster Betty Jane Mottinger. Angela Kilgore Age. The previous year he lured a 9-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister into the woods. They found the 56-year-old dead inside in May 2005. But the discovery of his plot led to his execution. But Traficant was acquitted after he told a jury he had been conducting a secret sting operation. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. The case was featured in a 2009 episode of the Investigation Discovery series "Forensics: You Decide," according to The Springfield News-Sun. Smrekar was arrested and charged with Theft Under $150, and Fry became a key witness in the case. In 2007, Smrekar wrote to me and avowed, Everybody likes a good whodonnit, [sic] and reality is that they [the Mansfield and Martin cases] are and will remain unto eternity unsolved. Its hard for me to believe he suddenly got religion and confessed after making that proclamation. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Their possessions were quietly and mysteriously returned overtime with strange messages in jagged handwriting that police suspected was written with the non dominant hand in order to conceal his/her handwriting. He convinced an accomplice to lure a child into the woods and feed her arsenic laced-candy. Following his conviction, Hanley and Jones pursued law degrees and became attorneys. When Stacy recovered enough to speak, she was asked who shot her. Forensic evidence from the scene, which still exists, excluded Larry Taylor as his wifes killer. Ariel Castro's kidnapping of Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus attracted international attention when the women escaped his Cleveland house in 2013. Submit a Crime Tip Square with arrow pointing upper right. But then it disappeared, as had Herbert. The pair served time in juvenile detention centers and have since been released. It is this documentation that allows people like me to relay to others those dark segments of our local past that some may wish to keep buried away. Davis disappearance garnered national attention before her body was found 10 days later in a Summit County park. The letters continued to arrive in residents' mailboxesboth city officials and average citizens alike until the late 90s. Worley had already been charged with abducting the 20-year-old girl when officials found her body.