Delving into the chilling history of the Cleveland Torso Murders, also known as the Butcher of Kingsbury Run case, reveals a dark chapter in American crime. The unsolved murders, occurring in the mid-1930s, left a haunting legacy of unidentified victims and unanswered questions for the Cleveland area.
The Victims
At the heart of this story are the victims, many of whom are still unidentified. In 1934, the body of a woman was found on the shores of Lake Erie. Despite investigative efforts, her identity remains a mystery and she is now known only as the Lake of the Lake or Victim #0.
What followed was a series of brutal murders targeting both men and women primarily in the Kingsbury Run area of Cleveland. Only two, Edward Andrassy and Florence Polillo, were identified. The rest, like the Lady of the Lake, are still unidentified today making them some of the oldest cold cases in this area.
Historical Context:
Examining the investigation into the Cleveland Torso Murders unveils systemic issues and injustices that permeated marginalized communities in Kingsbury Run during the 1930s. LGBTQ individuals, people of color, and those with mental illnesses bore the brunt of societal prejudices, becoming disproportionate targets in the hunt for the killer.
Law enforcement responses, including controversial raids and arrests, reflected these prejudices and may have hampered the investigative process.
The Legacy of Unresolved Cases:
While the Cleveland Torso Murders captured public attention in the 1930s, many victims' identities remain unknown, adding an enduring layer of complexity to the narrative. The Butcher of Kingsbury Run's identity also remains elusive, despite efforts from one of the era’s darlings, Eliott Ness. His inability to solve these crimes is widely considered to have left a mark on his career,
Though these cases happened 90 years ago, it’s important to consider that their lives still matter and pursuing their identities is important.
People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:
Lady of the Lake/Victim #0 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #1 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Edward Andrassy (unsolved murder)
Victim #3/The Tattooed Man (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Florence Polillo (unsolved murder)
Victim #5 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #6 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #7 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #8 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #9 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #10 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #11 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Victim #12 (unsolved unidentified person case and murder)
Dee Wallace was born Deanna Bowers and raised in a religious home in Kansas City, Kansas. Although her family was lower middle class financially, they were wealthy in love and talent. Dee’s grandmother was a beautiful artist, her mother a well-known and respected actress in local theatre, and her father an entrepreneur salesman who, unfortunately, fell to alcoholism. He succumbed to the disease with suicide when Dee was a senior in high school.
Dee graduated from Kansas University with a degree in Theatre Education and taught a year of high school before leaving for New York to seek her fame and fortune in 1977. Her first audition was for Hal Prince the day she arrived in the Big Apple. She made it to the last round of five girls but didn’t book the part. However, she knew she was on her way!
The next two years found her dancing in several touring productions and accumulating tons of commercials which kept her financially solvent. She did a small part in The Stepford Wives and some small industrial films and decided to make her way to Hollywood to try her luck in film.
She landed co-star roles right away, which led to guest star parts, which led to films. Within four short years after leaving Kansas, Blake Edwards cast her in the hit film “10,” which led to Joe Dante’s “The Howling.” Steven Spielberg saw her and called her in for an audition for Used Cars. She didn’t book that, but Mr. Spielberg called her when “ E.T., The Extraterrestrial“ came around, and offered her the part of Mary.
She went on to work for more greats like Lewis Teague (Cujo) and Peter Jackson (The Frighteners). Ms. Wallace now has over 250 film credits to her name and is one of the most prolific actresses in Hollywood. She has five series and hundreds of commercials under her belt.
Ms. Wallace is also a clairaudient channel and has written six books on the art of self-creation. Her newest release is BORN: Giving Birth to a New You (Briton Publishing). She has also written a children’s book, the first in a series, accompanying BORN entitled Buppalapaloo and The I Love MEs. Ms. Wallace has just concluded her 560th segment of her live radio show, Conscious Creation. She conducts monthly webinars on the subject of Conscious Creation.
“Admits Fighting Torso Victim.” The Cincinnati Post, July 7, 1939.
Badal, James Jessen. In the Wake of the Butcher: Cleveland’s Torso Murders, Kent State University Press, 2014.
“Case of ‘Mad Butcher’ baffles Cleveland Police for Two years.” Springfield News-Sun, October 29, 1937.
Collins, Max Allan and A. Brad Schwartz. Eliot Ness and the Mad Butcher: Hunting America’s Deadliest Unidentified Serial Killer at the Dawn of Modern Criminology. Mariner Boos, 2020.
DeMarco, Laura ."Cleveland's infamous Torso Murders: 80 years later, the fascination endures (vintage photos)". Cleveland.com. Cleveland, Ohio: Advance Local Media. October 13, 2018.
“Fears use of lie Detector.” The Daily Times, July 7, 1939.
“‘Mad Butcher’ blamed in two more murders.” The Circleville Herald, August 17, 1938.
“‘Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run” still a mystery after 10 years.” Springfield News-Sun, September 27, 1945.
“‘Mad Butcher’ strikes again, 9th torso victim found.” The News-Journal, June 7, 1937.
“Mad Butcher’s trail again is well covered.” The Dayton Herald, August 19, 1938.
“Man admits 1 Torso murder, but denies 12.” Evansville Press, July 8, 1939.
Stashower, Daniel. American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper. Minotaur Books, 2022.
“Three victims feared added by Mad Butcher; Torso toll may reach 14.” Troy Daily News, August 17, 1938.
“Torso Murder in Cleveland 9th in 2 years.” The Cincinnati Post, June 7, 1937.
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