Cleveland Torso Murderer

The Cleveland Torso Murderer (also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run) was an unidentified serial killer. It was active in Cleveland, Ohio, USA in the 1930s. The killings were defined by the cut-off pieces of twelve known victims and the disposal of their remains in the poor neighborhood of Kingsbury Run.

The Cleveland Torso Murderer
An exposition dedicated to the Cleveland Torso Murders at the Cleveland Police Museum. (from left to right: Death masks of the victims "Andrassy", "Polillo" , "Tattooed Man" #4, Wallace? #8)
Background information
Also known as	Cleveland Torso Murderer, Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run
Killings
Number of victims	12–20
Country	United States
State(s)	Cleveland, Ohio

The official number of murders caused by the Cleveland Torso Murderer is thirteen, although recent research has shown there could have been as many as twenty. The twelve known victims were killed between 1935 and 1938.

Most victims had their heads cut off, and sometimes other limbs were cut off as well. In some cases, the men were castrated too.

Most of the victims were homeless or sex workers.

Cleveland Torso Murderer Media

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  Cleveland police searching for human remains, September 1936.

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  Circa 1934. The Cleveland Police mug shot of Florence Polillo; victim No. 3 of the Torso murderer, is the only known photograph of her. Florence Polillo was identified by the fingerprints of her right hand.

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  This plaster casting "death mask" of the head of Torso Victim Number Four, was made in an effort by the CPD to identify him. This likeness was displayed at the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-37 with the hope that one of the more than a million visitors could identify the victim. He remains unidentified to this day.*Gift of the Cleveland Police Department.

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  This Plaster likeness of the Eighth Victim of the Torso Murderer was constructed from a casting of her skull. She was eventually identified as Rose Wallace, by her son, who recognized the gold dental work recovered with her skeleton.*Gift of the Cleveland Police.

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  1939 Rose Wallace was tentatively identified as victim number 8 of the Cleveland Torso Murderer. This sketch of Ms. Wallace, drawn by Michael Nevin, is based on a lost newspaper photograph. *Although Coroner Gerber never agreed with the identification, Mrs.