Ohio has a chilling history with some of the most notorious serial killers in the United States. These criminals left a trail of horror, impacting the lives of countless families and communities. Here’s a look at the top five serial killers from Ohio and their terrifying legacies.
Anthony Sowell, known as “The Cleveland Strangler,” terrorized Cleveland between 2007 and 2009. He was convicted of murdering 11 women, whom he lured to his home, raped, and killed. The discovery of their bodies in his house and yard shocked the nation. Sowell was sentenced to death but died of a terminal illness in 2021 while on death row .
Jeffrey Dahmer is often associated with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but his first murder occurred in Bath, Ohio, in 1978. Dahmer went on to kill 17 young men, engaging in heinous acts of necrophilia and cannibalism. He was sentenced to life in prison but was killed by a fellow inmate in 1994 .
Shawn Grate was convicted of killing five women in Ashland, Ohio, between 2006 and 2016. Grate preyed on vulnerable women, torturing and murdering them. His arrest came after one of his captives managed to escape and alert authorities. Grate was sentenced to death and remains on death row .
Donald Harvey, also known as “The Angel of Death,” was a nurse’s aide who claimed to have killed 87 people, though he was convicted of 37 murders. Operating in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harvey used methods such as poisoning and suffocation to kill his victims, most of whom were patients in hospitals where he worked. He was sentenced to life in prison and was beaten to death by another inmate in 2017 .
Although Robert Berdella carried out his crimes in Kansas City, Missouri, he was originally from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Berdella kidnapped, tortured, and killed at least six men, keeping detailed logs of his horrific actions. His crimes were uncovered when one of his captives managed to escape. Berdella was sentenced to life imprisonment and died of a heart attack in 1992 .
These serial killers represent some of the darkest moments in Ohio’s history. Their crimes not only shocked the nation but also left lasting scars on the communities they terrorized.
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