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Americans Have A True Crime Obsession
America’s obsession with true crime shows no signs of slowing down. From binge-worthy Netflix series to endless podcasts and YouTube rabbit holes, we’ve all found ourselves fascinated by the psychology, patterns, and motives behind the country’s most disturbing crimes. But while big names like Bundy and Dahmer dominate headlines, some of the darkest chapters in American criminal history are rooted right here in Northeast Ohio.
Cleveland, for all its grit and resilience, has also seen its share of cold-blooded killers. Some were born here. Others just passed through. But each left a trail of fear and destruction behind — from infamous murderers with names that still haunt neighborhoods, to lesser-known maniacs whose cases flew under the radar but were no less brutal.
Be Careful, Not Everyone Is Who They Appear To Be
This list doesn’t glamorize them. It exposes them. We’ve gathered 20 of the most notorious serial killers who either lived in, operated in, or had direct ties to Cleveland and its surrounding areas. Some you’ll recognize instantly. Others may surprise you. Each entry is backed by chilling case details, court outcomes, and local connections that make these stories especially haunting for anyone familiar with The Land.
Whether you’re a crime doc junkie, a local history buff, or just curious about the dark corners of Cleveland’s past — this list pulls no punches. It underscores the dark history of serial offenses connected to the Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio regions, involving both local perpetrators and those whose crimes impacted the area.
Scroll with caution.
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Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
1. Cleveland Torso Murderer (The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run)
Active during the 1930s, this unidentified killer was responsible for the dismemberment and murder of at least 12 individuals in Cleveland’s Kingsbury Run area.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
2. https://youtu.be/SBfy9G0jdqw?si=ngVy129B65daW70i
Between 2007 and 2009, Sowell murdered 11 women in his Cleveland home. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2011.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
3. https://youtu.be/iWjYsxaBjBI?si=z2rcVvCBUnep7opy
Although primarily associated with Milwaukee, Dahmer committed his first murder in Bath Township, near Akron, Ohio, where he killed Steven Hicks in 1978.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
4. https://youtu.be/408H_So2SJ4?si=sFa4N89zFjqvMLdj
Known as one of America’s most prolific serial killers, Little confessed to 93 murders, including two women in Cleveland in 1984 and 1991.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
5. https://youtu.be/wpKh8Oqy9Pc?si=8Z1B2WYr_HmWmzXl
An Ohio native, Baumeister was linked to the murders of at least 11 men in Indiana and Ohio during the 1980s and 1990s.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
6. Alton Coleman
In 1984, Coleman, along with accomplice Debra Brown, committed a series of murders across several states, including Ohio.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
7. Dellmus Colvin
Operating primarily in Toledo, Ohio, Colvin was convicted of multiple murders of women between 2000 and 2005.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
8. Thomas Dillon
Active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dillon was convicted of murdering five men in Ohio, primarily hunters and outdoorsmen.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
9. Shawn Grate
Grate was arrested in 2016 in Ashland, Ohio, and linked to the deaths of at least five women.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
10. Donald Harvey (The Angel of Death)
A nurse’s aide, Harvey claimed to have killed 87 people, with convictions for 37 murders in Ohio and Kentucky during the 1970s and 1980s.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
11. Anthony and Nathaniel Cook
This sibling duo was responsible for a series of murders and assaults in Toledo, Ohio, during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
12. James Dean Worley
Convicted for the 2016 abduction and murder of Sierah Joughin in Fulton County, Ohio.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
13. Edward Edwards
A convicted serial killer who murdered at least five people between 1977 and 1996, including victims in Ohio.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
14. Eugene Blake
Convicted of multiple murders in Ohio during the 1960s and 1970s.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
15. Robert Anthony Buell
Convicted of the 1982 murder of 11-year-old Krista Lea Harrison in Ohio and suspected in other cases.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
16. Richard Cooey
Executed in 2008 for the 1986 rape and murder of two University of Akron students.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
17. Thomas Eugene Creech
Born in Ohio, Creech was convicted of multiple murders across several states and has been on death row in Idaho since 1976.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
18. Debra Denise Brown
Accomplice of Alton Coleman, involved in a multi-state killing spree in 1984, including crimes in Ohio.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
19. Jake Bird
An Ohio-born serial killer who was convicted of multiple murders across several states in the early 20th century.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
20. Cincinnati Strangler (Posteal Laskey Jr.)
Responsible for the murders of seven elderly women in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the 1960s.
Cleveland’s 20 Most Notorious Serial Killers was originally published on ronenewstalkcleveland.staging.go.ione.nyc
