Just saw this story for the 2nd time last Friday, I believe I saw it when it originally aired. I must say that I'm not shocked that is has never been solved. The reporter that broke the story in the Columbus Dispatch (this would have been early-mid 1990's) didn't even sound sure that a suspect would ever materialize.

Are police still actively pursuing this case? I realize that's a strange question but it's one of those cases that sounds like it may have gone cold. Any of you sleuths know anything that has happened in the case since UM first aired it? Have there ever been any updates on other episodes?

The UM segment really kinda creeped me out, especially all of the early dawn shots of the 18 wheeler on the highway with the creepy music.. those producers deserved an Emmy for their gift of pure suspense.

The UM segment really kinda creeped me out, especially all of the early dawn shots of the 18 wheeler on the highway with the creepy music.. those producers deserved an Emmy for their gift of pure suspense.


I feel the same way.:eek:

This may be one of the creepiest segments they've ever done period and one reason for this is they don't air this segment a great deal. You tend to forget about it because the victims are "general" rather than "specific" (such as Rhonda Hinson - that is a very specific case) but then it airs every once in awhile and it just creeps you out all over again.

as a prostitute who works ohio truck stops often, this situation hits close to home.

Nice avatar Dante...:rolleyes: :lol:

I agree one of the creepier UM segments with the dark eerie truck stop scenes. I did locate Michael Berens (he's no longer in Ohio) and just sent him an email asking him if he could share any additional info with us or if there have been any arrests in the case. If he responds I will post the info here.

This coming from someone who only has a stupid wreath of flowers as her avatar. You are such an electra fraud CD its not even funny ;)

Nice avatar Dante...:rolleyes: :lol:

I agree one of the creepier UM segments with the dark eerie truck stop scenes. I did locate Michael Berens (he's no longer in Ohio) and just sent him an email asking him if he could share any additional info with us or if there have been any arrests in the case. If he responds I will post the info here.

Thanks Crystaldawn

Okay I did hear back from Michael Berens today. This is what he wrote:

Heather,
This is a story that continues to follow me, as do the calls from people who claim they know the suspect. No charges have been filed. There've been many temporary suspects, but credit card receipts and other evidence eventually exonerated them. There is so much to this case. And there are many valiant law enforcement officers who helped me assemble the first stories so many years ago.
Here's a brief recap: All the victims were truck stop prostitutes; none worked city streets. All were strangled or beaten - or both; none were shot or stabbed. All were dumped on the edge of the roadway, or on the roadway (the theory is the killer opened the passenger door and pushed them out of the cab; grass pattern analysis indicated that bodies fell a short distance). The killer kept articles of clothing. In some cases, the killer dumped an article of clothing in the middle of the road every few miles from the body. Many of the bodies were found more than 100 miles from the abduction point. Police theorized the killer had a refrigerated truck. Some investigators suspected the killer had a law enforcement background. For instance, three victims worked the same truck stop (Union 76 in Austintown, Ohio), yet their bodies were found in three different counties - three different jurisdictions. This is why the killer went undetected do long, perhaps.
You might be surprised how many long-haul truckers have sexual criminal records and then frequented the same truck stops. I was. Police centered on a trucker as a suspect because the victims only worked truck stops, usually via CB radio. The victims had a history of never leaving the stop with a trucker.
Over the years there have been many similar crimes. I've had many "interesting" contacts. A group of college students in Iowa once claimed they had tied the killings to the Zodiac (not true, of course). And a woman once discovered a secret photo book filled with pictures of naked women, some possibly bound, that had been collected by her husband (she believed he was the truck stop killer; he wasn't). It's impossible for me to know what linkage, if any, there may be without access to forensic tests. But I've often wondered if the killer died, went to jail, went underground or continued. Good luck with your discussion.
And, of course, if anyone dredges up a tip they should call the FBI.

- mike

Wow. Thanks, Crystaldawn.

I also agree with the earlier comments about this being one of the creepier UM segments. To me, it's right up there with the segment (or it might have been a Special Alert) about the search for another person who was killing prostitutes... but this one would dump the bodies in trash bins and landfills. I think it may have been in Cinncinnati.

I lived in Columbus, Ohio at the time these killings were going on. I moved there from Indianapolis, Indiana in 1980.

There was a serial killer in Westfield, Indiana (my hometown) in the early 1990's. Although known for targetting gays in the downtown clubs of Indianapolis (Herb was a bisexual) and was known to have killed many of those he picked up in Indy, according to the Indianapolis Police Department, the killer, Herb Baumeister, also made frequent business trips to Ohio, including Columbus during that time. He owned his own business and the dates of his trips coincided with disappearances of many people. He travelled 70 East and was known to pick up hitchhikers at rest stops and truck stops.

The police, for many years, have been investigating Herb as the potential serial killer along the I-70 corridor between Indy and Columbus. They noted that when Herb Baumeister committed suicide, most of the abductions and killings stopped.

Worth looking into? I believe it is highly likely that Herb Baumeister was the serial killer. It does not make sense that he would only kill in Indiana and not when he would be travelling on business in Ohio. Especially the hitchikers and "undesirables" he would target and pick up.

I lived in Columbus, Ohio at the time these killings were going on. I moved there from Indianapolis, Indiana in 1980.

There was a serial killer in Westfield, Indiana (my hometown) in the early 1990's. Although known for targetting gays in the downtown clubs of Indianapolis (Herb was a bisexual) and was known to have killed many of those he picked up in Indy, according to the Indianapolis Police Department, the killer, Herb Baumeister, also made frequent business trips to Ohio, including Columbus during that time. He owned his own business and the dates of his trips coincided with disappearances of many people. He travelled 70 East and was known to pick up hitchhikers at rest stops and truck stops.

The police, for many years, have been investigating Herb as the potential serial killer along the I-70 corridor between Indy and Columbus. They noted that when Herb Baumeister committed suicide, most of the abductions and killings stopped.

Worth looking into? I believe it is highly likely that Herb Baumeister was the serial killer. It does not make sense that he would only kill in Indiana and not when he would be travelling on business in Ohio. Especially the hitchikers and "undesirables" he would target and pick up.
I saw a special on this guy once.

I believe it was called The Secret Life Of A Serial Killer.

are the murders still going on? anyone got a link to where i might read more on this if they are still happening?

patty1019

are the murders still going on? anyone got a link to where i might read more on this if they are still happening?

From what I understand, the murders just stopped abruptly. Although, as I'm sure has been mentioned before, the trucker could have moved on to another part of the country and kept up his behavior or he could have just stopped.

I guess that can happen..

From what I understand, the murders just stopped abruptly. Although, as I'm sure has been mentioned before, the trucker could have moved on to another part of the country and kept up his behavior or he could have just stopped.

I guess that can happen..


From my experience (and I'm hoping Kane or Crystaldawn can back me up here), serial killers don't usually stop. If the murders have quit occuring where they had been happening before, chances are that the serial killer has either moved, been incarcerated for a different crime, or they have died.

From my experience (and I'm hoping Kane or Crystaldawn can back me up here), serial killers don't usually stop. If the murders have quit occuring where they had been happening before, chances are that the serial killer has either moved, been incarcerated for a different crime, or they have died.

I've learned that important lesson, too. There are many types of criminals that cannot be reformed; therefore, no matter what method of rehabilitation you give them, they will not change. Serial killers are no exception. They may stop killing for a period of time, but eventually they resume their evil deeds.

In fact, I have a serial killer living in my house! :eek: :lol: Actually, it's my orange and white cat. She has killed some birds, but most of her victims are mice. So far, to the best of my knowledge, she has gone a lengthy period of time without any carnage. But sooner or later, she will kill again.

Now to return to the subject, yes there's always an explanation as to why a serial killer isn't heard from in a long time. They may have moved away (perhaps committing new crimes that have yet to be linked to their old ones); they may be deceased; they may be incapacitated (in a coma, suffering from a crippling disease, etc.); they may be in prison for an unrelated offense; they may be deceased.

I remember what Robert Stack said in the UM segment about the so-called Valley Killer (the serial killer who struck in New Hampshire during the 1980s). He noted that the best hope is that the killer is incarcerated for another crime; the worst nightmare is that he's still on the loose.

I've learned that important lesson, too. There are many types of criminals that cannot be reformed; therefore, no matter what method of rehabilitation you give them, they will not change. Serial killers are no exception. They may stop killing for a period of time, but eventually they resume their evil deeds.

Kane,

Do you think this applies to serial rapists as well? For example, I've always wondered what became of the Boston shopping mall rapist. He was never heard from again after the UM broadcast. I could understand if he saw or heard about the broadcast, or perhaps felt that the possibility of getting caught was becoming ever the more likely, so he "took a break" from offending. But, one would think he would relapse and repeat this behavior eventually. Unless, as you said, he was incarcerated, dead, moved, or otherwise incapacitated. Or, do you think he was he capable of controlling his behavior?

Thanks.

I know this was directed at Kane, but I thought I'd throw my opinion out there... I DO think this applies to serial rapists. I don't have a really optimistic look on serial rapists, however. When serial rapists suddenly stop, I tend to think that they have either been incarcerated, they have moved, they have died... or they have started killing people.

A good example would be the rapist who stalked the female joggers. He started out raping women and got more and more brutal until the women started dying.

I don't know. I'm sure Kane will have a more elaborate answer. I hope this helps, Justin.

A good example would be the rapist who stalked the female joggers. He started out raping women and got more and more brutal until the women started dying.


Glad you brought that case up. As I recall (please correct me if I'm wrong), there was a delay between the time of some of his later attacks. Didn't his last two attacks occur two or three years apart? Has he struck since? His last rape (murder?) was in '94 or so (according to the old UM story).

It's morbid, I know. But, a part of me just wonders what people like this do with their downtime, and why there is not more continuity with regard to the timing of the attacks. I suppose he could have been incarcerated for short periods of time, or just trying really hard to "abstain". Which brings up my original question, is abstaining from such behavior even possible for a serial offender?

Kane,

Do you think this applies to serial rapists as well? For example, I've always wondered what became of the Boston shopping mall rapist. He was never heard from again after the UM broadcast. I could understand if he saw or heard about the broadcast, or perhaps felt that the possibility of getting caught was becoming ever the more likely, so he "took a break" from offending. But, one would think he would relapse and repeat this behavior eventually. Unless, as you said, he was incarcerated, dead, moved, or otherwise incapacitated. Or, do you think he was he capable of controlling his behavior?

Thanks.

I'd say it applies to all serial criminals (serial killers, serial rapists, etc.). Although they might refrain from repeating their acts for long periods, their criminal behavior tends to be compulsive. While I don't claim to be an expert on this topic, I've had some good studying on it.

As for the Boston serial rapist you mentioned, I haven't found anything on the internet related to the case. So unfortunately, I don't know the current status of that case. Although I live near Boston, I really didn't become familiar with the case until I saw the UM segment.

I know this was directed at Kane, but I thought I'd throw my opinion out there... I DO think this applies to serial rapists. I don't have a really optimistic look on serial rapists, however. When serial rapists suddenly stop, I tend to think that they have either been incarcerated, they have moved, they have died... or they have started killing people.

A good example would be the rapist who stalked the female joggers. He started out raping women and got more and more brutal until the women started dying.

Wasn't that the serial rapist who struck in New York (state)? If so, he has been linked to only one murder. The murder victim was Linda S. Yalem.

From my experience (and I'm hoping Kane or Crystaldawn can back me up here), serial killers don't usually stop. If the murders have quit occuring where they had been happening before, chances are that the serial killer has either moved, been incarcerated for a different crime, or they have died.

My two cents. Yes I agree that any type of serial rapist or murderer isn't just going to decide what he's doing is wrong and stop. There are, however, a miriad of reasons why they would no longer offend. Obviously incarceration or death are the two main ones but he could have an illness (such as cancer or something where they're bedridden) that prohibits him from doing it. He could even hold an everyday job and get transferred and will adapt to his new surroundings for a while before he begins offending in his new climate. Most times when they move and start reoffending police don't even connect the same person to the new set of crimes unless of course there is a dna match. Even just aging I think could prohibit some from continuing their evil ways. Thinking the police are closing in on them and not wanting to die in prison. Of course for whatever reason a serial offender stops offending is of course a good one.

Kane,

Do you think this applies to serial rapists as well? For example, I've always wondered what became of the Boston shopping mall rapist. He was never heard from again after the UM broadcast. I could understand if he saw or heard about the broadcast, or perhaps felt that the possibility of getting caught was becoming ever the more likely, so he "took a break" from offending. But, one would think he would relapse and repeat this behavior eventually. Unless, as you said, he was incarcerated, dead, moved, or otherwise incapacitated. Or, do you think he was he capable of controlling his behavior?

Thanks.

They DO NOT change, infirmity , jail or death are the things that stop them , along with aging, the mindset, the incorrectly wired brain remains, it cannot change. They may not continue to kill but the mindset remains the same. Opportunity is disallowed. The fear of getting caught is part of the game. The beating of the system, the outwitting of the investigators is as sensual to them as the act's of the murder and the events leading to the death's of the victims's. He controls his behavior it just does not seem to most that he does because his "normal" behavior to himself is outrageous to society.

The "Mask of Sanity" keeps his anonymity intact, his normal acts are outrageous, he cannot change.

I was thinking about what Robert Stack said at the end of this segment. He stated that authorities discovered over 150 other unsolved homicides around the nation which matched the basic pattern of the Ohio prostitute serial killer.

So that leads me to two conclusions: Either the Ohio killings were connected but isolated in Ohio alone, and the killer died or was jailed, or the killings were not just happening in Ohio. The killer might have committed such homicides all over the country. Maybe later on, in the 90s or even in the new century, he was jailed or died somehow.

Likely we'll never know. But I've been surprised before...

I've never felt this was definitely the work of a serial killer.


Please correct me if I'm wrong, but a journalist was the first person to suggest that the murders looked to be the work of a serial killer, as part of an article or series of articles that were published in the Columbus newspaper he worked for. Only after the article(s) were published, supposedly, did any law enforcement agency begin to investigate these cases in a joint effort as they felt they could be related. The article(s) suggested that A) a serial killer was most likely on the loose and was probably a trucker, and B) that law enforcement was not aggressively pursuing the cases because the victims were known or supposed prostitutes.

I don't intend to ruffle any feathers, but journalists are notorious for piecing together events that make for sensational headlines, especially if they're writing about crime. In fact, there have been more than a few instances of journalists either exaggerating or totally fabricating information (especially regarding numbers of victims) in order to suggest that a phantom killer is INDEED stalking the area. Regardless of the truth, it sells newspapers. While it certainly wouldn't be implausible to conclude that the murders of a similar group of people in a specific area are possibly related, I really think it takes more than that alone to make that determination.

What bothers me is the deduction he makes: that law enforcement doesn't care about prostitutes, because they're prostitutes. There seems to be no consideration that perhaps there's poor communication between the agencies, or the separate investigations have come to dead ends, or that at least two of the respective agencies HAD collaborated on cases and had found nothing to suggest they were definitely related. Again, though, it has the potential to outrage the public, and, most importantly, to sell newspapers.


I would be utterly shocked to learn that at least one state in this nation does not have a murder case involving a known or suspected prostitute found along an interstate. The idea of "wanting to know" if other states have had murders with a "similar pattern" is utterly ridiculous. Of course they do. Are they all the the work of a single individual? Of course they aren't. Many cases in the same state aren't the work of a single individual. And if all the agencies have to go on is that all the victims are known or suspected prostitutes (we're all aware of the staggeringly high risk that goes along with that particular occupation) and that they were discovered along major traffic arteries (prostitutes are often transient), that's hardly a case.

Truck drivers are not the only people who utilize the interstates, nor are they prostitution's sole customer base, nor are they even the only individuals that frequent truck stops (and this was never defined. Were they truck stops, or were they rest stops with truck parking? There's a difference). To automatically assume that all this was definitely the work of a truck driver is premature, even in regards to one of the victims being found in a state that suggested she'd been refrigerated for some time (as if a refrigerated trailer could be the ONLY explanation for that :rolleyes:). Again, truck drivers are not the only individuals traveling the interstates, nor are they the only ones seeking prostitutes' services.

Certainly, there have been truck drivers who have also turned out to be serial killers--who do go carousing the interstates for victims. In fact, it's an ideal occupation for a serial murderer: your movements are harder to trace; you have a plethora of victims to choose from (and can leave them in an area far away from where you live without going out of your way); you're paid little attention for the most part. Of course, there have also been many, many transient murderers. I suppose the I-70 Killer must be a truck driver with a raging hatred for brunette women, and the Connecticut River Valley Killer must have been hauling for a firm in New England. There is NOTHING to suggest that a truck driver committed all of these murders, except

A) the victims all apparently frequented truck stops,
B) one was last seen getting into a driver's cab,
C) all were beaten or strangled or "both" (beating and strangulation are two completely different MO's, but here I state the obvious), and
D) one was discovered in a state that suggested she had been in a "climate-controlled" environment for a month, thus could have preserved in a refrigerated trailer.

It's not an illogical theory, and I understand law enforcement can only work with what information immediately appears similar in order to pursue clearer avenues. Nonetheless, it's still not solid and all too circumstancial to definitely indicate a truck driver (the SAME truck driver, at that) is involved.

(Just as a footnote, I find particularly humorous the suggestion that the killer is based in Ohio. It's a large state with at least three major metropolitan areas. How many non-residents pass through the state of Ohio each and every day, especially truck drivers?)


In a nutshell: I think this is a classic case of media scare, much in the vein of every satanic cult allegation known to man. I think there have been many other cases involving unidentified serial killers that are far more clearly the work of a single individual. The I-70 murders are linked not only by site and victim selection, but a weapon. The CRV murders are tied together by cause of death, a very small geographic area, and victim profile. The so-called "Ohio Trucker Serial Killer" is based on wide speculation and little else.

I apologize for the long-windedness, but I obviously feel pretty strongly about this. You're probably a saint if you've read this post the whole way through.

wouldnt some prostitutes carry a weapon or some sort?

maybe in attempting to strangle one, he finally lost. I wonder if around the time the killings stopped there was an unsolved report or a truck driver murdered?

I was travelling through ohio in september and december of 1994, along I75. I remember seeing a "missing" poster of at least one woman taped on the door of a gas station.

The one I can remember clearly was a blonde. But it seems like I remember seeing more than one "missing" poster at one location and thinking, "What the heck is going on here? I don't think I'm in a very safe area."

What bothers me is the deduction he makes: that law enforcement doesn't care about prostitutes, because they're prostitutes. There seems to be no consideration that perhaps there's poor communication between the agencies, or the separate investigations have come to dead ends, or that at least two of the respective agencies HAD collaborated on cases and had found nothing to suggest they were definitely related. Again, though, it has the potential to outrage the public, and, most importantly, to sell newspapers.

Ruffling feathers on this site? Pshaw:D

Seriously, you do make a good point that most of this case is built on the journalists deductions about this case. If the women were killed in one city or county, I do believe this case would have been given a lot of attention.

It could be argued that if you looked at any section of the country for a period of time, you could find a large amount of unsolved prostitute murders that may not necessarily be related to one killer. Violent Pimps, irate customers, sexual deviants, cover-ups, drug murders, veneral disease, malnutrition and suicide are frequent reasons for prostitute deaths that are unsolved.

It has been hypothesized that their may not be one Ohio Prostitute Killer but possible multiple serial killers working along the same territory. I tend to feel this might be the case here.

However there appears to be a consistent MO where the bodies are frozen in a trailer fridge. This would appear to indicate that the core murders are the work of one killer.

What is truly amazing and frightening about this case is that because this guy is a truck driver, he could easily be killing in another state or across multiple states and coasts.

One reason this guy might have stopped killing is that he is no longer a truck driver anymore. It's possible he retired. Maybe he;s retired to a small town or back home and had to find another way to kill prostitutes. Perhaps he;s morphed into a new serial killer. :eek:

Or perhaps he mellowed out, like a few serial killers. Angelo Buono and Dennis Rader did stop killing for a long while before being arrested.

But I agree the case isn't very compelling. But weren't these prostitutes linked to a trucker using the handle "Stargazer", "Doctor No", or "Dragon"?

Also, if they have been raped or had intercourse, DNA could have been extracted from the semen in some of the victims and, thus, prove or infirm today whether they had been taken by the same person.

Also, if they have been raped or had intercourse, DNA could have been extracted from the semen in some of the victims and, thus, prove or infirm today whether they had been taken by the same person.

I could be wrong, but I don;t think he raped his victims or had intercourse with them. I believe he simply brutally murdered them. Anyone verify that there was no rape or intercourse?

Also, the DNA could be from a "JOHN" and not necessarily from the killer.

But I agree the case isn't very compelling. But weren't these prostitutes linked to a trucker using the handle "Stargazer", "Doctor No", or "Dragon"?

That may be the biggest clue in this case. I can;t imagine there were that many truckers back then that frequented reststops and used those unusual handles. Somewhere there was a prostitute or truck driver who remembers someone using those handles.

Stargazer is an unusual handle, if you ask me.

As for the preconceived notion that LE does not care about solving unsolved murder cases in which the victims are prostitutes, this has been demonstratively proven false in many high-profile cases in the past.

When Gary Ridgeway was killing dozens of prostitutes and dumping them in the Green River, the public pressure to solve the case was enormous, it was everywhere in the local news. Same with Jack the Stripper in London during the sixties, and the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, during the 1970s and 1980s.

Hell, even Jack the Ripper is a clear case of the contrary. It was a very mediatized crime spree if we take in account the fact that all known victims were lowlife women forced into prostitution for a drink in the gutters of East London. In essence, losers that, in the Victorian skewedly high-minded thinking of the time, were considered almost deserving of this fate for living in alcoholism and debauchery. That didn't stop the police to withstand constant pressure from both the public and high echelons of society, and even Queen Victoria herself, to solve the case quickly.

And there is a good reason for that: Any attractive woman walking the streets could potentially be confused for a prostitute. And quite a few normal women murdered because a serial killer thought they were hookers.

I don't think that the police were "forced" to investigate all of these cases because it was being advertised by the media, as the journalist in the segment was postulating. Murders of people in the sex trade are indeed investigated and are not to be confused with investigating missing persons involved in the sex trade, because these are usually transient and can very well decided to cut themselves from their families for any given reason.

Also, it is inescapable that the mounting number of victims will increase the priority of solving the cases of women coming from the same social strata, even if they are prostitutes. That being said, LE are always very reticent in advertising that a serial killer in on the loose, but rarely is it the media who connect the dots first.

As for the preconceived notion that LE does not care about solving unsolved murder cases in which the victims are prostitutes, this has been demonstratively proven false in many high-profile cases in the past.

When Gary Ridgeway was killing dozens of prostitutes and dumping them in the Green River, the public pressure to solve the case was enormous, it was everywhere in the local news. Same with Jack the Stripper in London during the sixties, and the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, during the 1970s and 1980s.

Hell, even Jack the Ripper is a clear case of the contrary. It was a very mediatized crime spree if we take in account the fact that all known victims were lowlife women forced into prostitution for a drink in the gutters of East London. In essence, losers that, in the Victorian skewedly high-minded thinking of the time, were considered almost deserving of this fate for living in alcoholism and debauchery. That didn't stop the police to withstand constant pressure from both the public and high echelons of society, and even Queen Victoria herself, to solve the case quickly.

And there is a good reason for that: Any attractive woman walking the streets could potentially be confused for a prostitute. And quite a few normal women murdered because a serial killer thought they were hookers.

I don't think that the police were "forced" to investigate all of these cases because it was being advertised by the media, as the journalist in the segment was postulating. Murders of people in the sex trade are indeed investigated and are not to be confused with investigating missing persons involved in the sex trade, because these are usually transient and can very well decided to cut themselves from their families for any given reason.

Also, it is inescapable that the mounting number of victims will increase the priority of solving the cases of women coming from the same social strata, even if they are prostitutes. That being said, LE are always very reticent in advertising that a serial killer in on the loose, but rarely is it the media who connect the dots first.

Completely and totally agreed. In fact, one of the first things that jumped into my mind as the Dispatch journalist was speaking on the prostitute matter was the Green River Killer.

That being said, LE are always very reticent in advertising that a serial killer in on the loose, but rarely is it the media who connect the dots first.

Usually it's some ambitious detective who looks for a case linking his to another. He speaks to one detective in another county they see a similarity in cases. They find another case with the same MO and there you have it--Serial Killer investigation.

One of the things that I don;t think people realize is how widespread and common abuse and murder is among prostitutes. It's the worlds oldest and most dangerous profession.

What might be a prostitute serial killer murder, could also be some pimp taking retribution against his girl. Pimps have been known to torture and sexually abuse their girls in bizzare ways as a sign to others.

Prostitution also tends to bring out sexual deviants all shapes and sizes. it may not be a serial killer but just some guy with a one time fetish about killing a women.

I'm interested in this story because my friends and I talked to this guy on the CB back in the early 90's. We live in a small town in Ohio and as a teenager there wasn't much to do, so my friends and I thought it would be fun to get some CB radios and talk to each other. One night we were talking and this guy started talking with us. He told us that his handle was "Dr. No." He said that he drove truck and that it took him across most of the major highways in Ohio. He never said who he worked for, and we never asked. We figured it was none of our business. Anyways he'd get on pretty often and chat with us for a bit, and every time he would have a different woman with him. We thought that was a bit strange, but again, none of our business, so we didn't ask. We talked to him from late 1990 on into the summer of 1991 and he vanished. We never heard from him again. Then in 1994 I was watching an episode of Unsolved Mysteries that was about a truck driver who was killing prostitutes in Ohio during the early 1990's and he went by the CB handle "Dr. No." Needless to say it sent chills down my spine.

Does anybody have a link to where I can view this episode online? I've tried youtube and what not, but can't find it. It's been 15 years since I've seen it and I'd like to check it out again. I don't have any info that could help the authorities out in anyway, but it's been 15 years since I've seen it and I'd like to check it out again.

Wow, Jacktripper that is spooky! I will also say that is one heck of a coincidence for the guy you were talking to on CB to disappear right after the UM episode would have been aired. What was this guy's personality like? I believe in the UM segment, Stack said the trucker, whomever he is that killed these women used several different CB names, among them were Dr. No, Stargazer and Dragon. This is one of a few cases on UM where a CB handle comes into play. Dexter Stefonek who was murdered in Montana in 1985, his killer used the CB handle hotjock. Dwayne McCorkandale who was murdered in Oklahoma in 1988 also had a CB angle play into his case.

I found an episode guide and found out when the episode originally aired. It aired Feb. 19th, 1992. I saw the episode as a rerun in May of 1994. He stopped talking to us back in the summer of 1991, so it was a good 6 or 7 months before the episode originally aired. My memory of the episode is kind of cloudy which is why I wanted to see it again. I didn't realize that Stack mentioned any other CB handles. After I heard Dr. No I was in such a shock that I really didn't hear much else of what he said.

With it being 18 to 19 years ago I don't really recall all of what we talked about. Like I said before he told us he was a truck driver and that it took him all over the state. He seemed to be a nice guy. Most of the guys around here at the time was pretty rude on the CB (kind of like most of the idiots in chat rooms.) But he didn't seem odd or demented in any way and he certainly didn't give off any signs that he was the monster that he was.

I'm interested in this story because my friends and I talked to this guy on the CB back in the early 90's. We live in a small town in Ohio and as a teenager there wasn't much to do, so my friends and I thought it would be fun to get some CB radios and talk to each other. One night we were talking and this guy started talking with us. He told us that his handle was "Dr. No." He said that he drove truck and that it took him across most of the major highways in Ohio. He never said who he worked for, and we never asked. We figured it was none of our business. Anyways he'd get on pretty often and chat with us for a bit, and every time he would have a different woman with him. We thought that was a bit strange, but again, none of our business, so we didn't ask. We talked to him from late 1990 on into the summer of 1991 and he vanished. We never heard from him again. Then in 1994 I was watching an episode of Unsolved Mysteries that was about a truck driver who was killing prostitutes in Ohio during the early 1990's and he went by the CB handle "Dr. No." Needless to say it sent chills down my spine.

Whoa! That's scary. Although I feel strongly that these murders may not have been committed by the same person, I do think it's quite plausible that at least two could've been.

Even if you don't feel like you have any valuable information, it's still information. Call in a tip. At the very least, you've done a good thing, even if it comes to nil. I actually think someone on the board called one in not too long ago on another case, IIRC.

I travel quite a bit through Ohio (and I mean ALL the way through, from Cincinnati to Toledo), and I'm alway thinking of this segment when I do. :(

From my experience (and I'm hoping Kane or Crystaldawn can back me up here), serial killers don't usually stop. If the murders have quit occuring where they had been happening before, chances are that the serial killer has either moved, been incarcerated for a different crime, or they have died.

I highly recommend Dave Cullen's new book "Columbine" which is an indepth study of the school shooting tragedy 10 yrs. ago. Check out Chap. 40, which is a very interesting and readable examination of psychopathy, and how Erik Harris may have been an undiagnosed psychopath. The author notes not only the "mask of sanity" that psycopaths have, but also their tendency to analyze emotions rather than experiencing them. One of the ways that a mental health professional can screen individuals is not asking them what they were thinking during an experience, but how the experience made them FEEL. Oftentimes, a psycopath will be unable to answer the question. The discussion also raises two interesting points relative to your quote above.

First, studies have revealed that a large percentage of psycopaths stop acting violently when they reach middle age and some begin to develop the ability to experience emotions. This may explain why people like Dennis Rader and Angelo Buono stopped killing as they aged. Unfortunately, no one knows exactly why this occurs.

Second, health professionals have noticed that by using an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scan the brain waves of people w/ psycopathy are different than those not afflicted. It promises to be a tool whereby psycopaths can be identified.

Finally, there is a mental health professional who conducted a treatment program on people who were diagnosed as psycopaths. According to his results, the people who underwent the treatment were over 2x likely not to act out violently toward others.

Not exactly on topic, but wanted to send this along.

here are a few interesting links related to trucker serial killings

fbi looking into multiple trucker serial killers as many as 500
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/05/local/me-serialkillers5

locations of hundreds of bodies and human remains discovered along highways over the past three decades
http://spectaculent.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mapofkillings12231.jpg

a trucker serial killer gets caught
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=6787407

fbi has had over 200 serial killer trucker suspects in last 30 years
http://www.theblogofrecord.com/2009/04/07/truck-driving-preferred-profession-for-serial-killers-fbi-says/

i wouldn't hitch a ride with a trucker if i were you

i wouldn't hitch a ride with a trucker if i were you

Sadly, the prostitutes did not have a choice. Much like Jack the Ripper's victims.
:(

here are a few interesting links related to trucker serial killings

fbi looking into multiple trucker serial killers as many as 500
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/05/local/me-serialkillers5

locations of hundreds of bodies and human remains discovered along highways over the past three decades
http://spectaculent.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mapofkillings12231.jpg

a trucker serial killer gets caught
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=6787407

fbi has had over 200 serial killer trucker suspects in last 30 years
http://www.theblogofrecord.com/2009/04/07/truck-driving-preferred-profession-for-serial-killers-fbi-says/

i wouldn't hitch a ride with a trucker if i were you


The media's done its job, then. It loves creating irrational fears to sell its product.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=164977&page=2&highlight=ohio+trucker

Post #24.

hmm i would be ok with a exaggerated fear statement, but irrational seems inappropriate. speaking of fear that was your 666 post meg.

hmm i would be ok with a exaggerated fear statement, but irrational seems inappropriate. speaking of fear that was your 666 post meg.

Quick someone get that priest from the Rainboy segment!!!!

I may have something of an update on this case, as I haven't seen this discussed in this thread I am assuming no one on the board knows it. I know it because it happened not far from where I live and it was on the local news here.

There was a man arrested near Bristol, Tennessee in 1995 named Sean Patrick Goble, and it was in connection with several murders which occured in North Carolina and Tennessee of truck stop prostitutes. The MO was very similar to the Ohio slayings, and he did go by the CB handle Stargazer, same as the Ohio killer.

To the best of my knowledge, Goble's trucking routes did take him across Ohio. But the public defender in the area has not allowed him to be interviewed, so there is some doubt about exactly how many truck driving slayings he has been involved in. I have understood that these slaying stopped around the mid 90's, around the time of his arrest. So if thats the case it definitely makes him a person of interest and may well have solved the case at least to some degree.

Unsolved Mysteries mentioned that there were well over 100 unsolved murders similar to this, so I doubt if Goble was responsible for all of them. But I still felt it was well worth mentioning in this thread, as it certainly seems possible he was involved in at least some of the Ohio slayings, though nothing is certain. And its noteworthy that the man responsible for at least some of these slayings could already be in jail.

If anyone has followed this case it would be interesting to compare notes. Goble was 29 years old when he was arrested in 1995, but I'm not sure when the murders started. If anyone who lives in Ohio is on the board and can elaborate on some details feel free to post and tell me what you think about the possibility of this guy being involved in some of the Ohio slayings.

This is the best article I could find on Goble:
http://everything2.com/title/The+Stargazer+killer

Enjoy!

XCalibur, I feel I should say thanks for putting this update on here. I do believe you have it. UM even mentioned he went by Stargazer. 8 victims in Ohio. Timelines all add up.

Good work. Surprised UM never updated this given the obvious connection.

XCalibur, I feel I should say thanks for putting this update on here. I do believe you have it. UM even mentioned he went by Stargazer. 8 victims in Ohio. Timelines all add up.

Good work. Surprised UM never updated this given the obvious connection.
I drive a lot in Ohio. When I drive down 75 71 and 70 I always think about this segment. I wonder if it makes truck drivers mad because there are so many of them that are good people. There is another segment with a prison escape by a Robert Watson who was a rapist where bob stack mentions that he is wanted for questioning in Ohio interstate killings over the last decade. I do believe that Robert Watson was a truck driver. But no where else do I see info on it. I think he was arrested later on viewer tips but there was never any direct reference or link made. I don't even know which segment was first.

A lot of the interstate segments creep me out because I drive so much around the usa. It is crazy to think how much crime happens so I'm always alert.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-05-1Ahighwaykiller05_CV_N.htm


This is a good read. Makes it tough to tell who the suspects might be.

Double post sorry

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-05-1Ahighwaykiller05_CV_N.htm


This is a good read. Makes it tough to tell who the suspects might be.

Interesting article not only for the information itself, but for the couple of coincidental UM connections in it:

"It used to be the place to go. It used to be the safe haven," says Sgt. Pat Postiglione, a detective with the Metro Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department. "But now, I think the opposite is occurring."

Pat Postiglione was interviewed in the second season segment about the 1989 murder of Kevin Hughes.

An autopsy showed no signs of trauma, and a coroner's report completed last month indicated that Vaughn likely wasn't a murder victim. "Cocaine intoxication is what killed her," says Pickaway County Sheriff Dwight Radcliff. Derenberger is "not the smartest guy in the world," Radcliff says, "but I don't think he's a serial killer."

In the seventh season "Circleville Writer" segment, Dwight Radcliff figured in greatly, as he was mentioned in the Circleville letter actually sent to UM.

Interesting article not only for the information itself, but for the couple of coincidental UM connections in it:

"It used to be the place to go. It used to be the safe haven," says Sgt. Pat Postiglione, a detective with the Metro Nashville (Tenn.) Police Department. "But now, I think the opposite is occurring."

Pat Postiglione was interviewed in the second season segment about the 1989 murder of Kevin Hughes.

An autopsy showed no signs of trauma, and a coroner's report completed last month indicated that Vaughn likely wasn't a murder victim. "Cocaine intoxication is what killed her," says Pickaway County Sheriff Dwight Radcliff. Derenberger is "not the smartest guy in the world," Radcliff says, "but I don't think he's a serial killer."

In the seventh season "Circleville Writer" segment, Dwight Radcliff figured in greatly, as he was mentioned in the Circleville letter actually sent to UM.
Yes there was a lot of um in that article. I also agree that there are so many different crimes like this not just in Ohio which makes it likely that there are multiple criminals. I found it interesting in another segment to hear bob stack reference someone to interstate killings in Ohio.

I found it interesting in another segment to hear bob stack reference someone to interstate killings in Ohio.

Yes! I just saw this recently but for the life of me cannot remember the name of the man in the segment.

Yes! I just saw this recently but for the life of me cannot remember the name of the man in the segment.
It was Robert Watson who was a wanted fugitive for rape and assault. He was a truck driver as well.

It was Robert Watson who was a wanted fugitive for rape and assault. He was a truck driver as well.

Thanks!

It bothered me when one of the investigators said that Anna Marie Patterson was raped after her death and had been kept in refrigeration for a month before her body was dumped alongside the highway. Gives me the willies.

I recently watched a 48 Hours documentary about the "Highway of Tears" murders that started in 1969 and involved young girls, most of them hitchhikers. Would have been interesting to see those cases on Unsolved Mysteries. Would've fit in with the Ohio, New Orleans and New Hampshire murder cases.

It bothered me when one of the investigators said that Anna Marie Patterson was raped after her death and had been kept in refrigeration for a month before her body was dumped alongside the highway. Gives me the willies.

I recently watched a 48 Hours documentary about the "Highway of Tears" murders that started in 1969 and involved young girls, most of them hitchhikers. Would have been interesting to see those cases on Unsolved Mysteries. Would've fit in with the Ohio, New Orleans and New Hampshire murder cases.
Yeah that's what makes the ohio truck segment creepy...the way she was kept after the initial assault.

I may have something of an update on this case, as I haven't seen this discussed in this thread I am assuming no one on the board knows it. I know it because it happened not far from where I live and it was on the local news here.

There was a man arrested near Bristol, Tennessee in 1995 named Sean Patrick Goble, and it was in connection with several murders which occured in North Carolina and Tennessee of truck stop prostitutes. The MO was very similar to the Ohio slayings, and he did go by the CB handle Stargazer, same as the Ohio killer.

To the best of my knowledge, Goble's trucking routes did take him across Ohio. But the public defender in the area has not allowed him to be interviewed, so there is some doubt about exactly how many truck driving slayings he has been involved in. I have understood that these slaying stopped around the mid 90's, around the time of his arrest. So if thats the case it definitely makes him a person of interest and may well have solved the case at least to some degree.

Unsolved Mysteries mentioned that there were well over 100 unsolved murders similar to this, so I doubt if Goble was responsible for all of them. But I still felt it was well worth mentioning in this thread, as it certainly seems possible he was involved in at least some of the Ohio slayings, though nothing is certain. And its noteworthy that the man responsible for at least some of these slayings could already be in jail.

If anyone has followed this case it would be interesting to compare notes. Goble was 29 years old when he was arrested in 1995, but I'm not sure when the murders started. If anyone who lives in Ohio is on the board and can elaborate on some details feel free to post and tell me what you think about the possibility of this guy being involved in some of the Ohio slayings.

This is the best article I could find on Goble:
http://everything2.com/title/The+Stargazer+killer

Enjoy!

And that would make sense. Unless a serial killer is going to use a firearm (which still doesn't address the means of escape), people who get close to 40 start to have serious mobility issues, as well as a confidence crisis, on average. There's a reason why "psychopaths" (with the Columbine post above) mellow out around that time; it's because they can't do it anymore. Serial killing is a young man's game.

I think back to the East Area Rapist where people ask why he stopped. He was probably around 35, and his means of escape (by foot) were such that he lost a bit of an edge and sharpness in pulling strategically-demanding moves. Further, it can't be easy to kill someone, especially by hand. By hand, it must be physically exhausting. With firearms, far less exhausting but you can still get trauma for doing it. (A number of SS soldiers who shot thousands of Jews were known to vomit despite the severe brainwashing they underwent in training, which is no different but possibly more severe than the brainwashing that the USMC goes through.)

a trucker serial killer gets caught
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=6787407



That guy is from my hometown. I sometimes wonder how many of those unsolved murders he is responsible for. He was a driver for many years; I think there has to be more victims than the ones he was charged with.

Bumping this one. I like xcaliburs post that got a reply above. I lived in Ohio and drove down the same freeways so this one stayed with me. I think it is very possible that someone arrested for murders in Tennessee could have been killing people in Ohio. Perhaps the murders in Ohio would not have been noteworthy if not for the investigative reporting by the Columbus dispatch. Interestingly I just watched American justice Keith jesperson episode. He confessed to killing 8 women and was only caught because he killed a fellow truck driver. That has to be the fourth or fifth documentary on truck driver serial killers that I've seen.

This (http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/05/mysterious-dr-no-may-have-been-serial-killer-responsible-for-rash-of-1980s-murders/) article was written earlier this year. It says that Anne Marie Patterson was dropped off at the truck stop by her husband on the night she disappeared. The prostitutes dubbed him "Dr. No" because they did not want anything to do with him. Her husband claims she turned down "Dr. No" that night. The most interesting part was that a detective claimed that "Dr. No" was not considered a suspect in Anne Marie's murder, or the other possibly linked murders. Of course, this could've been a ruse to get him to come forward. But it makes it less likely that if the women knew "Dr. No" and recognized his voice, that they would willingly enter the truck with him. Not to mention that it would also mean that they had interacted with him in the past, possibly several times, and that they were left unharmed.

[/QUOTE]
I remember what Robert Stack said in the UM segment about the so-called Valley Killer (the serial killer who struck in New Hampshire during the 1980s). He noted that the best hope is that the killer is incarcerated for another crime; the worst nightmare is that he's still on the loose.[/QUOTE]

I remember him saying that too. Totally creepy but also got the point across.

This (http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2017/05/mysterious-dr-no-may-have-been-serial-killer-responsible-for-rash-of-1980s-murders/) article was written earlier this year. It says that Anne Marie Patterson was dropped off at the truck stop by her husband on the night she disappeared. The prostitutes dubbed him "Dr. No" because they did not want anything to do with him. Her husband claims she turned down "Dr. No" that night. The most interesting part was that a detective claimed that "Dr. No" was not considered a suspect in Anne Marie's murder, or the other possibly linked murders. Of course, this could've been a ruse to get him to come forward. But it makes it less likely that if the women knew "Dr. No" and recognized his voice, that they would willingly enter the truck with him. Not to mention that it would also mean that they had interacted with him in the past, possibly several times, and that they were left unharmed.

So who was Stargazer? Was that Dr No's CB Radio nickname? I haven't seen the UM segment for years. Thanks

So who was Stargazer? Was that Dr No's CB Radio nickname? I haven't seen the UM segment for years. Thanks

Stargazer was brought up and explained by XCalibur here (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4429604&postcount=43).

Stargazer was brought up and explained by XCalibur here (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showpost.php?p=4429604&postcount=43).

Thanks man, I'll go and have a read now. :)

Arizona man charged in 1992 slaying linked by DNA to Ohio truck-stop killings (https://www.ohio.com/news/20190214/arizona-man-charged-in-1992-slaying-linked-by-dna-to-ohio-truck-stop-killings/1)

An Arizona man recently indicted in a 1997 Ohio rape case has been linked through DNA to the unsolved slayings of four women at truck stops in Ohio and Illinois, authorities say.

That a potential serial killer was trolling truck stops along interstate highways crisscrossing Ohio was first revealed 28 years ago in a series of Dispatch stories.

Samuel Legg III, 49, was indicted Thursday in Mahoning County on aggravated murder and other charges for the slaying of a 43-year-old Sharon Kedzierski, whose body was found at a truck stop outside Youngstown in 1992. A coroner ruled that Kedzierski died of blunt force trauma to the head, face and chest.

Legg pleaded not guilty earlier Thursday in Medina County to two rape counts for the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl. He was extradited to Ohio from Arizona last month. A judge ordered that Legg, a former long-haul truck driver with what authorities say is a history of mental illness, be evaluated to determine if he is competent to stand trial.

Legg’s attorney declined to comment after Thursday morning’s hearing.

The first stories about a truck-stop killer were written in 1991 by Michael J. Berens, who was then a Dispatch investigative reporter. He later went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and now reports for the Thomson Reuters.

On a tip and a hunch, Berens found news stories and police reports that showed similarities in the slayings of eight women in Ohio and four in four other states from 1985 to 1990. Most suffered blunt-force trauma to the face, and most of their bodies were dumped along an interstate.

After The Dispatch published a series of stories by Berens, authorities put together a 13-agency Interstate Homicide Task Force.

Gerry Billy, who was Licking County Sheriff at the time, led the task force, and after an initial flurry of tips and investigations, public interest waned. But Billy was confident that justice would be served.

“I’m the eternal optimist,” he said in 1991. “I still believe we will come up with something.”

One of the bodies was found in his jurisdiction — at the rear of a truck stop at I-70 and Rt. 37. The victim was wearing only panties. The rest of her clothes were missing. She was beaten by a blunt object across the face and neck.

She is buried in an unmarked grave on a grassy hill, one that goes easily unnoticed at Spring Grove Cemetery. Known only as Jane Doe, her death is as veiled as her life.

Authorities said in 1991 that semen was collected from at least five of the victims and could be matched to a suspect, assuming they engaged in intercourse or were raped by the killer.

Berens wrote at the time that “a suspect may someday be linked to the homicides by DNA testing.”

Little is known publicly about the other truck stop slayings to which authorities say Legg is linked. Authorities have said three of the four were in Ohio in the 1990s and the fourth was in Illinois.

Legg was originally a suspect in the 1997 rape in Medina County, but no charges were filed because of detectives’ concerns at the time about the victim’s credibility, Medina County Prosecutor Forrest Thompson told The Associated Press on Thursday. Thompson took office in January 2017. Authorities say Legg had given a ride to the teen, who was hitchhiking home to Lexington, Ohio, after visiting her boyfriend in Cleveland.

Thompson said investigators got a break in the rape case in December while technicians with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation were looking for matches to DNA from the truck stop slayings. Because there was no exact match in the bureau’s database, technicians used updated technology to search for a male family member whose DNA profile was similar to the unknown suspect’s. A match was made and an investigation pointed to Legg as a suspect not only for the truck stop slayings, but the 1997 sexual assault as well.

Thompson subsequently reopened the rape case, focusing on Legg.

“We decided there were questions unanswered in the original investigation,” Thompson said. “I thought the decision not to prosecute was premature.”

Thompson said he and a Medina County sheriff’s detective flew to Arizona in mid-January, where they obtained a DNA sample from Legg, who was living in a group home in Chandler. The new sample confirmed Legg’s link to the rape and homicides, Thompson said.

Legg had minor brushes with the law over the years, Thompson said, but nothing that would have required him to provide a DNA sample until it was obtained in January.

Thompson said he expects the publicity surrounding Legg’s case will attract attention from other law enforcement agencies with similar unsolved slayings.

“We should not be surprised if there are other victims,” he said. “The people who do these crimes don’t quit on their own without some kind of interruption.”

Mark Gillispie of the Associated Press contributed to this story.

More on the suspect.

Samuel Legg: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com (https://heavy.com/news/2019/02/samuel-legg/)

Was there ever a composite sketch of the killer?

Was there ever a composite sketch of the killer?

Not that I'm aware of. He'll be 50 this year (2019) and one of the articles I read said he has been a truck driver for over 30 years (presumably 1986-88). He could reasonably be linked to most (but not all) of the cases mentioned in the UM segment.

Here's a link to Michael Berens original story from the Columbus Dispatch in 1991.

Body trail prompts fear of serial killer — a 1991 Dispatch investigation (https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190214/body-trail-prompts-fear-of-serial-killer---1991-dispatch-investigation)

It mentions the following homicide dates:

June 12, 1985 | Richland County
July 20, 1986 | Medina County
Dec. 4, 1986 | Ashland County
Dec. 19, 1986 | Madison County, Ill.
March 23, 1987 | Warren County
Aug. 10, 1987 | Montgomery County
Nov. 22, 1987 | Bedford County, Pa.
March 29, 1988 | Saratoga County, N.Y.
April 19, 1990 | Licking County

It's doubtful he was responsible for all of them, given his age. But DNA ties him to 4 victims including one from 1992 and a rape 1997. The other 3 murder victims have not yet been named that I can find.

Wow. Glad to hear of a break finally!

After watching this episode of "Evil Lives Here (https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/evil-lives-here/full-episodes/home-sweet-nightmare)" from ID, I'm fairly certain I was way off about Samuel Legg.

Indeed, I'm fairly certain the person responsible for the Ohio Prostitute Killings (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Ohio_Prostitute_Killer) is James Cruz.

It clicked with me that I had seen an FBI Files on the case of Dawn Birnbaum in which Cruz was convicted of her murder. The FBI was fairly certain Cruz was responsible for other murders of similar crimes where women were dumped by the side of the highway in the same region. And then seeing this show on ID kind of cinched for me.

Apologies for my misleading post from last year – I was wayyy off.

Unfortunately, Cruz hasn't ever been charged with any of Ohio Prostitute murders.

After watching this episode of "Evil Lives Here (https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/evil-lives-here/full-episodes/home-sweet-nightmare)" from ID, I'm fairly certain I was way off about Samuel Legg.

Indeed, I'm fairly certain the person responsible for the Ohio Prostitute Killings (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Ohio_Prostitute_Killer) is James Cruz.

It clicked with me that I had seen an FBI Files on the case of Dawn Birnbaum in which Cruz was convicted of her murder. The FBI was fairly certain Cruz was responsible for other murders of similar crimes where women were dumped by the side of the highway in the same region. And then seeing this show on ID kind of cinched for me.

Apologies for my misleading post from last year – I was wayyy off.

Unfortunately, Cruz hasn't ever been charged with any of Ohio Prostitute murders.

I think UM did a great job with this segment because it brought to light the unique dangers of prostitution at truck stops. The reporter’s efforts forced the state of Ohio to crack down. I think it also uncovered that this wasn’t necessarily just one person. There’s many truck drivers who were arrested in that time period for kidnapping and assaulting people(not just prostitution which seemed to be the focus of the UM segment, but also hitchhikers and runaway youth). There’s a good documentary called “full crime documentary killer truckers” and its focus is on that industry. It looks at a handful of serial murderers who have been arrested.

After watching this episode of "Evil Lives Here (https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/evil-lives-here/full-episodes/home-sweet-nightmare)" from ID, I'm fairly certain I was way off about Samuel Legg.

Indeed, I'm fairly certain the person responsible for the Ohio Prostitute Killings (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Ohio_Prostitute_Killer) is James Cruz.

It clicked with me that I had seen an FBI Files on the case of Dawn Birnbaum in which Cruz was convicted of her murder. The FBI was fairly certain Cruz was responsible for other murders of similar crimes where women were dumped by the side of the highway in the same region. And then seeing this show on ID kind of cinched for me.

Apologies for my misleading post from last year – I was wayyy off.

Unfortunately, Cruz hasn't ever been charged with any of Ohio Prostitute murders.


If the authorities get a DNA sample from him, that could clear things up one way or another real quick

This honestly seems like a case of a newspaper reporter trying to make a story out of disparate events by connecting cases that are similar.
The problem is that prostitution is a crime and high risk activity, its not unlikely that each of them were killed by different people given the risk profile.
This is a common statistical fallacy in crime investigation where someone assembles a list of similar cases out of a much larger sample size. While they point to how similar they seem, they don't tell you how many cases total were picked over to artificially construct a set like that. Given enough data points anyone can produce a cluster but it does not make it valid. I'm also a bit skeptical about the DNA evidence in a case like this, seems plenty of room for multiple ids or mixed profiles.

This honestly seems like a case of a newspaper reporter trying to make a story out of disparate events by connecting cases that are similar.
The problem is that prostitution is a crime and high risk activity, its not unlikely that each of them were killed by different people given the risk profile.
This is a common statistical fallacy in crime investigation where someone assembles a list of similar cases out of a much larger sample size. While they point to how similar they seem, they don't tell you how many cases total were picked over to artificially construct a set like that. Given enough data points anyone can produce a cluster but it does not make it valid. I'm also a bit skeptical about the DNA evidence in a case like this, seems plenty of room for multiple ids or mixed profiles.

Is it a stretch to say that all of the women featured in the same segment were killed by one or two truck drivers? perhaps, but I wouldn't say that it is impossible.

What the reporter did bring to light is that there is a nationwide problem with truck drivers murdering women and perhaps those crimes were not fully investigated or brought to the public's attention, and he really sums that up in the end of the segment. Since this segment first aired there have been many murderers arrested for killing women while driving their trucks, or abducting them at truck stops/rest stops. and there are also many other well known documentaries out there where credible investigators on the record have said they think there are multiple unsolved murders tied to people that they arrested.

Is it a stretch to say that all of the women featured in the same segment were killed by one or two truck drivers? perhaps, but I wouldn't say that it is impossible.

What the reporter did bring to light is that there is a nationwide problem with truck drivers murdering women and perhaps those crimes were not fully investigated or brought to the public's attention, and he really sums that up in the end of the segment. Since this segment first aired there have been many murderers arrested for killing women while driving their trucks, or abducting them at truck stops/rest stops. and there are also many other well known documentaries out there where credible investigators on the record have said they think there are multiple unsolved murders tied to people that they arrested.

I think a more accurate summary would be that a reporter found that people engaged in criminal activity are far more likely to become victims of foul play. Its not that truckers are a common perpetrator, but rather that prostitutes are a common victim. For most of these there is no real evidence that a trucker was even responsible. Actually come to think of it, this case might have suffered from tunnel vision in assuming it had to be a trucker. Plenty of other vehicles stop at truck stops, for someone to have an RV or a Van with a CB in that era would make sense.

I think a more accurate summary would be that a reporter found that people engaged in criminal activity are far more likely to become victims of foul play. Its not that truckers are a common perpetrator, but rather that prostitutes are a common victim. For most of these there is no real evidence that a trucker was even responsible. Actually come to think of it, this case might have suffered from tunnel vision in assuming it had to be a trucker. Plenty of other vehicles stop at truck stops, for someone to have an RV or a Van with a CB in that era would make sense.
you have valid points. the women featured in the segment were allegedly at truck stops engaging in prostitution. the drivers were also engaging in illegal activity if they engaged in acts of prostitution as well. It's unknown what could have caused these women to be killed. Not every murder was the same set of circumstances and there was not evidence or proof to charge anyone. For me this is one of the UM segments that always stuck with me because of its mysterious nature and the unlikelihood of many of the murders ultimately being solved unless someone comes forward. so yet we are left with theories.

I'm also a big fan of FBI Files, there were 2 segments featured by the FBI where they caught 2 different truck drivers who murdered at least one victim each and were both suspected of additional violent crimes. the murder victims were runaway teens, not believed to be prostitutes, but one of the drivers was caught in the act by an Arizona state trooper engaging with a prostitute that he had brutally tied up against her will. I don't mean to sound harsh with truck drivers, I know 99.9% of them are doing a good job that brings us our daily goods that we consume. Of corse UM is not anti-truck driver IMO, they also featured drivers that were murdered or disappeared under suspicious circumstances...to help solve those as well.

Was there ever a composite sketch of the killer?
Bumping this because I watched the segment on tv today and there is actually an update presented at the end of the segment. it is the first time that I've seen it. It's not new information, but the update featured Samuel Legg and I think it alluded to the fact that he is suspected in other unsolved cases. I do think there were multiple murderers because Legg was younger when some of the murders took place that were featured in the segment.

I did see a composite somewhere earlier today when I was looking online and now I can't find it. I will post it if I can find it.

After watching this episode of "Evil Lives Here (https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/evil-lives-here/full-episodes/home-sweet-nightmare)" from ID, I'm fairly certain I was way off about Samuel Legg.

Indeed, I'm fairly certain the person responsible for the Ohio Prostitute Killings (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Ohio_Prostitute_Killer) is James Cruz.

It clicked with me that I had seen an FBI Files on the case of Dawn Birnbaum in which Cruz was convicted of her murder. The FBI was fairly certain Cruz was responsible for other murders of similar crimes where women were dumped by the side of the highway in the same region. And then seeing this show on ID kind of cinched for me.

Apologies for my misleading post from last year – I was wayyy off.

Unfortunately, Cruz hasn't ever been charged with any of Ohio Prostitute murders.
I know this post is old and I missed a chance to reply to it regarding Cruz. I recently watched the FBI files episode about Cruz. I think the investigator in that documentary mentioned that he is very sure that Cruz committed some of the other truck stop murders in Ohio. I don't know if Cruz was ever fully eliminated or investigated for any of those murders.

Was there ever a composite sketch of the killer?
Bumping this because I watched the segment on tv today and there is actually an update presented. It's not new information, but the update featured Samuel Legg and I think alluded to the fact that he is suspected in other unsolved cases. I do think there were multiple murderers because Legg was young when some of the murders took place. I think that James Robert Cruz Jr. is a good suspect for a lot of the murders. he was known to have strangled his victims and many of the victims were beaten and strangled.

I saw a sketch here on this website below and it most resembles Cruz. there are also a lot of newspaper clippings on there. reading through one of the clippings there was an unnamed trucker who was in an accident in Ohio that had a lot of women's clothing, pornography, handcuffs, and other incriminating items spill onto the freeway...yikes. this is the link:

https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/serial-killer-dr-no/

ugh, every time I look up this segment I am alarmed to see how many truck drivers murdered women over the years. I still contend that UM did a good thing by featuring this segment because it uncovered a nationwide problem. it seemed to ruffle the feathers of law enforcement in some cases. I read in one newspaper article that law enforcement said that the media going forward with a serial killer theory would cause more murders. IDK about that. it seemed as if there were a lot of unsolved murders not being fully investigated. today I heard an interview with a convicted serial killer that said it has always been well known in that industry that prostitutes get murdered and no one will know anything as long as you get rid of the body in a different location. take it for a grain of salt coming from a murderer, but geez.