Dayton Serial killers | Photo by Bethany Althauser | the Wright State Guardian
As the Halloween season comes to a close, ghosts and terrifying costumes are not all that haunt the Dayton community. A deeper look into Dayton’s historic past reveals a history embedded with many infamous serial killers and criminals.
Murder and the Midwest
It is no secret that the Midwest breeds many of the U.S’s most gruesome murders. Names such as Jeffery Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy and H.H. Holmes arose as household names, remembered for the cold-blooded killings committed by these Midwest-born men.
With further contemplation, one can recognize a pattern emerging in the case of notorious serial killings: white males born in the Midwest.
According to World Population Review, California and Texas rank highest in the number of identified serial killers; however, Ohio and other Midwest states such as New York and Illonois follow closely behind them.
On top of this, data compiled by Rick Paulson shows that in the past century, an average of 59.21% of serial killers were white, with over 60% of serial killers being white in the early 1900s.
Although the Midwest area is home to some of the most infamous killers, there holds no definite explanation for this. Many have theories for this supposed link between killers and location.
Karen Lahm, the Coordinator of Wright State University’s Crime and Justice Studies, explained one of these theories.
“Some believe it is social isolation, yet some say it is also [because] of big cities, like Chicago where there are lots of "prey." Some of our bigger Midwest cities, again like Chicago, are known for violence and high crime,” Lahm said.
Lahm also pointed out the ability for killers in these Midwest and suburban areas to hide in plain sight and live a double life. This was the case for murderers such as Gacy, or the “Killer Clown,” who lived the life of an involved community member, whilst murdering 33 boys and young men within a six-year span, according to Oxygen True Crime.
The explanation of the Midwest’s high number of murders and infamous serial killers remains unknown. As for the Dayton area, many significant and historic criminals and serial killers have taken place in the heart of Gem City, leaving an impact on the community.
The Dayton Strangler
Arguably the most notable Dayton killer is the Dayton Strangler. This serial killer’s real name remains unknown, but has acquired several nicknames, including Jack the Strangler.
According to an article from Dayton Unknown, the murderer terrorized Dayton for nine years in the early 1900s, amassing a total of five known female victims.
Jack the Strangler’s victims were named Ada Lantz, Dona Gilman, Anna Markowitz, Mary Forschner and Elizabeth Fulhart, and all were 19 years or younger.
This serial murderer’s crimes were gruesome, leaving victims with bruises and discarding the bodies in random locations to be discovered by random pedestrians.
“Her body was discovered wrapped in a gunny sack and dropped into a cistern after she had been missing for a month. The body was so badly decomposed; the coroner was unable to tell if she had been sexually assaulted,” Dayton Unknown’s article read.
Over the years, many different individuals were suspected of the murders, but ultimately the Dayton Strangler remains unidentified.
The Shotgun Killer
The Shotgun Killer, more formally known as Neal Long, went on a murderous rampage from the years 1972-1975, targeting primarily Black men.
Long’s killings, which appeared to be fueled by hatred and racism, left the Dayton community in fear of being in the streets.
Dan Baker, the lead Dayton Police detective at the time, spoke in an interview with the Dayton Daily News about Long’s rampage.
“Long would just load his shotgun, drive around and randomly look for Black people standing outside. He was a nondescript guy who was obsessed with hatred,” Baker said.
After three died at the hand of Long’s shotgun and a dozen more were injured over the three-year span, the killer was arrested in 1975 and died in a Minnesota prison in 1998.
Oliver Crook Haugh
Everyone who came into contact with Dr. Oliver Crook Haugh seemed to mysteriously vanish.
The serial killer, born and raised in Dayton, killed many wives and patients in the late 1800s.
Many recognize Haugh’s name for the killer's strange connection to Wilbur Wright.
According to an article in The Flight Blog, Haugh knocked young Wright’s teeth out during a hockey game in childhood. While Wright grew up to be a pioneer of aviation, the many other victims that encountered Haugh suffered a cruel end.
After marrying wife Anna Margaret Eckley and attending college, Haugh opened a medical office in Dayton. Afterwards, Haugh would open several other practices, which would all close due to struggles with addiction.
Many of the killer’s many wives as well as patients died under Haugh’s care, due to poor treatment.
According to The Flight Blog’s article, Haugh was caught after wife Anna threatened divorce and the murderer set the family’s house on fire. The trial following revealed many more victims of the doctor.
In 1907, Haugh was executed by electric chair.
Vicious crime and its impact on Dayton
The Dayton community has not experienced killers of such magnitude as the city did in the 1900s and before.
Many believe that the “age of serial killers” has died long ago, as society has continued to advance legally and technologically.
“In the late 1980s/1990s we saw the whole ‘get tough on crime/lock 'em up mentality’ movement in the US. More prisons were built, more cops were put on the street and sentencing became very harsh,” Lahm said.
With more efforts to catch heinous crimes, as well as more forensic technology, communities have more peace of mind and safety.
Nevertheless, the possibility of murder in any community for long periods of time has an impact on a community. Dayton has not had serial killers in the streets for many years, but the city’s past is one of haunting memories.
