Summary: Episode 10: “Ohio v. Murder 3.0” (Eliot Ness/Cleveland Torso Murders). It’s our annual true crime episode…Alex travels to Cleveland to meet with author Dr. James Badal and historian Becky McFarland about the career of famous Cleveland lawman Eliot Ness and the notorious Cleveland Torso Murders in the 1930s. Alex and Becky discuss Ness, the leader of the Untouchables, and his years in CLE as the Public Safety Director. We talk about Ness cleaning up Cleveland, then known as the most dangerous city in the country. Dr. Badal tells the parallel story of the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury and the trail of partial bodies left across Cleveland. At least a dozen Clevelanders are murdered in gruesome fashion by an unknown serial killer. We discuss Ness’ investigation and Badal’s 2014 book In the Wake of the Butcher (https://www.amazon.com/Wake-Butcher-Clevelands-Torso-Murders/dp/160635213X/ref=pd_cp_14_1?pd_rd_w=cGkGY&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=412P8G52AKXJ1V6PAET2&pd_rd_r=25ca1906-3268-11e9-ade1-d126a5984129&pd_rd_wg=2aInh&pd_rd_i=160635213X&psc=1&refRID=412P8G52AKXJ1V6PAET2) Our guests discuss Cleveland during the Great Depression and the possible suspects of the officially unsolved murders. We learn of Ness’ secret suspect and the investigation by Eliot and his team. Did Eliot Ness solve the biggest mystery in 1930s Cleveland: who is the Cleveland Torso Murderer? You be the judge in Season 3’s true crime episode. We also sit down the Stacey Halfmoon, the Director of American Indian Relations at the Ohio History Connection, to discuss the annual Tribal Nations Conference. Stacey discusses the important outreach efforts in this episode’s Ohio History Connection Minute (https://www.ohiohistory.org/learn/american-indian-relations).
