April 3, 1974 Cleveland, Ohio John Doe

On June 27, 1973, a building in Cleveland, Ohio was firebombed and gutted by fire on March 14, 1974. On April 3rd a man would go through the building and discover bones. Police were called and it was discovered that a man had crawled in a crawl space and died. However, he likely died in the 1930's as his shoes and a bottle indicated he was from that time. The bottle of beer he had with him was bottled in Cleveland in 1938.

John Doe was a male between 35 to 40 years old. He was around 5'10". He was wearing a pair of shoes that were of the type that a male might have worn in the late 30's, they were ankle high and the last three eyelets were of the hook type. There was a beer bottle from the Royal Beer Company, Cleveland, Ohio that was bottled in 1938.

SOURCES:

NamUs

Murder of Virgilio Aguilera

At approximately 7:17 p.m. on August 23, 2020, unknown persons did a drive-by shooting on 5314 Brandenberry Drive in Columbus, Ohio. At the time 52-year-old Virgilio Aguilera was in the area and struck by one of the rounds. He would be brought to the hospital but passed away two hours later. 

It's not stated if Virgilio was the target. 

SOURCES:

Ohio Attorney General

The City of Columbus

The Columbus Dispatch August 23, 2020

Murder of Maggie May Keys

 On June 27, 1972, the body of 51-year-old Maggie Keys was found in an alley in east Dayton, Ohio. She had been beaten and stabbed. One of the stabs in her leg had caused her to bleed to death. Robbery and sexual assault seem to not have been motives. 

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General

Uncovered

Find a Grave

Daytona Daily News June 28, 1972

Daytona Daily News June 29, 1972

Disappearance of Harold Wayne Mercer

On April 12, 2021, 50-year-old Harold Mercer was last seen in Columbus, Ohio. There is little information in this case. 

Harold is a white male and was 50 years old at the time. He's 5'5" and 140 lbs. He has greying or grey hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project

December 2, 1838 Akron, Ohio Jane Doe

 On December 2, 1838, an elderly woman would die in Akron, Ohio. She had died from consumption.

Jane Doe was a woman and was around 70-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Murder of Robert Spohn

On November,14,1969 the sister of 69-year-old Robert Spohn would come to their home in Columbus, Ohio. When she was trying to get her car in their garage this is when she would find his body. He had been severely beaten with a heavy object. He had several puncture wounds around his left eye and forehead. Blood was found on the front seat of the car, on the trunk, and throughout the garage. His wallet was missing.

SOURCES:

Uncovered

Ohio Attorney General

The Times Recorder November 16, 1969

Murder of Jeanne Melville

On September 24, 1970, Phyllis Nichols arrived at the Greyhound Station in Richmond, Indiana. She was there to pick up her niece 18-year-old Jeanne Melville. Jeanne was visiting from Wisconsin. She waited and waited, but Jeanne didn't arrive so she left and came back. Jeanne never arrived.

On October 11th a nude body of a young woman was found in a cornfield near Arcanum, Ohio. She was found 60 ft from Frazers Rd by two teens wandering the area on horseback. She had been Asphyxiated. It was Jeanne, but she would be a Jane Doe until July of 2009. Her ring was found with her, but has gone missing since then. Her clothing was found beneath two bridges nearby over the line in Preble County.

It was initially believed that Jeanne never made it to Indiana, but seeing as her body was found about 40 minutes away it's now believed that she did. She may have gotten to the Station early or late and possibly missed her aunt. She likely got a ride from someone she perceived as friendly and that person killed the young woman. It could be possible that this person was a local or even someone who was on the bus with her.

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General
Charley Project
Uncovered
Unidentified Wiki

Daily Advocate April 1, 2018

Murder of Shantia Monet Peterson

On September 22, 2018, 30-year-old Shantia Peterson was sitting in the parking lot of 900 Block of Hudson St. in Columbus, Ohio. Gunfire would erupt and Shantia was struck in the neck. She would not die at the scene and was taken to Grant Hospital in critical condition. As a result of her injuries, she was hospitalized at Mount Carmel Saint Ann's. She would pass away from her injuries on June 18, 2020.

SOURCES:

Ohio Attorney General

Disappearance of Beverly Catherine Mastny

On September 21, 1953, 15-year-old Beverly Mastny was last seen in Broadview Heights, Ohio. a man would pick her up in front of her grandparent's home. She was never seen again.

Beverly is a white female and was 15-years-old at the time. She's 5'7" and 115 lbs. She has two-toned strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Ohio Attorney General

Murder of William Henry Hill III

At 6:54 pm on August 27, 2019, police responded to the area of Mt. Vernon Ave and N 17th Ave in Columbus, Ohio. When they arrived they found 27-year-old William Hill III suffering from a gunshot wound inside a vehicle. William would be taken to the hospital, but would, unfortunately, pass over an hour later.

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General

Murder of Betty Tigner

 

Around 11:15 p.m. on July 31, 1976, the body of 17-year-old Betty Tigner was found in a vacant lot in front of 24 S. Western Avenue in Daytona, Ohio. She was shot in the side and arm. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:
Ohio Attorney General
Daytona Daily News August 2, 1976
The Journal Herald August 4, 1976 (Obituary)

Disappearance of Cecelia Najeway

On July 1, 2004, 41-year-old Cecelia Najaway was last seen in Akron, Ohio. There is little information in this case. 

Cecelia is a white woman and was 41-years-old at the time. She has brown hair and blue eyes. She's 5'6" and 100 lbs. Her ears are pierced. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Charley Project

Murder of KayKimia Marie Ruffin

At 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2020, officers responded to a call of gunfire at the apartments in the 1900 block of Maryland Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. They would find 27-year-old KayKimia Ruffin unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound. She would be brought to the hospital but would die 20 minutes later. 

SOURCES:

Ohio Attorney General

City of Columbus

The Columbus Dispatch June 1, 2020

Murder of John Michael Mabrey

 

At 6:05 p.m. on May 13, 2019 officers were dispatched to the rear of 966 E. 19th Ave in Columbus, Ohio. This is where the body of 32-year-old John Mabrey was found. on an unresponsive male. 

SOURCES:
City of Columbus
Ohio Attorney General

Disappearance of Sarah Jane Hamilton

On February 28, 2018,  29-year-old Sarah Hamilton moved out of her father's residence in Grove City, Ohio to Indiana. Her father's vehicle would later be discovered abandoned in Indiana with no sight of Sarah. 

Sarah is a white female and was 29-years-old at the time. She is 4'11" and 150 lbs. She has red hair and blue eyes. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Murder of George L. Gunkle

In February of 1967, George Gunkle was found murdered in Dayton, Ohio. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Ohio State Attorney

Dayton Police Department

January 4, 1851Montgomery County, Ohio The Stranger

 

On January 4, 1851, someone died or their body was found in Montgomery County, Ohio. Their body was buried at Old Greencastle Cemetery in Dayton. Gender was not stated on the tombstone, but the age listed is 24-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Cryptids: Freshwater Octopus

Photo by Isabel Galvez

It is said that a medium sizes cephalopod, an octopus, is sometimes found in rivers of North America. It is said that they are 2 to 3 ft long and there were sighting in several places. Octopuses needing a high saline that would mean if they were actually found in freshwater that they are a miracle mutation or evolution allowed them to.

One sighting was on December 24, 1933, by Robert Trice and R.M. Saunders. They were fishing on the Kanawha River near Charleston, West Virginia when they hauled in a 3 ft. octopus. Recent research by Mark Hall proved that this was indeed a hoax. 

On January 30, 1959 people witnessed a grey octopus was seen surfacing and moved onto the bank of the Licking River near Covington Kentucky. 

On November 19, 1999, a dead octopus was found on the bank of the Ohio River at the Falls of Ohio State Park in Jefferson, Indiana on some fossil beds. It was identified as a Caribbean arm stripe octopus or a bumblebee two-stripe octopus, both Atlantic species.  It was not in a state of decomposition meaning its death was recent. This doesn't mean however that it lived in the waters. It's possible that someone had recently abandoned a pet there and did not realize the octopus would survive or that it is another hoax. 

SOURCES:

It's Something Wiki

Nature World News

Octolab

Murder of Marie Bridget Patrick

On November 11, 1981, 15-year-old Marie Patrick and a 16-year-old friend were in the process of running away from Cincinnati, Ohio to Texas. While hitchhiking in Cincinnati the two were picked up by a truck driver who called himself Bill at about 6:30 p.m. 

While on the I-64 at mile marker 67 in Indiana Bill began to make sexual advances and threats toward the girls. Between 10 to 10:30p.m., the girls demanded to be let out and a struggle ensued and Bill would end up stabbing Marie in the leg. Marie would shove her friend out of the moving truck, but Marie could not get out with her. Her friend would survive and someone would give her a ride to the hospital in Jeffersonville. That was when she told them what had happened. 

It wasn't until the next morning that Marie's body would be found about 5 miles down from where her friend escaped. She likely died soon after she was last seen. It's unknown if she had fallen, jumped, or shoved out of the vehicle, but had died due to head injuries from the fall. She did not have signs of sexual assault. 

Bill was driving a semi with a white cab and a silver grey trailer.

SOURCES:

Indiana State Police

Evansville Courier and Press November 12, 1981

Evansville Courier and Press November 17, 1981

Murder of Tammy Avery

 

Around 9:30 a.m. on August 19,2005 28-year-old Tammy Avery was found dead in her home on 793 Boulevard St. in Akron, Ohio. She had died from a gunshot wound to the head.  There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

 Ohio Attorney General

The Akron Beacon Journal