All open cases
Everything in the index. Search it, filter it, or open any case and start reading.
2003 Columbus, Ohio arson
On 13 April 2003, a fire was set at a house in the University District of Columbus, Ohio, killing five university students (two from Ohio State University and three from Ohio University). Despite an arrest early on, the murders have remained unsolved.
1965 · OhioUnsolved1965–1966 Columbus murders
The Columbus murders are a series of shootings that occurred in Columbus, Ohio, and its surrounding areas between 1965 and 1966, leaving three men dead in a span of four shootings. The male victims were connected to one another via ballistic evidence, but despite one of the victim's survival and a facial composite being drawn of his assailant, no suspect was ever identified and all cases remain cold to this day.
1981 · OhioUnsolved
Dr. No
Dr. No is the nickname given to a suspected American serial killer thought to be responsible for the murders of at least ten women and girls in Ohio, between 1981 and 1990. As victims, Dr.
1900 · OhioUnsolvedDayton Strangler
The Dayton Strangler was an unidentified early 20th-century serial killer, responsible for the murders of five women and one man in Dayton, Ohio from 1900 to 1909. Although a multitude of suspects were arrested, including one who was wrongfully convicted, the murders remain officially unsolved to this day. Theories have surfaced tying the murders in Dayton to the Cumminsville Killer, another unidentified serial…
1904 · OhioUnsolved
Cumminsville Killer
The Cumminsville Killer, also known as the Cumminsville Ripper, the Slouch Hat Man and the Man Gorilla, was an unidentified serial killer who is believed to have claimed five victims in the Cumminsville neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, between 1904 and 1910. Theories have surfaced tying the murders in Cumminsville to the Dayton Strangler, another unidentified serial killer believed to have been…
Year unknown · OhioUnsolved
Cleveland Torso Murderer
The Cleveland Torso Murderer, also known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, was an unidentified serial killer who operated in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, during the 1930s. The killings were characterized by the dismemberment of thirteen known victims and the disposal of their remains in the impoverished neighborhood of Kingsbury Run. Most victims came from an area east of Kingsbury Run called "The Roaring…
1975 · OhioOverturnedRicky Jackson and Ronnie and Wiley Bridgeman
Ricky Jackson (born 1957), Ronnie Bridgeman (born 1957) and Wiley Bridgeman (September 21, 1954 – June 27, 2021) are three African Americans who were wrongfully convicted of murder as young men in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975 and sentenced to death. Jackson's sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1977, while the sentences of Bridgemans were commuted to life imprisonment in 1978. They were imprisoned for…
1951 · OhioMissing
Disappearance of Beverly Potts
Beverly Rose Potts (April 15, 1941 – disappeared August 24, 1951) was a ten-year-old American girl who disappeared while walking home from a neighborhood festival event held in a park less than a quarter of a mile from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite intense publicity and exhaustive efforts to locate the girl, both at the time of her disappearance and in more recent decades, no trace of Potts or definitive…
2023 · Springfield, OhioMissingCameron Baugh
Cameron Baugh, 21 at the time, was last known to be in Springfield, Ohio on October 1, 2023. NamUs case MP133519.
1995 · OhioMissingDisappearance of John and Shelly Markley
The disappearance of John and Shelly Markley is an unsolved criminal case from Ohio. The Markleys went missing from their home on December 15, 1995, in Bristol Township. They were last seen at approximately 10:36 a.m.
1974 · OhioUnsolvedMurder of Linda Pagano
Linda Marie Pagano, formerly known as Strongsville Jane Doe, was an American murder victim from Akron, Ohio who was an unidentified decedent for 44 years. Following an argument with her stepfather on September 1, 1974, Pagano left her stepfather's apartment and was never seen again. On February 5, 1975, partial skeletal remains of a white female were found by three boys in a park in Strongsville, Ohio.
1953 · OhioMissingDisappearance of Ronald Tammen
Ronald Henry Tammen Jr. (born July 23, 1933) was a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, who went missing on April 19, 1953. His case remains unsolved.
2007 · OhioMissing
Disappearance of Ashley Summers
Ashley Nicole Summers (born June 16, 1993) was 14 years of age when she disappeared near her home in Cleveland, Ohio in early July 2007. Her whereabouts remain unknown, as there have not been any verified sightings of Summers since her disappearance.
2006 · OhioMissingDisappearance of Brian Shaffer
In the early hours of April 1, 2006, Brian Randall Shaffer, a 27‑year‑old medical student at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, disappeared in Columbus, Ohio, United States. He had spent the previous night, March 31, having drinks with friends at a campus‑area bar to mark the start of spring break. He later became separated from them, and they assumed he had gone home.
1995 · OhioUnsolvedMurder of Barbara Barnes
Barbara Ann Barnes was an American schoolgirl who was murdered in December 1995 at the age of 13. The case remains unsolved. Many have speculated that her uncle may have been responsible for her death, but others believe that the crime was committed by someone local to the area.
1981 · OhioOverturnedRaymond Towler
Ray Towler (born Raymond Towler June 16, 1957) is an American musician (guitarist, keyboardist and trumpeter) and artist (painter). On September 18, 1981, when he was 24, Towler was falsely convicted of rape, kidnapping and felonious assault in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The charges were vacated on May 5, 2010 after Towler had spent over 29 years of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit.
2026 · Ohio Court of AppealsIn courtState v. Coleman
Ohio Court of Appeals issued an opinion on November 6, 2026 that deals with an innocence claim. From the opinion: “…colloquy, and the defendant does not assert actual innocence. Fontanez at ¶ 47. {¶13} A criminal…”
2026 · Columbus, OhioUnidentifiedUnidentified man, Columbus, Ohio (2026)
An unidentified man was found in Columbus, Ohio on August 18, 2026. No name has been established. NamUs case UP162667.
2026 · Ohio Court of AppealsIn courtState v. Abdi
Ohio Court of Appeals issued an opinion on November 5, 2026 that deals with an innocence claim. From the opinion: “…which “a defendant pleads guilty yet maintains actual innocence of the charges”). {¶ 5} After accepting…”
2001 · Hilliard, OhioMissingAdam Lake
Adam Lake, 17 at the time, was last known to be in Hilliard, Ohio on March 24, 2001. NamUs case MP6277.
2025 · Cleveland, OhioMissingEva Gardner
Eva Gardner, 37 at the time, was last known to be in Cleveland, Ohio on December 4, 2025. NamUs case MP157685.
2026 · Ohio Court of AppealsIn courtState v. Goodykoontz
Ohio Court of Appeals issued an opinion on October 29, 2026 that deals with an innocence claim. From the opinion: “…element. 43. Cuyahoga County was bias. 44. Actual Innocence. 45. The pictures had different backgrounds…”
2026 · Ohio Court of AppealsIn courtState v. McCrary
Ohio Court of Appeals issued an opinion on October 28, 2026 that deals with an innocence claim. From the opinion: “…defendant pleads guilty but still maintains actual innocence of the charges.” Fontanez, 2026-Ohio-3291…”
2006 · Martins Ferry, OhioMissingKristen Anderson
Kristen Anderson, 24 at the time, was last known to be in Martins Ferry, Ohio on October 2, 2006. NamUs case MP4940.