BLACK DAHLIA-CLEVELAND TORSO MURDERS CONNECTIONS
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Category Cleveland Torso Murders Black Dahlia Murder Suzanne Degnan Murder
1. Killer posed the body Two victims laid out side by side. Her body was positioned at 39th and Norton. Body parts were deposited in separate storm sewers, then someone contacted the authorities and advised them to look in storm sewers.
2. Killer drained the blood Blood drained from body. Blood drained from body
3. Body expertly severed Expertly severed. Expertly severed. Expertly severed.
4. Body washed by killer Body washed before being dumped. Body washed before being dumped. Degnan's body parts in storm sewer, unable to tell if body washed by killer. Other women had been killed in Chicago within a six month period of time prior to the murder of Frances Brown. Their bodies had been pathologically cleaned by their murderer.
5. Crime scene mopped by killer Crime scene not located. Crime scene mopped by killer after murder. Crime scene mopped by killer after murder.
6. Torture Rope burns on wrist of victim indicated possible torture before murder. Rope or wire burns on wrists. May have been strangled with a wire.
7. Victims Victims were homosexual, prostitutes, heavy drinkers. Black Dahlia: question regarding prostitution, lesbian, oral sex.
8. Large, sharp knife Killer used a large, sharp knife. Killer used a large, sharp knife. Killer used a large, sharp knife.
9. Befriended victim Killer got to know his victims before killing them. Killer got to know his victim before killing her.
10. Bodies moved by killer Victims killed in one place, then transported to another place where bodies were discarded. Was killed in one place and then transported to another place where her body was discarded. Was killed in one place and her body parts were then discarded in another place.
11. Sewers Body parts of two victims may have been placed at separate times in Cleveland sewer system. Body parts were discarded in separate storm sewers.
12. Large city Murders took place in large city near Lake Erie. Murder took place in large city. Murder took place in large city near Lake Michigan.
13. Coal Coal found on Flo Polillo's torso. Coal dust found embedded in Suzanne's pajamas.
14. $20,000 ransom Killer may have left ransom note demanding $20,000 . Killer may have left ransom note demanding $20,000 .
15. Killed in January Cleveland Torso Victim, Flo Polillo, is killed in January, 1935. She is killed January 14, 1947. She is killed January 7, 1946.
16. Burned evidence Body of victim was burned. Jack Anderson Wilson's taped message to John Gilmore indicated that he burned clothing after the murder. The confession of William Heirens indicates that clothing may have been burned following the murder of Degnan.
17. Necrophiliac Detectives thought the killer may have been a necrophiliac. Detectives thought the killer may have been a necrophiliac (Killer may have had sex with Georgette Bauerdorf after she was killed or as she lay dying.) She may have been molested by her killer. Suzanne Degnan's autopsy report dated 1/8/46 by A.L. Brodie, Coroner of Cook County, includes the following: "In the atrium of the vagina at the left of the fourchette there is an irregular linear tear 1 cm long, which exposes the submocosa. Adjacent to this on either side are multiple punctate hemorrhages. The hymen is swollen." There is no mention in the autopsy of the presence of blood in this area, which may indicate that she was violated postmortem, after the heart had stopped beating. This would suggest the work of a necrophiliac.
18. Body immersed in fluid Victim #2 may have been immersed in some sort of fluid before being dumped. The Black Dahlia may have been immersed in water before being discarded.
19. Sacks Killer transported body parts in burlap sacks and possibly a sugar sack. Killer transported severed body in cement sack. Killer transported body parts in sugar sack.
20. Obsessive neatness Killer carefully arranged shoes of victim near the body. In the case of Jeanne Axford French, her killer neatly arranged her shoes on either side of her head an equal distance of approximately ten feet.
21. Rectum Killer inserted a pants pocket into a female victim's rectum. Killer cut flesh from her leg and pushed it up her rectum.
22. Oil & Gas Killer drenched a victim's body with an oily substance. Killer may have drenched her purse and contents with gasoline. Killer drenched ransom note with oily substance.
23. Taunted police Killer taunted police. Killer taunted police. Killer taunted police.
24. Bisected Six of his victims were bisected. Black Dahlia was bisected.
25. Dismemberment Victims were dismembered. Jack Anderson Wilson refers to "dismemberment" in his taped message to John Gilmore. She is dismembered.
26. Longitudinal incision Flo Polillo had "longitudinal incision" along her lower half. Elizabeth Short had a "gaping incision" along her lower half that extended longitudinally.
27. Removal of organs Killer removed internal organs of victim #9. Killer "cut out some basic female organs."
28. Tub & running water Place of dismemberments never located. Killer used a tub and running water when dismembering body. Killer used and tub and running water when dismembering body.
29. Red lipstick message Red lipstick written on the body of Jeanne Axford French. Message in Frances Brown murder case written in red lipstick.
30. Anatomical knowledge Killer had knowledge of human anatomy. Killer had knowledge of human anatomy. Killer had knowledge of human anatomy.
31. Butcher Detectives suspect a butcher may have committed the murders. Detectives suspected a butcher may have committed the murder. Detectives suspected a butcher may have committed the murder.
32. Bones "wrenched from sockets" Bones of a victim "wrenched from sockets." Bones "carefully wrenched from sockets."
33. Railroad tracks Victim's body parts found near railroad tracks. Body parts found near "L Line."
34. Wrapped in clothing Head of tatooed man found "wrapped in his pants. Her torso was "wrapped" in her pajamas. Josephine Ross's head found "swathed" in a red dress skirt.
35. Knowledge of surgeon Killer possessed "knowledge of a surgeon." Severed with the finesse of a surgeon." "Killer was either a physician, a medical student or a very good butcher."
36. Jack Anderson Wilson Admitted to being in Cleveland in 1936. Lived in Los Angeles. Elizabeth Short traveled to Chicago in 1946. In the early 1940's Short had lived 35 miles from the Degnan family in Medford, MA.
37. Strong man Killer was a strong man. Killer was a strong man. Killer was a strong man.
38. Ransom note Ransom note found. Ransom note found.
39. Elliot Ness Was Director of Public Safety in Cleveland. Was formerly from Chicago.
40. Lust killer Lust Killer suspected. Lust killer suspected. 6-year old Suzanne Degnan may have been sexually molested by her killer.
41. Throat cut Victims were beheaded. Jack Anderson Wilson was in Indianapolis in 1943 when Corporal Maoma Ridings was murdered. She was viciously attacked in her neck. Josephine Ross was viciously stabbed in her neck 4 times. Frances Brown was viciously stabbed in her neck. A ten-inch bread knife was driven into her neck with such force that it protruded thorough the opposite side.
42. Body parts of victim deposited in separate locations Some body parts of Flo Polillo are deposited by her killer behind the Hart Manufacturing Co., and other of her body parts are deposited near the rear yard of a vacant building on Orange Avenue, S.E. near Fourteenth Street in Cleveland.   Her killer deposited body parts in separate storm sewers located in separate streets in Chicago.
43. Pubic region cut by killer "The pubic region of Victim #3, Flo Polillo, was partly cut" (Page 63, Butcher's Dozen, by John Barlow Martin) The pubic region of Elizabeth Short was cut by her killer.  
44. Person named "Eddie" In 1935, about six weeks before she was murdered, "Flo Polillo returned to hotel, this time with an unknown Italian described as twenty-seven years old, five feet eight or nine, 135 pounds, dark complexioned wearing a dark suit and dark cap, description that nearly matched the description of Andrassy's friend "Eddie". (Page 65, Butcher's Dozen) January 8, 1947: Red Manley noticed scratch marks on Elizabeth Short's arms, she said "I have a jealous boyfriend, he's Italian." (Page 113, Severed) Person by the name of "Eddie" is mentioned as an acquaintance of Jack Anderson Wilson. In 1946, a witness named Subqunski described the man as "about five feet nine inches tall weighing about 170 pounds, about thirty-five years old and dressed in a light Fedora and dark overcoat with belt drawn tight." (Page 96, William Heirens: His Day In Court)
NOTE: "Eddie" was described as being twenty-seven years old in 1935. He would have been born in 1908. Jack Anderson Wilson was born in 1920. He would have been younger than "Eddie." In John Gilmore's book, Severed, on page 180, the "Eddie" mentioned there is "older" than Jack Anderson Wilson.
45. 2 Butchers that work together Victim #9 "For the first time the medical evidence suggests the possibility of two butchers, perhaps a master butcher and an apprentice, were at work" (Pages 81-82, Butcher's Dozen) "Several months earlier two (2) men had attempted to force Suzanne into their car." (Page 48, William Heirens, His Day In Court.) "At 1:00 a.m. Mrs. Flynn heard two men arguing in the street below." (Page 42 William Heirens, His Day In Court.) Detectives suspected that two men might have been needed to carry Suzanne Deegnan from her bedroom.
46. Cuts on the thighs Cleveland Torso Murder Victim #10: "For the first time he made, on both thighs, sharp knife-like lacerations not necessary to the surgery." (Page 85, Butcher's Dozen.) Her killer cut a chunk of flesh from her thigh (keep in mind that Jack Anderson Wilson walked with a limp. Attacking the thigh may be psychologically related to his affliction.)