William Henry Redmond

Serial Killer

William Henry Redmond: Suspected Traveling-Carnival Serial Killer

Early Life and History of Violence

William Henry Redmond was born on January 22, 1922, in Conneaut, Ohio. Although he is frequently described as a serial killer, Redmond was never convicted of murder. He was, however, a convicted child molester with a documented history of sexually attacking young girls, and investigators in several states suspected that he may have committed multiple abductions and murders between the late 1940s and the 1980s. Redmond's disturbing behavior reportedly began when he was still an adolescent. In 1935, at approximately thirteen years old, he was arrested after sexually assaulting two young girls in Lancaster, Ohio. He spent time in the Ohio State Reformatory and the Ohio State Psychiatric Hospital. In 1938, authorities detained him again after the attempted rape and assault of a preteen girl in Conneaut. He was later accused of another sexual assault in Florida in 1949. After serving a federal sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, Redmond was released in June 1949. He subsequently worked as a truck driver, Ferris-wheel operator and general laborer for traveling carnivals. This work allowed him to move between communities, remain in towns for short periods and then leave with little notice. Investigators later examined whether his movements placed him near the locations where several girls disappeared or were murdered.

The Murder of Jane Marie Althoff

The case most firmly connected to Redmond was the murder of eight-year-old Jane Marie Althoff in Trainer, Pennsylvania. On the evening of April 24, 1951, Jane attended the Penn-Premier Shows carnival with two of her brothers. The carnival was crowded with thousands of visitors, and Jane became separated from her family while moving through the midway. Shortly after midnight on April 25, Jane's body was discovered inside the cab of a pickup truck parked on the carnival grounds. She had been killed by asphyxiation or strangulation. Court records later stated that she had also been sexually molested. Witnesses reportedly remembered seeing Jane speaking with Redmond, who was employed at the carnival as a Ferris-wheel operator. Investigators found Redmond's fingerprints throughout the truck in which Jane was discovered. His employment could have provided an innocent reason for his prints to be present, but his history of attacks against children made him an important suspect. A warrant was issued in January 1952 so that Redmond could be questioned, but authorities could not locate him. By the time investigators attempted to find him, he had already moved on. The investigation remained unresolved for more than three decades. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Malcolm Murphy reopened the case in 1985 and eventually traced Redmond to Grand Island, Nebraska. Redmond was arrested in January 1988 and extradited to Pennsylvania. He was indicted on charges that included criminal homicide, murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, indecent assault, unlawful restraint and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors maintained that Redmond made incriminating statements during a lengthy police interrogation. According to the prosecution's account, he said that he strangled Jane after she continued asking him for additional Ferris-wheel rides. The defense disputed the circumstances and reliability of the alleged statement. The case was further complicated when a detective refused to identify a confidential informant whose statements had been used during the investigation. A judge held the detective in contempt and prevented him from testifying, seriously weakening the prosecution. Because Redmond suffered from emphysema, heart problems and other serious health conditions, he was eventually released on nominal bail while the legal proceedings continued. He died in Grand Island, Nebraska, on January 2, 1992, before he could be tried. Jane Althoff's murder therefore never resulted in a conviction. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Jane Marie Althoff Age: (8), Date of Death: 1951-04-25

Suspected Victims:

Joanne Ena Lynn Age: (11), Date of Death: 1949-09-19

Beverly Rose Potts Age: (10), Date of Death: 1951-08-24

Constance Christine Smith Age: (10), Date of Death: 1952-07-16

Barbara Gaca Age: (7), Date of Death: 1955-03-24

Marie Elizabeth Ridulph Age: (7), Date of Death: 1957-12-03

Jillian Dee Cutshall Age: (9), Date of Death: 1987-08-13

William Henry Redmond - Wikipedia