John Tornow

Serial Killer

John Tornow: The Wild Man of the Wynoochee

Early Life and Isolation

John Tornow was born on September 4, 1880, and grew up near the Satsop and Wynoochee river valleys in western Washington. He belonged to a farming and logging family, but from childhood he appeared far more comfortable in the wilderness than in the company of other people. He frequently disappeared into the forest for extended periods, surviving by hunting, trapping, and gathering what he needed from the land. Tornow became known as an unusually skilled tracker and marksman. Accounts described him as a physically imposing man with an intimate knowledge of the dense forests, rivers, swamps, and mountain trails of the Olympic Peninsula. He occasionally worked in logging camps, but he increasingly rejected settled life and withdrew into remote areas. Local residents regarded him as eccentric, although many initially considered him harmless. His relatives eventually became concerned about his mental condition. In approximately 1909, Tornow was committed to a private institution in Oregon. He escaped after about a year and returned to the Washington wilderness. He reportedly blamed his brothers for having him confined and avoided most members of his family afterward. He did, however, occasionally visit his sister and her household, which included her 19-year-old twin sons, John and William Bauer.

The Deaths of the Bauer Twins

On September 3, 1911, John and William Bauer were found shot to death near their family home on the Olympic Peninsula. Each young man had suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Their weapons were missing, and suspicion quickly centered on their uncle. The precise circumstances of the shooting were never established in court because Tornow fled and was never captured alive. One account held that Tornow had killed a cow and was preparing the carcass when the Bauer brothers fired in his direction, possibly believing that they were shooting at a bear. Tornow may have believed that the shots were intended for him and returned fire. Another theory was that the brothers had deliberately gone into the woods to confront or capture their uncle. Whatever caused the encounter, the deaths marked the beginning of one of the longest and most dangerous manhunts in the history of the Pacific Northwest. Tornow disappeared into the Wynoochee Valley, where the rugged terrain gave him an enormous advantage over the posses searching for him. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

John Bauer , Date of Death: September 1911

Suspected Victims:

Louis Blair , Date of Death: 1913-04-16

Charles James Lathrop Age: (40), Date of Death: 1913-04-16

How Alleged Killer John Tornow Became The Terrifying Wild Man of ...