Dayton Strangler

Serial Killer

The Dayton Strangler: Dayton's Unidentified "Jack the Strangler"

The Dayton Strangler was the name given to an unidentified killer believed responsible for a series of murders in Dayton, Ohio, during the first decade of the twentieth century. Newspapers also referred to the unknown offender as "Jack the Strangler," the "Strangler of Death Lane," and, in some sensational accounts of the period, the "Man-Gorilla of Death Lane." The exact number of victims remains disputed, but a core group of five female victims and one male victim is commonly associated with the case. The murders occurred during an era when Dayton was rapidly expanding as an industrial city. Streetcars carried thousands of workers between residential neighborhoods and factories, while many streets on the outskirts of the city remained poorly illuminated. Several of the crimes occurred near streetcar routes, railroad lines, isolated fields, parks, or the National Soldiers' Home. Investigators repeatedly arrested suspects, obtained questionable confessions, and pursued competing theories, but no person was ever conclusively established as the killer responsible for the entire series.

The Murder of Ada Lantz

The earliest killing later associated with the Dayton Strangler occurred on the evening of October 13, 1900. Ada Lantz was only 11 years old. Her parents were holding a birthday gathering at their home on Leroy Street in Dayton, and numerous adults and children were present. While the adults were occupied with the celebration, Ada went outside and disappeared. When her absence was noticed, relatives and guests searched the neighborhood with lanterns. Attention eventually turned to the privy behind the Lantz residence. Ada's body was discovered inside the vault beneath it. Contemporary accounts and later cemetery records place her death on October 13, 1900. She had been assaulted, struck in the face, and strangled before her body was concealed. Several people came under suspicion. An 18-year-old named Harrison Blessing was arrested approximately a year later and was reported to have confessed, but authorities did not have sufficient evidence to establish his guilt and he was released. Ada's murder remained unsolved. Because it occurred six years before the next major Dayton killing, some researchers treat her as a possible rather than certain victim of the later serial murderer. The similarities in the assault and strangulation, however, caused her case to become closely associated with the Dayton Strangler series.

The Murder of Dona Gilman

On November 20, 1906, Dona Gilman, approximately 20 years old, left her job in the bindery department of the National Cash Register Company and traveled toward her West Dayton home by streetcar. She was last seen at about 5:40 that evening. She never arrived home. Gilman's body was discovered on November 22 in weeds near Groveland and Grandview avenues, not far from her family's residence. Investigators concluded that she had been strangled and assaulted. Evidence surrounding the condition and position of her body caused investigators to question whether she had actually been killed where she was found or whether her body had been moved after death. The Gilman investigation became extraordinarily confused. Numerous suspects were questioned. One of the most memorable was David Curtis, a 27-year-old newspaper seller sometimes called "Baby Dave." Curtis confessed and provided a story in which he claimed to have followed Gilman from a streetcar and strangled her. His reliability immediately became an issue because he was known for making fantastic claims and had previously confessed to a crime he had not committed. Curtis later said he had been pressured into confessing, and the case against him collapsed. Suspicion even fell on members of Gilman's own family. Her mother, brother, and sisters became entangled in the investigation after officials advanced theories that the killing had occurred closer to home. Those accusations ultimately failed to produce a conviction. Dona Gilman's murder remained unsolved and later became one of the central crimes attributed to the Dayton Strangler. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Ada Lantz Age: (11), Date of Death: 1900-10-14

Dayton Strangler - Wikipedia