Anthony Kirkland

Serial Killer

Anthony Kirkland: The Cincinnati Serial Killer

Overview

Anthony Wayne Kirkland is an American serial killer whose crimes terrorized the Cincinnati, Ohio, area across two distinct periods separated by approximately sixteen years in prison. His known killings began in 1987, when he murdered a woman inside his Walnut Hills residence, and continued after his release with the deaths of four additional victims between 2006 and 2009. His victims included two adult women and two young teenage girls. Kirkland repeatedly attacked vulnerable females, killed them during or after violent confrontations, and attempted to destroy evidence by setting their bodies on fire. Three of the four victims killed during his later series were strangled. Another was stabbed in the neck. Burning the remains became a recurring feature of his crimes, with bodies or portions of victims' clothing deliberately ignited and abandoned in isolated areas around Cincinnati. His final victim, 13-year-old Esme Kenney, was killed while jogging near a reservoir on March 7, 2009. Police found Kirkland nearby carrying the girl's watch and personalized iPod. The discovery led to his arrest and eventually connected him to several previously unresolved murders.

The Murder of Leola Douglas

Kirkland committed his first known killing on May 20, 1987, when he was 18 years old. The victim was his girlfriend, 27-year-old Leola Douglas. The attack took place at Kirkland's residence in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati. During an argument, Kirkland assaulted Douglas and then set her on fire. Her severely burned body was discovered near the top of a stairway leading into the residence. Authorities initially charged Kirkland with murder and arson, but he ultimately pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated arson. Kirkland received a lengthy prison sentence and served approximately sixteen years. He was released from prison in September 2003 and was discharged from parole in 2004. Despite the extreme violence of the Douglas killing, Kirkland eventually returned to the Cincinnati community, where his next known series of murders began in 2006. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Leola Douglas Age: (27), Date of Death: May 20, 1987

Anthony Kirkland - Wikipedia