SERIAL KILLER: The Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run Pt. 2
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Before today's episode, I want to take a brief moment to tell you about a show from CrimeHouse's sister studio, Rewind, that I know you'll love. It's called Government That Doesn't Suck, hosted by professors Lindsay Cormack and Greg Jackson from History That Doesn't Suck. Ever wonder how the weather forecast on your phone is so accurate? Or how your mail still gets across the country for less than a dollar? Or who actually built the highway you drove on this morning? Each episode tells the surprising story of an American institution that you'll never look at the same way again. Listen to and follow Government That Doesn't Suck every other Monday on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch video episodes on YouTube.
This is Crime House. We've all experienced failure. Maybe when we were younger, we didn't get picked for a team or get a role in the school play. As adults, failure can sting even more, especially if our careers and livelihoods are on the line. Failure is especially brutal when we let others down. In 1930s Cleveland, the police fought tooth and nail for their city and failed miserably. It was their job to catch the notorious Cleveland Torso Murderer, otherwise known as the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. But after years of dead ends and fruitless searching, they never brought anyone to justice. Now, decades later, the authorities are trying to right their wrong. If the failures of the past don't come back to haunt them.
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The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, love, and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Serial Killers and Murderous Minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.
And I'm forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history, analyzing what makes a killer.
Crime House exists because of listeners like you. Want even more? Join Crime House Plus and get both parts of every story dropped on the same Monday, completely ad-free. No waiting three days for part two, plus Crime House bonus episodes every month. To join, go to crimehouseplus.com, or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap Try Free at the top of the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds page. Before we get started, be advised that this episode contains discussion of murder and dismemberment, so please listen with care. Today, we conclude our deep dive into an unidentified murderer known only as the Cleveland Torso Murderer or the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. In the 1930s, the torso killer terrorized the city of Cleveland, Ohio.
He dismembered and decapitated his victims, creating an impossible puzzle for detectives as they struggled to catch him.
As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like why killers dismember their victims after the fact, how sex can be a factor in dismemberment, and the psychology behind forced or coerced confessions.
And as always, we'll be asking the question, what makes a killer? By September of 1936, seven sets of dismembered remains had been found in different parts of Cleveland, Ohio. Five of the victims were men and two were women. The authorities had only been able to identify two people, 29-year-old Edward Andrusi and 42-year-old Florence Polillo. Edward had been a hospital orderly who was known for his party lifestyle and womanizing, and Florence was a waitress who had also made a living as a sex worker. It seemed like the killer was targeting vulnerable people. However, due to the levels of dismemberment and decay, the police were unable to determine more information about the other victims. And while the authorities had long believed multiple killers were at large, they'd recently come to the conclusion that a single person was behind all the murders.
With no solid leads, coroner Arthur Pierce had organized a so-called torso clinic, where law enforcement officials created a profile of the killer. Based on the fact that each victim's dismembering wounds had been clean and precise, and that their remains had been left in areas inaccessible by vehicle, they believed the killer was a large, strong male who worked with knives.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–5:29
2
What background and overview introduce the Cleveland Torso Murderer case?
5:29–23:22
3
How many victims were found and what patterns did early investigations reveal?
23:22–28:08
4
What did the 'torso clinic' profile conclude about the killer's skills and behavior?
28:08–35:41
5
How did new discoveries (beheaded torso, skulls, and toxicology) change the investigation?
35:41–44:38
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
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