Suspects

[Stan Reid]

At least there were prints in the cases of Texarkana and Zodiac, Dahlia too if you count the letter, so that should quell some of the cross-referencing.

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

4 - Jack Wilson - (c. 1920-1982) - A late suspect in the Black Dahlia murder(s), a case which had some commonalities, who died in a mysterious fire. He was in Cleveland at the time of the murders but would have only been 13 at the time Victim 0 was killed, probably too young. He's also been named as a suspect for the mid 1940s Chicago killings for which William Heirens is still serving time.

In his newest book, Steve Hodel blames these Chicago killings and the Dahlia murder, in addition to the Zodiac slayings plus others, on his father, Dr. George Hodel, but, as yet, not the Cleveland homicides.

[Stan Reid]

In 1938, a man named Emil Fronek told investigators that he'd been befriended in late 1935, when he was homeless, by a man claiming to be a doctor. The man took Fronek to "his office" with a promise of food and some shoes. After he ate, Mr. Fronek realized that he'd been drugged and bolted before he passed out. He said that he later ran into another vagrant who'd had a similar experience with a man whose description matched. This person, very possibly the killer, did not fit the description of any of the named suspects. Wilson was way too young and Johnson was the wrong race. Dolezal and Sweeney matched those two but not other elements. The "doctor" was much smaller than Sweeney and not swarthy looking like Dolezal. It's also hard to imagine a down-and-out like Dolezal having access to any kind of office. Fronek was unable to find the location.

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

4 - Jack Wilson - (c. 1920-1982) - A late suspect in the Black Dahlia murder(s), a case which had some commonalities, who died in a mysterious fire. He was in Cleveland at the time of the murders but would have only been 13 at the time Victim 0 was killed, probably too young. He's also been named as a suspect for the mid 1940s Chicago killings for which William Heirens is still serving time.

In 1936, an informant did come forward to relate that a former butcher named Jack Wilson was a likely suspect in the murder of Flo Pollilo. This was almost certainly a different person than the above Jack Wilson. He would have only been 15 years old when Mrs. Pollilo was slain and I can't imagine anyone that age even being a butcher let alone being described as a former butcher. No one has been able to find out if the butcher Jack Wilson was ever located or interviewed by police.

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

I think Dr. Francis Edward Sweeney is still the best of the named suspects although I'd still put him below 50%. In my view, it's probably someone we haven't heard about yet.

Wouldn't Sweeney have been well enough known that he'd have been recognized by many while he was prowling in bum town? He was a doctor and the relative of a Congressman.

[Stan Reid]

Alternate names for suspects:

1-Frank Dolezal-Know of none

2-Francis Sweeney-Perhaps the person Eliot Ness called Gaylord Sundheim

3-Willie Johnson-None I have seen

4-Jack Anderson Wilson-Jack H. Wilson, Arnold Smith, Jack Olsen, Hanns Anderson Von Cannon, Jack A. Taylor, John D. Ryan, Eugene Deavilen, Jack McCurry, Grover Loving Jr., Grover Loving Wilson, Jack Anderson McGray-He also tried to blame the Dahlia murder on a person named Al Morrison who some thought was actually him

[Stan Reid]

Many years ago, I read The Untouchables by Elliot Ness and Oscar Fraley but don't remember too much about it. Has anyone read Oscar Fraley's Four Against the Mob? I was wondering if it had any insight regarding this case and Ness' suspect.

[Chris G.]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

Alternate names for suspects:

1-Frank Dolezal-Know of none

2-Francis Sweeney-Perhaps the person Eliot Ness called Gaylord Sundheim

3-Willie Johnson-None I have seen

4-Jack Anderson Wilson-Jack H. Wilson, Arnold Smith, Jack Olsen, Hanns Anderson Von Cannon, Jack A. Taylor, John D. Ryan, Eugene Deavilen, Jack McCurry, Grover Loving Jr., Grover Loving Wilson, Jack Anderson McGray-He also tried to blame the Dahlia murder on a person named Al Morrison who some thought was actually him

Hi Stan

If the speculation is that the Cleveland Torso murderer and the Black Dahlia killer were one and the same, it would appear to me that the Cleveland killer's big thing was head removal. Elizabeth Short's body was cut in two and her face mutilated but her head was not removed.

Chris

[Stan Reid]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

4-Jack Anderson Wilson-Jack H. Wilson, Arnold Smith, Jack Olsen, Hanns Anderson Von Cannon, Jack A. Taylor, John D. Ryan, Eugene Deavilen, Jack McCurry, Grover Loving Jr., Grover Loving Wilson, Jack Anderson McGray-He also tried to blame the Dahlia murder on a person named Al Morrison who some thought was actually him

Hi Chris-Yes, I agree with that. Every Cleveland murder involved a head removal, without fail.

Regarding the Cleveland/Dahlia suspect Wilson, his mother's last name was Buchanan and she was not married when he was born so perhaps Jack Buchanan should also be listed as one of his alternate names. Maybe that's where the Cannon name came from. His father's last name was originally listed as Loving on his Birth Certificate but that was later scratched out and changed to Wilson.

[JDombrowski89]

Originally Posted by Stan Reid

Wouldn't Sweeney have been well enough known that he'd have been recognized by many while he was prowling in bum town? He was a doctor and the relative of a Congressman.

Not nessecarily, Stan. It wasn't widely circulated that he was. Plus he could have easily disguised himself. And if someone spotted him in a bar, knew he was related to the congressman, that also wouldn't help much because of the political throwbacks back then. People still went under the assumption of that. Plus if he was spotted and known to have been a relative of the Congressman, im sure someone would have reported it. In Badal's book it also shows extensive evidence that while Merylo was running his own investigation, Ness was carrying out a seperate one founded on evidence that has never been located and was extremely secretive.

Regards,
Justin