Cold Cases in Ohio

ColdCaseIndex documents 11 cold cases in Ohio, spanning 1934–2014. 8 of these cases remain fully unsolved. Each case page includes documented details, status, and information on how to submit a tip.

11 Documented Cases
8 Still Unsolved
1934–2014 Year Range
4 Case Types

By Type

5 Homicides 3 Missing Persons 2 Serial Killer Victims 1 Unidentified Person

By Status

8 Unsolved 2 Conviction 1 No Conviction

All Ohio Cases

No Conviction 2014

Tamir Rice

Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann within two seconds of arriving at a park where Tamir was playing with a toy gun. A grand jury declined to indict the officers. T

Cleveland Homicide Age 12
Unsolved 2010

Chad Harris

Thirty-two-year-old Chad Harris was found murdered in Columbus, Ohio in March 2010. Despite investigation by Columbus Police, the case went cold. It remains in Franklin County cold case files.

Columbus Homicide Age 32
Conviction 2007

Anthony Sowell Victims

Anthony Sowell was convicted of murdering 11 women in Cleveland whose bodies were found in and around his home in 2009. He preyed on vulnerable women in his neighborhood. Sowell was sentenced to death and died on death r

Cleveland Serial Killer Victims
Conviction 2002

Ariel Castro Victims

Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus were individually abducted and held captive for about a decade in Ariel Castro's Cleveland home. Amanda Berry escaped in 2013 with her daughter born in captivity. Castro pl

Cleveland Missing Person
Unsolved 1998

Stacy Wilson

Twenty-six-year-old Stacy Wilson was found murdered in Toledo, Ohio in July 1998. Despite investigation, the case went cold. It remains in Lucas County cold case files.

Toledo Homicide Age 26
Unsolved 1992

Aaron Rains

Twelve-year-old Aaron Rains disappeared from Youngstown, Ohio in July 1992. Despite searches, he was never found. His case remains open with Mahoning County investigators.

Youngstown Missing Person Age 12
Unsolved 1983

Stephanie Coffey

Twenty-year-old Ohio University student Stephanie Coffey was found murdered near the campus in Athens, Ohio. Despite investigation, the case went cold. It remains in Athens County cold case files.

Athens Homicide Age 20
Unsolved 1981

Marcia King (Buckskin Girl)

Known as 'Buckskin Girl' for the fringed jacket she wore, Marcia King was found murdered along US Route 40 near Troy, Ohio in April 1981. She was unidentified for 37 years until DNA genealogy testing identified her in 20

Troy Unidentified Person
Unsolved 1954

Marilyn Sheppard

Marilyn Sheppard was bludgeoned to death in her Bay Village, Ohio home. Her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, was convicted of murder in 1954 but his conviction was overturned. Retried in 1966, he was acquitted. His case inspir

Bay Village Homicide Age 31
Unsolved 1951

Beverly Potts

Ten-year-old Beverly Potts disappeared from a Cleveland park while attending a neighborhood show. Despite one of the largest manhunts in Cleveland history, she was never found. The case remained one of Cleveland's most h

Cleveland Missing Person Age 10
Unsolved 1934

Cleveland Torso Murders

The Cleveland Torso Murderer killed at least 12 people in the Kingsbury Run neighborhood of Cleveland between 1934 and 1938. Victims were decapitated and dismembered; most were never identified. Despite legendary detecti

Cleveland Serial Killer Victims