Customer Reviews

In the Wake of the Butcher : Cleveland's Torso Murders (Ohio)

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The Cleveland Torso Murders were among the first, accounted for, serial killings in America. Because of the gruesome details, not to mention that fact that the case is still open, they deserved much more attention. Criminologists, especially those interested in psychological profiling, would learn much from studying this case, than from other, more publicized murders, including the Sam Sheppard case.

Though we have not seen each other recently, I knew Jim Badal many years ago when I lived in Cleveland. His expertise in the Torso case at that time merited, at least in my opinion, a book, but Badal held back until he could bring real additional knowledge to the discussion, not just rehash and theories. His wait was worth it. Not only was Badal able to track down and interview members of the victim's families (and thus put a real face on persons previously portrayed through stereotypes), but he was the first Torso case author to read through the extensive records left by the lead police investigator. Thus we have a book of superb accuracy and detail, that reads better than a good crime novel.

The best part of the book is that Badal does not push his own theory of who was the Torso murderer. While some may find that disappointing, he instead takes the high road by giving the readers just the facts, and thus allows them to come up with their own theories. We will probably never know who did these awful crimes, and speculating for a little added notoriety would have only diminished the book's true horror.

"In the Wake of the Butcher" is the most complete book I have read regarding the topic of the Torso killings in Cleveland, Ohio. Not only can you uncover new details and new information about this case but James Badal has an uncanny way of putting "faces" on the victims and people involved. From Elliot Ness to Peter Merylo to Frank Dolezal...you'll walk away from this book feeling like you have gone back to the Thirties, have your Sherlock Holmes hat on and come up with your own theories of "Who Done It"! This book will not disappoint you.

I appreciate Mr. Beveridge taking the time to "review" my book "In the Wake of the Butcher." I must point out, however, that his allegation that I "ultimately dismiss" Dr. Francis Edward Sweeney as the prime candidate in the series of murder-dismemberments is simply not true. No one who read my book carefully could possibly come to that conculsion. Of course, with over 1,500 online reviews to his credit, Mr. Beveridge probably has precious little time for any sort of reading, careful or otherwise.

When Storytellers Media Group decided to produce a true crime series of documentaries - beginning with Ohio's own Torso Murders - we were pleasantly surprised to find that the author of the definitive study on the subject lived right here in Cleveland.

It was Jim Badal's carefully measured narrative that became the on-screen voice for The Fourteenth Victim - Eliot Ness and the Torso Murders, and which has since lent itself to our newest collaboration on the sad tale of missing child Beverly Potts; his book about Beverly is entitled Twilight of Innocence, and the resulting documentary is called Dusk & Shadow.

Unlike some historical true crime studies, Jim does not talk down to his readers and hand them a solution in either book. Instead, he offers the evidence and lets the reader decide - but the hint Badal drops is the size of a late-50s Buick, and it becomes all too clear who even Eliot Ness thought was the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run. I won't spoil it for you.

While I had cut my teeth on Ann Rule true crime books, it's Jim Badal's roman noir style of writing he employs for In the Wake of the Butcher - Cleveland's Torso Murders that seems to bring the genre from its solid emotional grounding that informs Rule's books and into a scholarly literary form. At the same time, though, Jim writes in a spare prose that reads like more like a desperate Jim Thompson novel where tragedy unfolds inexorably. You do not want to read Butcher after dark - or, if you're anything like me, perhaps you do!

Sadly, Mr Beveridge seems to have mistaken Dr Badal's book for something penned by another. IN THE WAKE OF THE BUTCHER covers hitherto unexplored ground, is superbly researched, and brings to light information previously thought lost. Dr Badal writes with warmth and feeling for the victims and the pursuers; he places the reader directly in the heart of the investigation, and makes us feel the frustration of those trying to solve this puzzle. His book is the best of the group of "Butcher books" available; he does not pretend to present a solution, but presents his evidence and leaves the reader to draw his own conclusions. Dr Badal has not written a novel, nor has he written a lurid "tell all" expose; what he HAS done is write a clear, concise, readable account of a period in Cleveland's history, during which horrific murders terrorised the city's citizens, and ultimately destroyed the career of Eliot Ness. Cheers to Dr Badal!!

Look if you get easily squeamish or turned off by the horror of the torso murders in Cleveland also known as the Kingsbury Run Murders, don't read or look at this book. But if you are like me, I like reading true crime no matter how disgusting or shocking as it is. I'm glad the author does use real photos that are quite shocking to those who get squeamish. The writing is excellent because it's detailed and thorough. I like true crime writers who allow us to know everything that the police or authorities know of the crimes. These crimes not only were more similar to the Jack the Ripper case in London but they were far worse because they were more victims in this case that were not as desirable as the Black Dahlia or as interesting as Jack the Ripper. There were victims but they were likely poor, desperate, vagrants, transients, blue collar workers, people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. We still don't know who did these crimes and we'll never really know. DNA and forensics paled back then. I felt bad for Elliot Ness who took charge but never solved the crimes as did other police officers who fought to find this monster who enjoyed decaptitating his victims while they were still alive. It must have been a butcher obsessed with people as well as animals. This book is well-worth the purchase because of all the details. I'm sure there were a lot more but it would be too technical etc. This book by James Jessen Badal who I don't recall as being a true crime author has done a fantastic and brilliant job in his first true crime book about the Cleveland's Kingsbury Run murders. The pictures are spread out rather than in certain pages in the book. Anyway, I hope he writes about other true crime cases in the Cleveland area. Maybe the Sam Sheppard case. Just a suggestion!

I really enjoyed this book. It laid out the facts of these murders, described the Cleveland area in the time period and gave information about the Police that tried to solve these crimes. Elliot Ness was a major player in Cleveland in this time period. This is the crime that he couldn't solve, that supposedly led to his downfall. (there are lots of pictures in this book also)
The author has his favorite suspect, but unlike other books about unsolved murders this one does not force you to see the author's suspect as the only viable suspect.
If you are interested in historic unsolved murders this book will interest you.

The Torso murders terrified Clevelanders three quarters of a century ago, and continue to mystify many of their descendants today.
Detailed and thoroughly researched, this book is likely to remain the last word on this complex and baffling case. The author does an excellent job of evoking the atmosphere of Depression era Cleveland, as well as the frustration felt by the investigators, the news media, and the citizens who lived in the shadow of these grisly crimes for years.
I have a life long interest in the CPD - my grandfather , George Matowitz served as Chief from 1931 to 1951, and I have served for years as a member of the board of trustees of the Cleveland Police Historical Society. I highly recommend this book.

Early on in this masterpiece of urban history and crime journalism, James Badal compares Cleveland's Butcher of Kingsbury Run's four-year (at least) career with that of Jack the Ripper, and concludes that the same two ingredients guarantee continued fascination with both cases: atrocious crimes and a perp who is never identified. Does Badal ever demonstrate these with regard to the Butcher! This book would read like fiction if we didn't have Badal's meticulous notes to back it all up. What's more, there is a vivid sense of what it was like to have this slaughter going on in the Great Depression, in some of Cleveland's poorest and most wretched shanty-towns. At the time my family lived in Tremont, just over the river and up the hill from the killing grounds, and now I know one story they didn't pass on to the kids. Badal has done a superb job here. It's horrible and it's convincing.

First off, having owned 2 previous books on the Torso murders, both seemed to be focused on the Elliot Ness aspect of the case, and not, much to my dismay as a true crime fan, to the actual murders, which are as mysterious & bizzare as the equally unsolved cases of the Zodiac & Jack the Ripper, except this case far out brutilizes those 2. The writing reads well & is interesting throughout. the book itself is researched very well & presents interesting little known facts & pictures (some gory) from the crimes, aswell as extensive bios for the major suspects in the crimes. A must have for any true crime buff or student of the Torso murders.