I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t believe that the semester is almost over! Working with all of you has been an absolute blast and I hope we stay in touch! With that being said, I hope you enjoy my last blog post too!

In my last blog post, we delved into the evidence that led reputable detective, Eliot Ness, to his secret suspect of the Cleveland Torso Murders. The suspect, Dr. Sweeney, perfectly fit the profile of the Cleveland Torso Murderer and had the medical expertise required for dismembering human bodies. On top of the evidence gathered by Eliot Ness, another case expert found separate evidence to implicate Sweeney. What’s even more chilling is that the case expert, James Badal, had found his evidence after spending more than 18 years of research on the Cleveland Torso Murders as of 2014. Let’s look into Badal’s portfolio for the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run.

Badal’s evidence not only confirms that Dr. Sweeney fits the profile of the Cleveland Torso Murderer, but also surpasses the evidence gathered by Eliot Ness. First, Badal uncovered a mysterious report about a vagrant, Emil Fronek, who lived in Kingsbury Run. In the report, the vagrant claimed that a doctor tried to drug him, which occurred in 1934. Badal was initially intrigued by the report because the Cleveland Torso Murders took place from 1934 to 1938. The vagrant also told authorities that the doctor practiced in a building located on Broadway Street. The authorities never found Sweeney’s office, so the report was dismissed. After looking into the story, however, Badal discovered that Sweeney did practice in a modest-looking building on Broadway Street. The vagrant’s report intensifies the suspicion hovering over Sweeney, especially since a victim of the Cleveland Torso Murderer was drugged as well. Despite the profound connection between the vagrant’s story and Dr. Sweeney, it’s hard to believe that a person would risk bloody and gruesome murders while in a public setting. Nonetheless, Badal found more evidence that dismisses this afterthought.

After an interview with David Cowles, head of the scientific identification bureau, Badal realized that Sweeney potentially had an agreement with a funeral home right next to his office. The funeral home may have permitted the practice of surgeries on unclaimed bodies, which is a perfect opportunity for a lunatic. The funeral home also had a ramp that conveniently led to the basement, which may have provided coverage for Sweeney. To give you more goosebumps, the funeral home was also not far from any of the disposal sites for the victims of the Cleveland Torso Murderer.

In the end, Ness and Badal have put together astonishing cases against Dr. Francis E. Sweeney. Unfortunately, all of the evidence is only circumstantial, which is not considered to be concrete proof. As a result, Sweeney was never charged for the Cleveland Torso Murders and the case is not solved. On the other hand, do you believe that Dr. Francis E. Sweeney is the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run? Or do you have any other ideas as to what may have happened? Let me know in the comments section!