Cleveland was struggling to shake off the lingering effects of the Great Depression. Elliot Ness put together a team in the mold of the untouchables and they worked under the radar, trying to get information from criminal grapevine. He said very little publicly, but there was one notable statement: I want to see this psycho caught.
In 1934, a man collecting driftwood along the Lake Erie shore found a human torso on the beach. No one could figure out what had happened. Over the next several years, more bodies were discovered. Eventually, a coroner assembled something he called the “Torso Clinic” to work on the case. It was made up of about 30 people – doctors, professors, police officers, and a young Prohibition agent named Eliot Ness.
We're excited to announce Criminal Plus - our new membership program. Sign up to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes, ad-free listening of Criminal, This is Love, and Phoebe Reads a Mystery and members-only merch. Our first bonus episode is available now! Learn more and sign up here: thisiscriminal.com/plus.
Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our occasional newsletter, The Accomplice. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.
Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop.
Episode transcripts are posted on our website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices