A woman was found dismembered in Cincinnati, but police say no serial killer | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: A serial killer is dismembering women’s bodies in Cincinnati

A Nov. 9 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) issues a warning to women in Ohio’s third-most populous city.

“All females in Cincy beware there is a serial killer that is dismembering females!” reads the post. “Watch your surroundings!”

It was shared more than 500 times in less than a day. Another version of the claim was shared more than 250 times.

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Our rating: False

Officials are investigating the death of one woman whose dismembered remains were found in a wooded area in Cincinnati on Nov. 5. The police department said no other dismembered bodies have been found in the city and that claims of a serial killer are false.

One dismembered body found in Cincinnati on Nov. 5

The Cincinnati Police Department said claims of a serial killer dismembering women's bodies in the city are "completely false."

“There is only one dismembered body found, which was located on Sunday, Nov. 5," said department spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Cunningham.

In that case, the body of a Black woman believed to be in her late 20s or early 30s was found in a wooded area in the city, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Officials said she likely died within two days prior to being found.

Officials ruled her death a homicide and were still working to identify the woman as of Nov. 7, the outlet reported.

There are no recent reports of other dismembered bodies being found from local news outlets.

Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco also said claims of a serial killer were false, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Fact check: False claims of serial killer ‘currently hunting’ in many different communities

There has been at least one documented serial killer in the city, though.

The Cincinnati Strangler was linked to the murders of seven women between December 1965 and December 1966, as reported by WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. Posteal Laskey was convicted of one of the killings and died in prison in 2007. He was not charged in the other murders, but the sudden stop in such incidents after Laskey's arrest supported investigators' suspicions that Laskey was behind each of the killings.

Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge speaking to reporters during a press conference Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, about a woman whose remains were found dismembered in North Fairmount.
Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge speaking to reporters during a press conference Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, about a woman whose remains were found dismembered in North Fairmount.

USA TODAY has previously debunked claims of serial killers in an array of cities, including Pittsburgh, San Antonio and Seattle.

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim of Cincinnati serial killer targeting women | Fact check