A town in Ohio is concerned there's a serial killer on the loose

Residents in Chillicothe, Ohio, are worried that a serial killer is lurking in their town, following the disappearance of six women in the past year.

Two of those women are still missing, while four have been found dead. Officials say they are connected through a common history of drug use, possible prostitution, and mutual friends, The Chillicothe Gazette reports. One of the women was found with three gunshots to the head, and another died from an "undetermined circumstance." The coroner ruled that one woman, whose car was found abandoned with a drained battery and the doors open, committed suicide by drowning, but her family said she was not despondent and was excited to be pregnant.

The community is holding marches and vigils, and raising money to pay for the burial of one of the women. The FBI has been called in to help crack the cases, but despite the fact there is a dedicated tip line, not enough clues are coming in to aid police. "We've checked land, air, and water for any signs of the [the women]," Chillicothe Police Chief Keith Washburn said. "But the problem is you're trying to find a needle in a haystack unless you have the information. The information we have is running dry on some of these cases."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up