The Cincinnati Strangler: seven women, one conviction, and six questions.
Between December 1965 and December 1966, seven women were killed in and near Cincinnati's Walnut Hills area. A taxi driver turned laundry worker was convicted in one of the killings and blamed for the rest. Only one case ever went to trial.
Case file at a glance
This is a case where the public story is bigger than the court record. Laskey was convicted of killing Barbara Bowman. The other six were attributed to him largely because the killings stopped after his arrest, and no jury ever heard them.
- Seven victims in a year.The victims were mostly older women, killed by strangulation or stabbing between Dec 2, 1965 and Dec 9, 1966.
- One trial, one conviction.Posteal Laskey Jr. was arrested Dec 9, 1966 and convicted in April 1967 of killing Barbara Bowman. He was sentenced to death; the sentence was changed to life in 1972.
- The rest were never tried.He was blamed for the other six because, in investigators' account, the murders stopped after his arrest.
- The Bowman case had weak spots.It rested on photo identifications and a taxi that had been reported stolen hours earlier.
Editorial assessment of public sources, not a finding of fact. Nobody named here has been charged unless this page says so.
What happened
Dates come from the Wikipedia summary of period records. Sources spell some names differently.
Emogene Harrington, 56
The first victim is strangled.
Lois Dant, 58
Strangled, raped, and beaten.
Matilda Jeannette Messer, 56
Beaten, raped, and strangled in a park.
Barbara Bowman, 31
Stabbed in the throat seven times after a taxi ride. She is the only victim whose case reaches a conviction.
Alice Hochhausler, 51, and Rose Winstel, 81
Hochhausler is killed on Oct 11; Winstel, 81, is beaten and strangled on Oct 20. The Bricca family is murdered in September, between the fourth and fifth strangling victims.
Lula Kerrick, 81, and the arrest
Kerrick is strangled with her own stocking in an elevator. The same day, Posteal Laskey Jr. is arrested after a witness reports a license plate tied to his car.
The trial
Laskey is convicted of Bowman's murder and sentenced to death.
Sentence changed
The U.S. Supreme Court changes his sentence to life imprisonment with a chance of parole.
Laskey dies
He dies in custody at 69 after repeated parole denials.
Victims
Seven women, most over 50. Their names are often left out of the legend.
Emogene Harrington, 56
Strangled Dec 2, 1965.
Lois Dant, 58
Strangled, raped, and beaten April 4, 1966.
Matilda Jeannette Messer, 56
Beaten, raped, and strangled in a park June 10, 1966.
Barbara Bowman, 31
Stabbed in the throat seven times Aug 14, 1966 after a taxi ride. The only case that led to a conviction.
Photo: Ohio Attorney General, unsolved-homicide listing. The source states no reuse license; shown at the site owner's direction. Contact us to have it removed.
DiedAlice Hochhausler, 51
Killed Oct 11, 1966. Some sources spell her name Hochhausen.
Rose Winstel, 81
Beaten and strangled Oct 20, 1966.
Lula Kerrick, 81
Strangled with her own stocking in an elevator Dec 9, 1966.
Photos marked as from the Ohio Attorney General are credited under each picture. Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Evidence
The record is mostly about the Bowman case.
| Item | What is known | Disputed or unknown |
|---|---|---|
| The taxi (cab #186) | Bowman was killed after a taxi ride. The cab was reported stolen hours before her murder. | Whether Laskey took it is not established in what we read. |
| The license plate | A witness reported a plate tied to Laskey's car; he was arrested Dec 9, 1966. | Which killing, if any, the plate connected to. |
| Identification | Witnesses picked Laskey from photographs in the Bowman case. | Photo identifications are a weak form of evidence. |
| The cab key | The company said Laskey kept an ignition key after he was dismissed in 1962. | Whether the key was used in the stolen cab is not stated. |
| Two robbery claims | Two people later told police Laskey had robbed them. | Whether these claims were tried in court is not stated. |
| The other six | No trial; no public forensic link in what we read. | Why police attribute them to him: the killings stopped after his arrest. |
Public documents
The record is mostly the 1967 trial and secondary summaries. We did not find primary documents online.
| Document | Holder | What it shows | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Strangler (Wikipedia, with citations) | Wikipedia | A footnoted summary of the victims, Laskey's arrest, trial, and sentence. | Online, free |
| 1967 trial record, State v. Laskey | Hamilton County Common Pleas Court; Ohio and U.S. appellate courts | Exhibits and testimony in the Bowman case, and the appeals that ended in a life sentence in 1972. | Request needed |
| Cincinnati Police files on the seven homicides | Cincinnati Police Department | The 1965–66 investigation. | Withheld or sealed |
Access labels: Online, free = we could open it. Fan-hosted copy = a private researcher posted scans; originals are held by the named agency, and we cannot vouch for completeness. Quoted in news = reporters read it; we did not see the document itself. Request needed = held by an agency or court. Withheld = the holder has not released it. We cannot reach non-public records, and we do not try to.
Online discussion (unverified)
Where people talk about this case online, and how to read it.
| Platform | Live search | What you tend to find |
|---|---|---|
| Google: Reddit | site:reddit.com search | Public Reddit threads that Google has indexed, including old discussions. |
| Google: X and Twitter | X and Twitter posts | Public posts and profiles that appear in search results. |
| Google: Facebook | Public Facebook pages and posts | Only public pages and groups that Google can see. Private groups never appear. |
| Google: Instagram and TikTok | Instagram and TikTok | Public posts, memorials, and videos. |
| Google: forums | Forums and message boards | Long-running true-crime forums. |
| Google News | Latest news | Newest reporting, which is usually more reliable than posts. |
| Search Reddit | Long discussion threads and theories, often by amateur researchers. No sign-in needed to read. | |
| X (Twitter) | Search X | Short posts, news links, and anniversary notes. May require sign-in. |
| Search Facebook | Public groups and family or community pages. Requires sign-in. | |
| Search #cincinnatistrangler | Memorial and true-crime posts. Requires sign-in. | |
| YouTube | Search YouTube | Documentaries, news clips, and interviews. Quality varies widely. |
Be careful with online theories. Naming a private person as a suspect can harm an innocent family, and many "identifications" on forums have been wrong. Our own tools could not read these platforms: Reddit blocks automated access, and the others require an account. The Google searches above work from your browser. To get new public mentions by email, make a free Google Alert for the case name in quotation marks.
Coverage timeline and verification
What local and national reports say, and when we last checked for a solution.
| Date | Outlet | What it reported | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1967 | |||
| Court record (via Wikipedia) | |||
| Laskey convicted of killing Barbara Bowman. | |||
| Read | |||
| May 29, 2007 | |||
| Wikipedia summary | |||
| Laskey died in custody at 69. | |||
| Read |
Status is re-checked on a regular schedule. If you know of a development we missed, use the clue form near the top of this page or the contact form, and include a link.
Suspects
Only one person was ever tried. Authorities have named no other suspect.
Posteal Laskey Jr.
Why named: Arrested Dec 9, 1966 after a witness reported a license plate tied to his car. Convicted in April 1967 of killing Barbara Bowman. Two people later said he had robbed them.
Against: He was never charged with the other six killings. His lawyers argued publicity prevented a fair trial; the court rejected that. The Bowman identification rested on photo lineups and a taxi reported stolen hours earlier.
An unidentified second offender
Why named: Because Laskey was tried for one killing, whether the other six were committed by him, by someone else, or by more than one person is unproven.
Against: No other suspect has been named in public sources we found.
Where a card shows a silhouette, we found no freely licensed photo. Anyone who wants a photo added, changed, or removed can use the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Latest question: did Laskey kill all seven?
There is no new suspect. The live question is how much of the record rests on one man.
The claims and how strong they are
| Claim | Source | Status | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laskey killed Barbara Bowman | Jury verdict, April 1967 | Convicted; sentence later changed to life. | Documented |
| Laskey killed the other six | Investigators; the end of the killings | Never charged or tried. Rests on timing. | Weak |
| The killings stopped because he was caught | Investigators | Consistent but not proof; killers stop for many reasons. | Circumstantial |
What would settle it
- Retest preserved evidence from all seven cases, if any survives, against Laskey's DNA profile.
- Compare methods. The victims were killed by strangulation and by stabbing, which suggests more than one method.
- Review the Bowman trial record and the 1966 witness statements.
One verdict, six open questions
We put the chance that Laskey killed all seven women at roughly 35%. The pattern of older victims and strangulation fits several of the cases, but the Bowman killing, a stabbing of a younger woman, is different. A retest of surviving evidence could change this.
Editorial judgment, not statistics.
Elimination matrix
"—" means no public information, not a clean result.
| Case | Method | Physical link to Laskey | Legal outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrington (Dec 1965) | Strangled | — none published | ? never charged |
| Dant (April 1966) | Strangled, beaten | — none published | ? never charged |
| Messer (June 1966) | Beaten, strangled | — none published | ? never charged |
| Bowman (Aug 1966) | Stabbed | ? photo IDs; cab | ✓ convicted |
| Hochhausler (Oct 1966) | Not stated | — none published | ? never charged |
| Winstel (Oct 1966) | Beaten, strangled | — none published | ? never charged |
| Kerrick (Dec 1966) | Strangled | — none published | ? never charged |
✗ excluded or contradicted · ✓ supports · ? disputed · — nothing public. No cell is an official finding.
Our hypothesis
Editorial reading of public records. A working theory, not a finding, and it names no individual.
A real series, an uncertain count, and a conviction that covers only part of it
- Several of the killings look related. Older women, strangled, in one part of the city within a year.
- The Bowman killing may not fit. A stabbing of a younger woman after a taxi ride differs in method and victim.
- The arrest ended the story, not the questions. The series stopped, but that is not proof one person was responsible.
- The test is simple. If any evidence survives, DNA could connect or separate the cases.
Judgment, not statistics.
Missing links
Questions raised by gaps in the public record.
1. Surviving evidence
Whether biological evidence from any of the seven cases was preserved and whether it was ever tested.
2. The stolen taxi
How cab #186 was taken, who reported it stolen, and when.
3. The six uncharged cases
Why none went to trial, and what the prosecutors concluded.
4. The two robbery claims
Whether these were investigated and what came of them.
5. Method differences
A published comparison of how each woman was killed.
6. Witness records
The 1966 witness statements and photo-lineup procedures.
7. The Bricca link
Local reporting says the Bricca murders are not connected to the Strangler cases. The basis for that conclusion is not public.
8. The trial record
A public index of the 1967 trial exhibits.
Evidence gaps
"Not public" means we could not find a report.
| Item | Tested | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Physical evidence, all seven cases | Examined in 1965–66. | Whether any survives: not public. |
| Fingerprints | Presumably taken. | Results: not public. |
| Bowman trial exhibits | Presented at trial. | Location now: not public. |
| Police files | Held by Cincinnati Police. | Public index: not available. |
Forensic tech
| Tool | What it could do | Status here |
|---|---|---|
| DNA testing | Compare any surviving evidence across the seven cases. | Not reported |
| Forensic genetic genealogy | Identify an unknown donor. | Needs DNA; none reported |
| Records review | Re-read the 1966–67 police and court files. | Available through requests |
Solved cases
Local cases that moved after decades.
Carol Sue Klaber (Boone County, KY, 1976)
Investigators say a private genealogy investigation helped them identify Thomas Dunaway, who died in 1990, as the man who killed the 16-year-old. He cannot be indicted, so prosecutors sent a letter saying he would have been charged. The lesson: genealogy can name a killer after decades, even when no trial is possible.
Forensic genetic genealogy training
In 2024, local investigators were being trained in the technique, which has already helped solve Cincinnati-area cases, according to FOX19. The lesson: the tool is now local, so cases with usable DNA have a real path forward.
Golden State Killer
Old crime-scene DNA matched relatives in a public database and led to a 2018 arrest. The lesson: a usable sample can still work after decades.
Case details come from public news coverage and the Boone County Sheriff's cold-case list. Confirm in court records.
False leads
| Claim | Source and date | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Laskey killed all seven women | Investigators; press | Convicted in one case only. |
| The Bricca family murders were part of the series | Early speculation | Local reporting says the cases are not connected. |
| The killings stopped because Laskey was caught | Investigators | Plausible, unproven. |
Where
The killings centered on Cincinnati's Walnut Hills area and nearby neighborhoods. Bowman was killed after a taxi ride; Messer was killed in a park; Kerrick in an elevator.
Open in maps: Walnut Hills, Cincinnati. We show no photograph of the scene.
Source ratings
| Source | Type | Rating | Use with care because |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court record (1967 trial) | Official | A | Not available online that we found. |
| Wikipedia: Cincinnati Strangler | Tertiary | B | Summary; spells some names differently. |
| Local news and books (J.T. Townsend) | Advocacy | D | Narrative accounts. |
Records
Cincinnati Police Department
The 1965–66 investigation.
Hamilton County Prosecutor and Common Pleas Court
The 1967 trial.
Ohio Attorney General
Unsolved homicide listings.
Sample public-records request
Under the Ohio Public Records Act, I request copies of non-exempt records relating to the 1965–1966 Cincinnati Strangler homicides and the 1967 trial of Posteal Laskey Jr., including incident reports, laboratory reports, and any evidence inventory. Please send electronic copies. If any part is withheld, please identify the exemption relied on and release all reasonably segregable material.
Agencies often withhold records of open investigations, so expect partial answers.
Remembering the victims
Seven women, most of them older, were killed in one city in one year. Their families waited for answers that only one trial provided.
News & databases
In the news
Loading headlines…
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Where they disagree, we say so above.
- Cincinnati Strangler, Wikipedia (victims, dates, Laskey's arrest and conviction, disputes).
Names, dates, and counts come from one Wikipedia article and are as reliable as its sources; we did not check the trial record. The Bricca connection is from local reporting and was not verified here.
Change log
- Oct 8, 2026: File published.