About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "True Crime Time For September 23, 2026 | The Cleveland Torso Murders" from Real Life Real Crime: Woody Overton's Investigator Podcast covers the Cleveland Torso Murders, one of Cleveland's most disturbing unsolved mysteries. Cyndi Overton takes over the episode and traces the investigation through Eliot Ness, the destruction of the Kingsbury Run encampments, the disputed confession of Frank Dolezal, and Ness's suspicions surrounding Dr. Francis Sweeney. She then turns to three difficult cases involving children: 19-year-old Elijah Mayes, charged in the death of 11-month-old Grayson Walton, found dead inside a couch in Kentucky and who has pleaded not guilty; Bernard JR Fleander, 26, facing a first-degree murder charge in Belle Rose, Louisiana, over the death of a 3-year-old girl in his care, ruled a homicide by the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office; and Kassandra L. Bracewell, who pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in the death of 17-month-old Jalen "JJ" Harding and received a 33-year sentence with three years suspended. Cyndi closes by sharing a personal story about her younger brother and a simple challenge: walk away, ask for help, and make a different choice when anger takes over.
The case behind the episode
Between 1935 and 1938, at least twelve dismembered victims were discovered around Kingsbury Run in Cleveland, Ohio, many of whom were never identified. Named the Cleveland Torso Murderer: Eliot Ness's Unsolved Case, the killer eluded legendary lawman Eliot Ness despite his suspicions surrounding Dr. Francis Sweeney and the disputed confession of Frank Dolezal, making it, as detailed in Cleveland Torso-morderen: Eliot Ness' uløst mysterium, one of America's most baffling unsolved serial killer cases.
Hosts and release
Woody Overton and Cyndi Overton host Real Life Real Crime, a weekly true crime podcast in which Woody takes listeners inside cases he has personally investigated. This episode, number 284, runs 41 minutes and was released on September 23, 2026.
