POPULAR DEAD BODY DUMP SITES

Article BY LORI BELL - Art by Chuck Hodi

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In the US, parts are common planting grounds for murderers. Any place with water and dense trees or foliage is an ideal spot to stash dead bodies. Deserts and swamps are especially common hiding grounds because most people avoid hiking in these dangerous environments.

 

Green River

The Green River in Washington State is 105 kilometers long. With the beautiful scenery surrounding it, the river attracts visitors who join in whitewater rafting to see the boulders, waterfalls, and cliffs that make the area so visually stunning. Unfortunately, the Green River is also an infamous place to dump dead bodies.

If you were around during the 1980s and ‘90s you probably remember the traumatic events that eventually led to the capture of the Green River Killer in 2001. Gary Ridgway is believed to have murdered at least 71 women during the ‘80s and ‘90s. He dumped the first five victims into the Green River after strangling them and having sex with their lifeless bodies.

But the body dumps don’t end there. As recently as May 2015, a woman’s body was found stuffed in a suitcase near the Green River Bridge. Was the stuffed suitcase actually destined to be tossed in the river? It was certainly close enough to the water.

Detective Jason Houck says they’re investigating “suspicious circumstances “ around the death. He says the King County medical examiner’s office hasn’t confirmed the cause of death. Houck described it as a “full – on – mystery.” She did not have obvious injuries and is believed to have died during the first week in May.

 

Leakin Park

Leakin Park is over 4 square kilometers of municipal land located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the largest tracts of municipal land within a city. The park includes the Gwynns Falls and building structures from the 19th century. Being such a large tract of land in a urban area, it’s not surprising that Leakin Park has been the sight of numerous body dumps.

One of the first recorded body dumps was in 1946 when a 13 – year – old boy was accidentally shot by a 15 – year – old boy. The older boy dumped his victim in the park. Since then , over 70 bodies have been found in the park.

It has been dubbed “the city’s largest unregistered graveyard “ ---- an urban forest in Dead Run Valley where children discover skeletons and city workers find bullet – ridden corpses draped over guardrails. Bodies are often left lying on the ground or the roadways or floating in the streams for anyone to find.

Many locals are too scared to go hiking in the park even though the murders aren’t happening on the park grounds. The bodies are simply brought to the park and left there. “It’s Baltimore legend. “ said Jonathan Foley, president of Friends of Gwynns Falls / Leakin Park. “It’s something we live with, and it’s something that holds us back in many ways. The public perception of the park as a crime scene is a problem “

 

Central Pine Barrens

The Central Pine Barrens cover over 400 square kilometers of protected land in New York state. It was once a forest that covered over 1,0000 kilometers. In spite of the great beauty of the region, it s also a dumping ground for bodies.

Since the year 2000, many bodies have been found in the Pine Barrens town of Manorville. From 2000 to 2003, the bodies of two unidentified men and the beheaded, dismembered bodies of two women were discovered. In spring 2010, the rest of the women’s remains were found along with eight more bodies, seven of whom were prostitutes.

Believed by many to be the work of a serial killer, the question remains as to whether more than one person might be doing this and who they are. In 2007, the case was featured on America’s Most Wanted, and the murderer was dubbed the “ Butcher of Manorville.” With no leads residents don’t allow their children to play in the woods for fear of what they might find.

Over the past decade, nearly a dozen women --- many mutilated and dismembered, and many still without names ---- have been found dumped off Long Island roadways. And whether any of these murders are related, or the work of a single killer, is a question police cannot yet answer.

 

Tacony Creek Park

Owned by the city of Philadelphia, Tacony Creek State Park consists of 1 square kilometer of land, a storm sewer outlet, and old mills that could harness power from the creek. The area is a place of wonder for lo all historians and a pretty common place to get rid of a dead body.

In October of 2010, a group of children found the body of an 18 – year – old man. He had been shot in the back of the head. In May 2012, a 22 - year – old woman went missing and was later found shot to death inside the park. Later that year, a body was found burning with a pile of garbage in the park.

Locals know to stay out of the park area, to never venture into the woods alone, and to go home before dusk. The park is surrounded by high – crime neighborhoods, and Tacony Creek Park is widely known as a home of robberies , murders, and body dumps.

The “dangerous “ neighborhood held many people with guns. The reality is everywhere can be dangerous at certain times of the day. Of course there are different “levels of danger” from area to area, from neighborhood to neighborhood. Keep in mind though, that the Tacony Creek is definitely not safe after sunset --- the odds of something bad happening are extremely high.

 

Humboldt Park

Humboldt Park is a 1 square kilometer park in Chicago, Illinois. It includes a fitness center, gymnasiums , soccer and baseball fields, and educational programs for children. Although this beautiful park sounds like the perfect wonderland for fitness and adventure, robberies and shootings are common in the area. So are dead bodies.

In October 2013, a man was charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend and, after putting her body in a plastic container, dumping her remains in the park. In September 2015, a child’s hands and feet were discovered in the park’s lagoon. By nightfall, a child’s head had also been discovered.

As with all large parks located in or near urban areas, murders flock to the remote areas to discretely rid themselves of corpses. Even so, many good people are working hard to reclaim Humboldt Park.

 

East River

New York City’s East River has long been a dumping ground for dead bodies, and it is often used by those who have given up on life. According to New York Magazine, bodies dumped in the winter months resurface just in time for April showers. Referred to as the “spring harvest,” police find most of the bodies near Bay Bridge and south street Seaport.

One of the more notorious body dumps in the East River includes an incident in November 2000. A Manhattan teen and her boyfriend killed her parents in their apartment and dumped the bodies in the East River a few days later. Her father was wheeled to the river in a luggage cart, and her mother was put inside a shopping cart.

Serial killer Joel David Rifkin also dumped a few body parts in the East River . From 1989 to 1993, it is believed Rifkin murdered and dismembered between 9 and 17 bodies. His first victim, a prostitute was dismembered, with her head and torso tossed in the river. Some of his victims’ remains have not been found because he scattered their parts throughout New York City and in New Jersey.

In a grim rite of the season, police say rising temperatures bring an increase in the number of bodies found in waterways. The uptick is partly due to warming waters which expand gasses, floating them to the surface. April, May, and June are when the numbers seem to spike.

 

Everglades

The Everglades National Park in Florida is comprised of about 6,500 square kilometers. The tropical and subtropical environments found there make it a haven for wildlife and vacationers. The isolation and size of the area attract those looking to get rid of a body. The park provides killers with plenty of areas to hide dead bodies with slim chances of the bodies ever being discovered.

One of the creepiest stories involves serial killers Otis Elwood Toole (aka”the Jacksonville Cannibal”) and Henry Lee Lucas. Toole was sentenced to life in prison for cannibalism, rape, and arson. Lucas was believed to be one of the most prolific murderers in the US, claiming that he participated in about 3,000 murders. However, it is widely believed he committed from 11 to 600 murders.

During interviews with Toole and Lucas, the men claimed they were approached by an unknown man about joining a religious cult. Toole and Lucas agreed and were inducted into the cult at a discreet location within the Everglades. The men were trained and later given orders to kill. Their first murder victim was cooked and eaten by the cult members. Police searched the Everglades for any sign of the cult, but none was found.

At least one million people from all over the world visit the Everglades each year. The park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance and a World Heritage Site.

 

Mohave Desert

The Mohave Desert is over 65,000 square kilometers of land in California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Temperatures can reach up to 134° F in this desolate area, making for some interesting finds in the dead body department.

Commonly believed to be a dumping ground for the Mafia, the desert has served numerous killers throughout history. One of the most notorious serial killers in this region was William Richard Bradford. Convicted for the 1984 murders of his 15 – year – old neighbor and a 21 – year –old barmaid, Bradford may have murdered many more women.

Passing as an amateur photographer, Bradford took his youngest known victim to a desert campsite. He photographed her and then strangled her. Her body was later found by police searching the campsite.

When the police searched Bradford’s apartment, they found a collection of photos that showed his two known victims and 54 other women. In 1988, he was sentenced to death for the two proven murders. But the photographs of the other possible victims weren’t publicly released until 2006 when detectives decided to repent the case.

The dead bodies don’t stop there. In 2013, the skeletal remains of four bodies were discovered in two shallow graves. Keith Bushey , a former sheriff’s deputy chief for San Bernardino County told the Sun, If there were to be a cross everywhere someone dumped a body , the desert would look like Forest Lawn Cemetery.

“If you want to kill somebody, you’re going to take him some place that’s desolate, and the California desert is just a wonderful place and it’s a secluded place. In addition to all the wonderful things it has to offer, it’s long been a place to dump bodies.”

 

Pocono Mountains

The Pocono Mountains cover four counties in a large region of northeastern Pennsylvania. The area is full of tourist activities, from hiking and biking to skiing and horseback riding. It is also a popular place to dump a body.

In 2008, eight bags containing body parts were found along two highways in the Pocono Mountains. The first bag, discovered by a state road worker, contained a woman’s head. After the police were called, seven more bags containing body parts were found.

A year later, human remains were found along a different highway in the Pocono Mountains. In 2011 a headless torso wrapped in a plastic bag was discovered on yet another road in the Poconos. A motorist stopped and made the grisly discovery.

In a separate incident in 2014, Charles Hicks was convicted for the murder and dismemberment of Deanna Null. By Hicks’ own admission, Deanna Null was not his first victim.

With 2,400 square miles encompassing northeast Pennsylvania’s Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties, the Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, thriving woodlands, and 170 miles of winding rivers.

 

Louisiana Swamps

The marshlands in Louisiana are commonly called the “ Louisiana Swamps.” The area is rich in culture and adventure. From great food to exciting swamp tours, Louisiana has a touch of magic that can’t be experienced anywhere else in the world . With the heat, water, and alligators, it is also the home to frequent body dumps.

In 1995, there was a report in the Los Angeles Times about a police officer who was linked to at least two of the 24 serial killings in the New Orleans area. Most of the victims were prostitutes. The women had been killed, stripped, and dumped in different locations throughout New Orleans and the nearby swamps.

Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from Jennings, Louisiana, were also murdered. Their bodies were found in the swamps and in ditches along the nearby interstate. None of the murders have been solved. Each of these women were prostitutes and, all had witnessed something they were not supposed to see.

Each of the Jennings 8 knew each other and some were even cousins or roommates. The FBI Behavioral Analysist Unit says that serial killers usually target strangers with no ties to themselves. The families of the women believe that, in fact, the local law enforcement are behind the killings and that’s why the cases have never been solved.


So many beautiful places being used to discard bodies and taint their appeal. It almost seems as though these places are chosen to be sure the victims are found. And you would think if there seemed to be a pattern at a certain dump site, that it would be easier to catch the murderer. Unfortunately these dump sites have hindered people from enjoying the natural beauty, adventure, and tourist activities available. Instead they continue to become prime locations to dump victims and gain notoriety for murderers.