A man the FBI has declared the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history died last week, but police across the country expect to spend years studying his crimes and trying to solve cases connected to him. Little confessed to three murders in the Cincinnati area. In 2019, he pled guilty to killing Anna Stewart, a Cincinnati mother of three, in October 1981. Little told investigators he killed Stewart in Cincinnati then drove to Grove City near Columbus and dumped her body in a field. Stewart's case had remained unsolved for years prior to the confession. During the same plea hearing, held over Skype, Little pled guilty to killing another woman in Cincinnati but could not give investigators her name. Cincinnati police detective Kelly Best has poured over close to 100 death cases trying to find the victim Little described. She flew to California in 2019 to interview Little in prison. He sketched the victim and provided details but could not recall a lot of critical information. "He flat out said, I don't know Cincinnati. I don't know who she was. I don't know where I was when I met her, and I don't know where I was when I killed her or where I left her," Best said.Little died last week at age 80. Best said she knew he was in poor health, but acknowledged that his death will make solving her case more difficult. "Unfortunately now, I don't have him to go back and say, 'Hey, is this her? Does this location look familiar?' I don't have that anymore," Best said. "I'll never be 100% certain that I found her, but I'll keep trying." After interviewing Little, she believes the Jane Doe's murder happened between 1982 and 1984.Little also confessed to killing a woman he met in Cincinnati and drove to Northern Kentucky for a music festival. Little told investigators he killed the woman in Covington. An investigator with the Covington Police Department flew to California to interview Little but police have not linked the confession to any open cases.Tuesday a spokesperson for the department told WLWT they believe the crime occurred but do not think Little named the correct location and it may have occurred elsewhere in northern Kentucky. Little has confessed to killing 93 victims between 1970 and 2005. Most of the murders have been confirmed by law enforcement.The FBI said he targeted prostitutes and women addicted to drugs or alcohol. Investigators said he did not kidnap or rape his victims but strangled them to death for sexual gratification. Detective Best said Little was arrested in the Cincinnati area once in 1973, but he never lived in Cincinnati or stayed in the area for an extended period of time. He was known as a drifter."Like he said he just stopped here on a whim to pick somebody up," Best said. "That was his sole purpose was to pick a woman and kill her and leave."
A man the FBI has declared the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history died last week, but police across the country expect to spend years studying his crimes and trying to solve cases connected to him.
Little confessed to three murders in the Cincinnati area.
In 2019, he pled guilty to killing Anna Stewart, a Cincinnati mother of three, in October 1981. Little told investigators he killed Stewart in Cincinnati then drove to Grove City near Columbus and dumped her body in a field. Stewart's case had remained unsolved for years prior to the confession.
During the same plea hearing, held over Skype, Little pled guilty to killing another woman in Cincinnati but could not give investigators her name.
Cincinnati police detective Kelly Best has poured over close to 100 death cases trying to find the victim Little described.
She flew to California in 2019 to interview Little in prison. He sketched the victim and provided details but could not recall a lot of critical information.
"He flat out said, I don't know Cincinnati. I don't know who she was. I don't know where I was when I met her, and I don't know where I was when I killed her or where I left her," Best said.
Little died last week at age 80. Best said she knew he was in poor health, but acknowledged that his death will make solving her case more difficult.
"Unfortunately now, I don't have him to go back and say, 'Hey, is this her? Does this location look familiar?' I don't have that anymore," Best said. "I'll never be 100% certain that I found her, but I'll keep trying."
After interviewing Little, she believes the Jane Doe's murder happened between 1982 and 1984.
Little also confessed to killing a woman he met in Cincinnati and drove to Northern Kentucky for a music festival. Little told investigators he killed the woman in Covington.
An investigator with the Covington Police Department flew to California to interview Little but police have not linked the confession to any open cases.
Tuesday a spokesperson for the department told WLWT they believe the crime occurred but do not think Little named the correct location and it may have occurred elsewhere in northern Kentucky.
Little has confessed to killing 93 victims between 1970 and 2005. Most of the murders have been confirmed by law enforcement.
The FBI said he targeted prostitutes and women addicted to drugs or alcohol. Investigators said he did not kidnap or rape his victims but strangled them to death for sexual gratification.
Detective Best said Little was arrested in the Cincinnati area once in 1973, but he never lived in Cincinnati or stayed in the area for an extended period of time. He was known as a drifter.
"Like he said he just stopped here on a whim to pick somebody up," Best said. "That was his sole purpose was to pick a woman and kill her and leave."
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