"Cold Serial" paints the picture of five girls who were raped and strangled in the Dayton, Ohio, area between 1900 and 1909. The working conditions, lack of rights for women and police protection, and the sexism of the age portray these girls as victims not only of a crime but also of their time. As their stories unfold, a common thread appears, a modus operandi that begins to link them together. During that era, police did not recognize the lurking shadow of a predator. But through diligent research conducted by the author, it is now revealed. "Cold Serial" contains riveting, fast-paced portraits of the personal and family tragedies of these five girls as well as the brutality and victim blaming of that time. Yet the deaths of these girls were not in vain, as they made significant contributions to the Dayton, Ohio, area and, ultimately, the nation. Sadly, though, according to the police authorities of the time, these crimes were never solved.
Using criminological thinking of today, the author attempts to solve these murders/rapes. Did he discover others? Can the suspect be placed at the scene of all of the crimes? Does a serial murderer/rapist emerge in a time even before the coining of the term? The escape of one girl creates a twist that opens the door to solving these crimes.
There are no memorials to any of these girls, nor were any tributes made. As their cases grew cold, their voices were silenced. "Cold Serial" provides the long-overdue justice and the voice they so richly deserve.