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Face Down In The Wishkah, Andrew Osborn

History Undergraduate Theses

This thesis will reexamine the life of America’s greatest unknown serial killer William (Billy) Gohl. Spanning an eight year period (1902-1910) Gohl was able to amass over one hundred victims in the port city of Aberdeen Washington. Gohl did this through taking advantage of people’s trust and integrating techniques from 19th century San Franciscan criminals to produce a systematic murder enterprise. It took a new mayor, chief of police, and over two years of investigation to finally bring Gohl to trial and conviction. Gohl’s story is one that covers a variety of historical studies and hinges on a fascinating narrative. …