Mary Jo Newton, 45, was murdered on June 14, 2006, and her body was found smoldering near the end of a dead-end street in Cincinnati, Ohio. An autopsy determined she was dead before the fire burned her remains, and investigators concluded her killer set the body ablaze after the homicide.

The investigation led to Anthony Kirkland. According to his confession, he picked Newton up in his van, the pair ended up in Eden Park, an argument followed and Newton exited the vehicle. Kirkland said he chased her, they returned to the van, and he strangled her. He then transported her body to Avondale and set it on fire, saying the fire was part of a ritual and ‘purifies’. Kirkland later pleaded guilty to Newton’s murder and was sentenced to life in prison for that crime.

Newton’s killing was described as part of a pattern in which Kirkland preyed on women and girls, often strangling them and setting bodies on fire. Her death raises questions about how he was able to commit multiple offenses after an earlier homicide conviction and release from prison; anyone with information about Newton or her last movements is asked to come forward.