Oliver Crook Haugh

Serial Killer

Oliver Crook Haugh: The Ohio Doctor Convicted of Murdering His Family

Oliver Crook Haugh was an American physician, drug addict and convicted murderer whose name became associated with a disturbing series of suspicious deaths during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although later accounts frequently describe him as a serial killer, Haugh was convicted only of the murders of his father, mother and brother. Numerous additional deaths were investigated or publicly attributed to him, but the surviving evidence does not establish his responsibility for every suspected victim. Haugh was born on April 12, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio. He received medical training and practiced as a physician in several communities, but his professional life was repeatedly disrupted by severe substance abuse, erratic conduct, financial problems and periods of confinement in psychiatric institutions. His access to medicines and his knowledge of drugs later caused investigators to examine unexplained deaths involving relatives, patients and women with whom he had formed relationships.

Early Life in Dayton

Oliver was the younger son of Samuel Jacob Haugh and Mary Frances Metz Haugh. His older brother, Jesse Lincoln Haugh, was born in 1868. The family lived in Dayton, where Samuel worked as a carpenter and property owner. As a boy, Oliver became connected to another notable Dayton resident, Wilbur Wright. In 1886, during a winter game played on ice, Oliver reportedly struck Wilbur in the face with a wooden stick. Wilbur lost several teeth and suffered a prolonged period of physical and emotional illness. The incident later became an unusual footnote in the history of the Wright brothers. During his youth, Oliver reportedly experienced serious dental problems. He began using preparations containing cocaine to relieve the pain and later consumed medicines containing opium. These substances were legally available in many commercial remedies at the time. His dependence on drugs became increasingly severe and remained a central feature of his adult life.

Medical Training and Marriage

Haugh worked in a Dayton drugstore and demonstrated enough knowledge of medicines to attract the attention of a local physician. He eventually entered medical school in Cincinnati in 1888. His education was interrupted by financial hardship and substance abuse, but he ultimately obtained medical credentials and began treating patients. Haugh became involved with Anna Margaret Eckley, the daughter of William Eckley. William died in 1888 from what was officially described as pulmonary apoplexy. Later investigators questioned whether Haugh might have poisoned him, particularly because Anna received money following her father's death and Haugh benefited from his relationship with the family. However, Haugh was never convicted of killing William Eckley, and the exact circumstances of the death remain uncertain. Oliver and Anna married in 1891. Their relationship was troubled by his drug use, instability, disappearances and alleged relationships with other women. Reports produced during and after his murder trial claimed that Haugh entered several additional marriages or marriage-like relationships, sometimes without legally ending earlier unions. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Samuel Jacob Haugh Age: (65), Date of Death: 1905-11-05

Suspected Victims:

William Eckley , Date of Death: 1888-05-03

Unnamed lover , Date of Death: 1890s

Several unnamed patients (Ohio) , Date of Death: 1890s

Two unnamed patients (Wisconsin) , Date of Death: 1900

Mrs. Betters , Date of Death: 1903

Oliver Haugh