Decades of Fear
Years ago, the actions of a notorious highway criminal known simply as “Dr. No” instilled fear in many Americans about their safety on the roads. The suspected serial killer was believed to be a truck driver, as the nature and locations of his crimes aligned with a trucker’s lifestyle. Eventually, it was confirmed that Samuel Legg III, a former truck driver, was the culprit behind several of the cases previously attributed to Dr. No.
The Chilling Crimes
The details surrounding Samuel Legg III’s crimes are unsettling, which has led to widespread interest from both truckers and the general public. Various episodes of the Crime Junkie podcast delve into these cases, offering comprehensive insights into Legg’s criminal activities before and after his capture.
Introducing “Dr. No”
“Dr. No” is the moniker given to an unidentified American serial killer believed to be behind a series of murders targeting sex workers across several states, including Ohio, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. Reports of a serial killer preying on women at truck stops in Ohio first surfaced in the early 1990s, leading many to suspect a single perpetrator due to the striking similarities among the cases.
The Methodology
It is alleged that a man using the name “Dr. No” would contact women, primarily sex workers, over the CB radio, luring them to locations where their bodies would later be discovered, resulting in his infamous nickname.
Samuel Legg III Revealed
During the time of the crimes, Samuel Legg III was a trucker living in Ohio and eventually identified as the serial killer known as “Dr. No.” Legg had a prior criminal record, including being a suspect in a 1997 Ohio rape case involving a 17-year-old girl. This incident occurred at a truck stop on I-71 while the girl was hitchhiking from Cleveland and he was never prosecuted.
Charges and Indictments
Legg was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder related to the death of 39-year-old Julie A. Konkol, found strangled behind a truck stop on October 23, 1997, near the Illinois-Wisconsin border. DNA evidence linked him to additional cases:
Legg was indicted by a Wood County grand jury for the murder of Victoria Collins, 27, whose body was discovered on December 20, 1996, behind the Union 76 truck stop on Route 420. He was also implicated in the similar murder of Sharon Kedzierski, 43, who was found dead in a truck stop near Youngstown in 1992. Additionally, he is a suspect in the 1990 murder of his stepdaughter, Angela Hicks, whose remains were located near Midway Mall in Lorain County.
The Aftermath
Due to mental health challenges, Samuel Legg was deemed unfit to stand trial for his alleged crimes. He is currently held at the Twin Valley Behavioral Health Center in Columbus, Ohio, a maximum-security institution where he has been involuntarily committed and does not have the option to leave.
