Overview of Nancy Eagleson
Who would kidnap and murder a 14-year-old in rural Ohio?
November 13, 1960 began as a typical Sunday for 14-year-old Nancy Eagleson.
She attended church, had a meal with her family, and in the evening, then she and her 5-year-old sister Sheryl went out to the movie theater a few blocks away. Nancy and Sheryl had just left a double feature and decided to get sodas from a local restaurant before they started their walk home.
It was 7 pm and it starting to get dark when they began their walk home. At some point, the girls noticed a car was following them. It eventually stopped, and the driver inquired about directions. While getting out, the man grabbed Nancy, forcing her into the car on a well-lit street in full view of 7 homes. Sheryl ran screaming to the safety of a neighbor’s house, only to see the car drive away with Nancy in the backseat.
A frantic search for Nancy ended when, not more than 6 hours later, raccoon hunters found her body in a clearing about 100 feet from the road.
An extensive search of every local vehicle that matched Sheryl's description and multiple interviews with community members was undertaken.
The Sheriff believed that the suspect was outside of the community, though many citizens believed it had to be someone local given where her body was left. Because she was only 5 at the time, Sheryl's description of the man is limited, though he may have been wearing glasses. In fact, a quote attributed to the Sheriff at the time: "We only know two things for sure ... it was a man and he drove an automobile." still stands to this day.
Sheryl was even put under hypnosis in hopes that she could recall details from the kidnapping.
Did Nancy know who her killer was? Was the killer from outside the Pauling, Ohio community? Was this the killer's first or last murder?
With this case remaining unsolved since 1960, Nancy Eagleson's family is still searching for answers to her murder from more than 60 years ago. This case is extensive with more than 300 public media sources. If you know something about this crime, please call the Paulding County Sheriff’s office at 419-399-3791.
