The Story of a Sordid Life; Ohio Serial Killer Eugene Gall

              Hillsboro, Ohio, is a quaint town in rural Southwest Ohio, an idyllic place known for its friendly residents. The rolling pastures outside of town and the historic downtown buildings make this town a safe and pleasant home for many people. What many residents don’t know is that a serial rapist and murderer guilty of killing two adolescent girls once called Hillsboro home.

Eugene William Gall Jr. grew up in charming Hillsboro, OH, but his life was anything but pleasant. He lived in a violent and unstable household and was abused throughout his childhood. Though the exact incidence is unknown, Gall suffered an injury that damaged his brain and caused seizures throughout his early adulthood. It was an injury that would cause him suffering throughout his life and may have even caused him to commit his crimes.

At age 27, Gall moved to Middletown, Ohio to work for Armco Steel. It’s unknown exactly when he first began stalking the young girls of central Ohio, by 1970, he had become a serial rapist connected to several unsolved cases in the greater Dayton area. Gall gained the moniker “The Friday Night Rapist” due to his pattern of stalking the streets on his nights off (Beyerlein, 2013).

In October 1970, Gall was indicted for the rape of a young girl in Franklin Township, Ohio. In the face of overwhelming evidence, Gall agreed to check himself into the Lima State Mental Hospital (Dixon, 2016). Gall was eventually convicted of armed robbery, abduction, and rape. He was sentenced to 3-20 years in the Ohio State Reformatory. In 1977, Gall was released after serving only 5 years.

Gall’s crimes only escalated. In October 1977, Beth Ann Mote was walking to school in suburban Dayton when Gall forced her into his car at knifepoint. While in Gall’s car, Gall attempted to calm Beth Ann by forcing her to write a ransom note in her heart-shaped notebook. This note would never be used, as Gall had no intention of leaving Beth Ann alive. Seven days later, 14-year-old Beth Ann was found stabbed to death in a wooded area of Miami Township, Ohio. It was Gall’s first murder, but unfortunately, it would not be his last.

In 1978, 12-year-old Lisa Jansen was abducted while walking to her school in Columbia Township, Ohio. A Kentucky woman discovered Lisa’s books along the side of the road just two hours after her disappearance and notified officials. Boone County police located Lisa’s jacket and purse and eventually her body. Lisa was shot and abandoned in a ditch alongside a quiet country road.

            Meanwhile, Gall traveled to the small town of Gardnersville, Kentucky. Gall spotted Kentucky State Trooper Gary Carey parked along the side of the road and fired two shots into the trooper’s chest (Dixon, 2016). Luckily, Carey survived. After the near-fatal shooting, Gall robbed a small convenience store, shooting a female bystander. She too survived. Gall’s crime spree prompted a police chase that ended with his capture and arrest. Finally, after nearly a decade of crime, Gall was behind bars.

The May 1979 trial of Eugene William Gall Jr. began with Gall pleading innocent on all counts. Within ten days, Gall abruptly changed his plea to guilty (Fornshell, 2001). Gall was sentenced to death in the state of Kentucky. He remained on death row until 2000.

Gall’s trial was controversial, even for a serial rapist and murderer. Although Gall’s paranoid schizophrenia and brain damage were major factors in his crimes, the jurors and judges were not made aware of Gall’s mental state. Gall choose to serve as his own attorney. In October 2000, Gall’s conviction was overturned on account of his mental instability and the defendant’s failure to present medical records proving Gall’s brain damage at the trial (Gall v. Parker, 2000).

Although Kentucky had tried Gall for the murder of Lisa Jansen, the state of Ohio had not convicted him for the murder of Beth Ann Mote. As soon as Gall was released from Kentucky prison, Ohio officials took him into custody. Eugene William Gall Jr. is currently serving time in South Eastern Correctional Institution (Fornshell, 2001).

Gall was recently denied parole in November 2013 after serving 16 years at Madison Correctional Institution. In September 2021, serial rapist and murderer Eugene William Gall Jr. will be eligible for parole.

The deaths of Beth Ann Mote and Lisa Jansen were senseless and tragic. The two promising young girls had bright futures ahead of them until their lives were cut short by a ruthless murderer. Investigators often wonder if Lisa and Beth Ann were the only murder victims of Eugene Gall. Gall was a deeply disturbed individual capable of great violence, as he showcased on many occasions. Could he have been responsible for other unsolved rapes or murders?

Sources for this case are listed below:

 

From the Archives: Eugene Gall-Beth Ann Mote Case. Dayton Daily News, Cox Media Group, 2013. www.daytondailynews.com/news/from-the-archives-eugene-gall-beth-ann-mote-case/8qryrfrtyZEkuoVuvRq4bL/.

Fornshell, David P. Eugene William Gall. Warren County Prosecutor, Warren County Ohio, 2001. https://www.warrencountyprosecutor.com/Public/Prosecutor_Parole/details.aspx?OffenderNum=A416-846

Dixon, Deb. Mother of Murdered Girl Waits for Justice. Local 12, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, 2016. https://local12.com/news/local/mother-of-murdered-girl-waits-for-justice

Beyerlein, Tom. Parole Hearing Set For Serial Killer. Dayton News, Cox Media Group, 2013. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/parole-hearing-set-for-serial-killer/zCXxckIvrBztfKgogD0pYL/