In 1997, a plain individual with a long history of psychological problems, Daniel Yale joined the New Star Crusade. At first, there was little special about Yale; he faded into the group, sticking close to Danen Ignis and doing whatever was asked of him. But soon, Yale began causing trouble in town, something the group tended to avoid doing. Yale was arrested twice for drunk and disorderly conduct, and once for assault. When Ignis confined him to the farm, he turned his problems on the Crusade.

In 1998, after an armed confrontation, Yale was ejected from the New Star Crusade Farm. For six months, he vanished, but was seen from time to time in town. Rumors persisted that he was living in the forest in an old tent. He was known to frequent the mounds at night; and on October 21, 1999 was discovered defacing the mounds by a state deputy.

Yale “in a rage” seriously injured the deputy, who only survived by shooting Yale five times with his sidearm. Still, Yale escaped. One of the largest manhunts in Ohio history followed.

For the next seven months, through one of the worst winters in Ohio history, Yale eluded capture. In that time, three people disappeared. When their bones—picked clean of flesh—were found, Yale became the sole suspect.

In the summer of 2000, Yale was captured at the Chester Mound on the Summer Solstice after local authorities watching the New Star Crusade rites saw him at the edge of the forest. Despite enduring a hail of bullets, Yale survived unharmed. He was catatonic and unresponsive while detained, and was thrown in the Chester lockup.

After a day and a half in custody, Yale vanished from his cell on the night of September 2, 2000 along with Sheriff’s Deputy Arthur Falstaf – an officer with a distinguished career. It was strongly suspected that Yale had an accomplice of some sort, and that it was likely Falstaf was dead. Under tight surveillance for weeks, the New Star Crusade was hunkered down at the Ignis farm, and was quickly eliminated as a suspect.

Over the next month an a half, four more people disappeared, their bones found by hunters, hikers and travelers in the back woods of the county. The bones had been gnawed clean of meat. In this time Yale became famous as the Ohio River Killer on the national news. Comparisons to the likes of Ted Bundy and Son of Sam were made and dozens of reporters descended on Chester to cover the story.

In October 2001, the case took an even stranger turn. A set of bones found by hikers near the Chester Mounds were identified as those of Douglas Yale – there was no mistake – the man thought to be responsible for seven confirmed and one suspected death was dead.

They too, were gnawed clean.

In death, Douglas Yale remained as much of a mystery as in life.