GA-KY-FL Possible Serial Killer - Harry Eugene Hale

[ClaireNC]

This guy turned up in our investigation of Kentucky UID's. Active from 1980's through 2012. He “had a reputation for stalking bus stations and highways searching for young male transients [and] is suspected of drugging and sexually assaulting young men in several states.”!!! Christoph R. Zahn – The Charley Project

A traveling electrical technician “Prowling Highways and bus stops from Kentucky to Miami, picking up young, transient men”... He’s been ‘recaptured’ in Kentucky after several incidents. One arrest for indecent exposure in KY in 1981 KY - PROJECT KENTUCKY - Unidentified Persons Cold Cases


Currently in GA State Prison for forgery



Harry Eugene Hale
YOB: 1946
RACE: WHITE
GENDER: MALE
HEIGHT: 6'03''
WEIGHT: 190
EYE COLOR: GREEN
HAIR COLOR: BROWN

MAJOR OFFENSE: FORG 1ST BEF 7/1/12
MOST RECENT INSTITUTION: GA STATE PRISON
MAX POSSIBLE RELEASE DATE: 12/31/2023
HARRY E HALE Inmate 0000768072: Georgia Prisoner

Hometown: Prestonsburg, Kentucky, also owned homes in Florida and Georgia.
Living in Austell, GA in 1992 at the time of Chris Zahn's disappearance.
Living in Martin, FL when he was arrested in Feb 1993.

MadMcGoo's collection of docs on the case:
HALE

Suspected in these cases:
Missing Person / NamUs #MP532
Christoph R. Zahn, Male, White / Caucasian
April 28, 1992
Atlanta, Georgia

Missing Persons: Christoph "Chris" Zahn

• The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• The Doe Network: Case File 422DMGA

• Christoph R. Zahn – The Charley Project

• GA - GA - Christoph Zahn, 21, Atlanta, 28 April 1992

Missing Person / NamUs #MP4930
Mitchell Manns, Male, White / Caucasian
March 16, 1990
Floyd County, Kentucky

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• 3828DMKY - Mitchell Manns

• Mitchell Manns – The Charley Project
• Jimmy Kelly//Terry Turner//Rose West//Mitchell Manns. – UNSOLVED APPALACHIA

• KY - KY - Mitchell Manns, 39, Floyd County, 16 March 1990

Unsolved Homicide: Walter J. Cropper
Bartow County, Georgia
October 6, 1992

Unsolved Homicide: Walter J. Cropper

• KY - KY - Walter Cropper, 20, Prestonsburg, 20 Sept 1992

 

[MadMcGoo]

You’re awesome @ClaireNC !

This predator needs to be held accountable for some serious crimes he’s alleged of committing. Not alleged by me but investigators and an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence!

Hale’s eluded prosecution, (for reasons that are beyond me) to date, for at least one murder and one disappearance.

The mother of Walter Cropper, the 20 year old Floridian who disappeared from Kentucky and was found murdered in Georgia, did a radio/podcast interview in which she sheds light on Walter’s murder and a fair amount of detail on Hale. I’ve not listened to the episode but here’s a transcription of it:

Missing Pieces Episode 80 Archive

 

[MadMcGoo]

Clippings from The Atlanta Constitution regarding the 1992 unsolved disappearance of Christoph Zahn

GA/KY 1993 Harry Eugene Hale, Chris Zahn, Mitchell Manns

Clipping found in The Atlanta Constitution published in Atlanta, Georgia on 8/21/1993. GA/KY 1993 Harry Eugene Hale, Chris Zahn, Mitchell Manns

www.newspapers.com

GA 1993 Harry Eugene Hale convicted

Clipping found in The Atlanta Constitution published in Atlanta, Georgia on 10/28/1993. GA 1993 Harry Eugene Hale convicted

www.newspapers.com

GA 1994 Chris Zahn, Harry Eugene Hale

Clipping found in The Atlanta Constitution published in Atlanta, Georgia on 6/8/1994. GA 1994 Chris Zahn, Harry Eugene Hale

www.newspapers.com

GA 1994 Harry Eugene Hale convicted

Clipping found in The Atlanta Constitution published in Atlanta, Georgia on 6/11/1994. GA 1994 Harry Eugene Hale convicted

www.newspapers.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

Don’t think anyone has forgotten about you.

 

[Julie61]

Where is this guy? I was just reading about the Chris Zahn case and it's ridiculously obvious that Hale killed him. Why is he still out there?

 

[DSCrime]

This guy turned up in our investigation of Kentucky UID's. Active from 1980's through 2012. He “had a reputation for stalking bus stations and highways searching for young male transients [and] is suspected of drugging and sexually assaulting young men in several states.”!!! Christoph R. Zahn – The Charley Project

A traveling electrical technician “Prowling Highways and bus stops from Kentucky to Miami, picking up young, transient men”... He’s been ‘recaptured’ in Kentucky after several incidents. One arrest for indecent exposure in KY in 1981 KY - PROJECT KENTUCKY - Unidentified Persons Cold Cases


Currently in GA State Prison for forgery



Harry Eugene Hale
YOB: 1946
RACE: WHITE
GENDER: MALE
HEIGHT: 6'03''
WEIGHT: 190
EYE COLOR: GREEN
HAIR COLOR: BROWN

MAJOR OFFENSE: FORG 1ST BEF 7/1/12
MOST RECENT INSTITUTION: GA STATE PRISON
MAX POSSIBLE RELEASE DATE: 12/31/2023
HARRY E HALE Inmate 0000768072: Georgia Prisoner

Hometown: Prestonsburg, Kentucky, also owned homes in Florida and Georgia.
Living in Austell, GA in 1992 at the time of Chris Zahn's disappearance.
Living in Martin, FL when he was arrested in Feb 1993.

MadMcGoo's collection of docs on the case:
HALE

Suspected in these cases:
Missing Person / NamUs #MP532
Christoph R. Zahn, Male, White / Caucasian
April 28, 1992
Atlanta, Georgia

Missing Persons: Christoph "Chris" Zahn

• The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• The Doe Network: Case File 422DMGA

• Christoph R. Zahn – The Charley Project

• GA - GA - Christoph Zahn, 21, Atlanta, 28 April 1992

Missing Person / NamUs #MP4930
Mitchell Manns, Male, White / Caucasian
March 16, 1990
Floyd County, Kentucky

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

• 3828DMKY - Mitchell Manns

• Mitchell Manns – The Charley Project
• Jimmy Kelly//Terry Turner//Rose West//Mitchell Manns. – UNSOLVED APPALACHIA

• KY - KY - Mitchell Manns, 39, Floyd County, 16 March 1990

Unsolved Homicide: Walter J. Cropper
Bartow County, Georgia
October 6, 1992

Unsolved Homicide: Walter J. Cropper

• KY - KY - Walter Cropper, 20, Prestonsburg, 20 Sept 1992

Thank you @ClaireNC for starting this thread.

Reading over it, all I kept thinking is that the FBI should be all over this case b/c it spans over several states. Not familiar w/ this part of the U.S., so I did google maps searches. Prestonsburg, Kentucky (Hale's hometown) seems to be a little over an hour from the West Virginia & Virginia borders. He could have victims in these 2 states as well. Or he could have transported victims over state lines.

He could have victims in Alabama (about an hour west of Austell, GA) & Tennessee if he was driving north from Austell, GA to Kentucky.

I hope authorities are able to investigate this further before his release

MAX POSSIBLE RELEASE DATE: 12/31/2023

 

[MC_Merci]

Thank you @ClaireNC for starting this thread.

Reading over it, all I kept thinking is that the FBI should be all over this case b/c it spans over several states. Not familiar w/ this part of the U.S., so I did google maps searches. Prestonsburg, Kentucky (Hale's hometown) seems to be a little over an hour from the West Virginia & Virginia borders. He could have victims in these 2 states as well. Or he could have transported victims over state lines.

He could have victims in Alabama (about an hour west of Austell, GA) & Tennessee if he was driving north from Austell, GA to Kentucky.

I hope authorities are able to investigate this further before his release

Harry lived in Floyd County, KY and owned homes in Georgia & Florida. He worked in Georgia/Florida during the week and would come home to Kentucky on the weekends. He would not have had victims in WV or VA because he drove I-75 from Kentucky to Florida (fastest route).

I believe they haven't charged Harry with murder because habeus corpus. They couldn't find the body. He's been in prison since 1992 (not 2012) for fraud and forgery. I think they're sure he killed at least one of the victims but they have no proof beyond Harry holding personal effects.

 

[dotr]

Ws thread for possible victim.

GA - GA - Christoph Zahn, 21, Atlanta, 28 April 1992

You’ve not been forgotten!

www.websleuths.com

 

[MadMcGoo]

Well, looks like he’s been released.

Find an Offender | Georgia Department of Corrections

Welcome to The Georgia Department of Corrections official website including information on offenders, prison, probation, and incarceration facilities, resources for victims, and general public information about Georgia Corrections operations. GDC is one of the largest prison systems in the...

services.gdc.ga.gov

ACTUAL RELEASE DATE: 01/02/2024
CURRENT STATUS: INACTIVE

 

[vls12345]

Well, looks like he’s been released.

Find an Offender | Georgia Department of Corrections

Welcome to The Georgia Department of Corrections official website including information on offenders, prison, probation, and incarceration facilities, resources for victims, and general public information about Georgia Corrections operations. GDC is one of the largest prison systems in the...

services.gdc.ga.gov

ACTUAL RELEASE DATE: 01/02/2024
CURRENT STATUS: INACTIVE

View attachment 474706

That is a really odd angle for the photo, imo.

 

[MadMcGoo]

In one of the articles linked earlier, Floyd County authorities said they intended to prosecute him when Georgia completed their cases. I’m guessing that’d involve charges related to the items found in Hale’s Martin home. Given his age (77) and the amount of time he’s already served for crimes related to Chris’s disappearance, they may not feel it’s worth it. JMO

 

[Rush4087]

In one of the articles linked earlier, Floyd County authorities said they intended to prosecute him when Georgia completed their cases. I’m guessing that’d involve charges related to the items found in Hale’s Martin home. Given his age (77) and the amount of time he’s already served for crimes related to Chris’s disappearance, they may not feel it’s worth it. JMO

I agree that Floyd County, KY may not feel it’s worth bringing charges and prosecuting Harry Eugene Hale for other disappearances / crimes in and around Floyd County, KY (I assume you are referring to Walter J Cropper Jr. and Mitchell Manns) due to Hale’s advanced age - though I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell WCJr’s and MM’s relatives that..

I just hope that investigators in one or more locations where Hale has lived and worked are continuing to look into any other similar disappearances or murders of young men. Maybe a joint task force of some kind should be put together. I just think it stands to reason that HEH may have been involved in more disappearances than just WCJr. MM, and CZ (if he was involved in those).

As I posted earlier in the CZ thread, HEH’s suspected MO (outlined in the Charlie Project pages) reminds me of Randy Kraft. Investigations into Kraft’s possible crimes and victims continue to this day.

All JMO

 

[voicefromtheholler]

I agree that Floyd County, KY may not feel it’s worth bringing charges and prosecuting Harry Eugene Hale for other disappearances / crimes in and around Floyd County, KY (I assume you are referring to Walter J Cropper Jr. and Mitchell Manns) due to Hale’s advanced age - though I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell WCJr’s and MM’s relatives that..

I just hope that investigators in one or more locations where Hale has lived and worked are continuing to look into any other similar disappearances or murders of young men. Maybe a joint task force of some kind should be put together. I just think it stands to reason that HEH may have been involved in more disappearances than just WCJr. MM, and CZ (if he was involved in those).

As I posted earlier in the CZ thread, HEH’s suspected MO (outlined in the Charlie Project pages) reminds me of Randy Kraft. Investigations into Kraft’s possible crimes and victims continue to this day.

All JMO

I am pretty famailiar with Floyd County and they seem to have trouble prosecuting cases where they have tons of evidence . such as amber spradlins murder. i doubt they are going to prosecute him for anything. they have done zilch to try to find mitchell manns.

 

[voicefromtheholler]

Well, looks like he’s been released.

Find an Offender | Georgia Department of Corrections

Welcome to The Georgia Department of Corrections official website including information on offenders, prison, probation, and incarceration facilities, resources for victims, and general public information about Georgia Corrections operations. GDC is one of the largest prison systems in the...

services.gdc.ga.gov

ACTUAL RELEASE DATE: 01/02/2024
CURRENT STATUS: INACTIVE

View attachment 474706

i suppose since he has been released, he is not on any kind of probation or parole? so there is no way of knowing is current location, i ask because i wonder if he has returned to floyd county? i am sure his mother has passed on and wonder if he would still have that home to return to.