Cold Serial paints the picture of five girls who were raped and strangled in the Dayton Ohio area between 1900 and 1909. The working conditions lack of rights for women and police protection and the sexism of the age portray these girls as victims not only of a crime but also of their time. As their stories unfold a common thread appears a modus operandi that begins to link them together. During that era police did not recognize the lurking shadow of a predator. But through diligent research con