Seventy-five Years Later, the Mysterious Disappearance of Ercell Elizabeth Russell Haunts Barberton

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Seventy-five years ago, the city of Barberton was shaken by the mysterious disappearance of Ercell Elizabeth Russell, a 36-year-old woman described as “petite, red-haired and very pretty.” On a snowy day in December 1948, Russell drove away from her home on 17th Street Northwest and was never seen again. The authorities were immediately notified, and an investigation into her whereabouts began.

Russell was said to be in good spirits when she left her home that fateful day. She made a brief stop at her sister Lillian’s house on 19th Street to inform her that she was planning to visit their parents in Wayne County’s Canaan Township. However, Russell never arrived at her intended destination, raising concerns among her family and friends.

Two days after her disappearance, investigators made a chilling discovery. Russell’s 1937 green sedan was found abandoned at a roadside park on Route 21, just south of Canal Fulton. The purse belonging to Russell was found in the Tuscarawas River, approximately 200 feet downstream from the vehicle. Strangely, the contents of the purse appeared to be intact, including over $10 in cash, which would be equivalent to $126 in today’s currency.

Search efforts were immediately intensified, with teams combing the surrounding woods and dragging both the river and the Ohio & Erie Canal. Despite their best efforts, no trace of Russell or any evidence related to her disappearance was found. Detectives turned their attention to Russell’s personal life, hoping to find clues that could shed light on her vanishing.

Born in 1912 in Canaan, Russell grew up on a farm near Creston with her parents, Harley and Golda Russell, and her three siblings. The family was actively involved in the Canaan Methodist Church and participated in various Grange activities. Russell had been married to Joseph Angelo since 1931, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1938. She worked at Goodyear Aircraft in Akron during World War II and later found employment at a department store in Wooster.

One notable aspect of Russell’s personal life was her relationship with a Wayne County mortician, with whom she had been romantically involved for about seven years. However, their relationship had been on shaky ground, and they had recently attempted to reconcile. Russell had also reportedly experienced a “partial nervous breakdown” before her disappearance.

On the day Russell vanished, her estranged boyfriend, the undertaker, called her sister to inquire about her whereabouts. He claimed that he was planning to go to Michigan on a short visit. However, authorities began to suspect that this call was made to establish an alibi.

The discovery of a small bottle of medicine in a restroom at the rest area where Russell’s car was found added a new layer of mystery to the case. The landlady, Iva Dawson, identified the medicine as one she had given to Russell for her nervous condition. Private detective Rex Hess, hired by Russell’s family, suggested that this indicated she had spent some time at the park, possibly waiting for someone.

As the investigation continued, suspicions fell on the mortician once again. Barberton Detective Martin Seryak, who later became the city’s police chief, began to believe that the mortician had murdered Russell and buried her in the grave of a U.S. serviceman. At the time, the remains of American troops killed in World War II were being returned to their hometowns for reburial. However, Seryak’s request to exhume recent graves was denied due to a lack of evidence.

Despite the efforts of law enforcement and private investigators, the case of Ercell E. Russell remained unsolved. In 1956, Summit County Probate Judge Vincent Zurz officially declared her dead at the request of her family. However, her body was never found, and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance remained a mystery.

Retiring in 1973, Chief Seryak looked back on the case as one of the most memorable of his career. He expressed his regret at not being able to solve the mystery and bring closure to Russell’s family. To this day, her final resting place remains unknown, and the name of Ercell E. Russell is etched on a cenotaph, a monument in Canaan Cemetery that serves as a symbol for someone buried elsewhere.

As the years go by, the story of Ercell Elizabeth Russell continues to captivate the community of Barberton. The unanswered questions and lingering suspicions surrounding her disappearance serve as a haunting reminder of a dark chapter in the city’s history..