Shawn Grate, who murdered five women in Central Ohio and has been sentenced to death, will be featured on a dramatic new episode of 20/20 True Crime tonight. Already scheduled to die in 2025, Grate is known for the gruesome murders of five women. He drew national attention when in 2016, one of his victims, Jane Doe, made a chilling 911 call that led to his arrest.
The episode focuses on the gory details of Grate’s crimes and the investigation that led to the perpetrator. The desperate call made by Jane Doe from her cell, while being held captive, is more like a heroic act. She was a prisoner like Grate, but she could whisper to the authorities and lead them to her place when her captor was sleeping, with his back facing her in the same cell. Veteran Ashland Police detective Kim Mager, who spent hours listening to Grate, illustrates the ingenuity and psychological brilliance of the work behind the case.
Grate confessed fully to all the aspects of his crime after admitting to abducting, raping, and killing several women. Two such victims were found on the property where Jane Doe was being held captive. Mager’s tenacious pursuit of truth, complemented by the courage of Jane Doe and the speed of action by officers led to the eventual capture of Grate.
The episode further elaborates upon the victims’ families during the episode and how the relatives of the victims remember their lost ones due to Grate’s cruelty. Mager’s account of the case was published later in her book A Hunger to Kill, which brings about more insight into the emotional toll and the long-lasting effect of such a heinous series of crimes.
The full episode airs this Friday, Nov. 22, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, and will be available for streaming the following day on Hulu.
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