When Kim Mager interviewed Shawn Grate, she anticipated engaging with another sex offender, a common occurrence in her long career.
Mager, who spent 30 years with the Ashland City Police in Ohio, did not realize she was facing a serial killer. Her interrogation of him spanned 33 hours over eight days.
“Initially, I didn’t find his demeanor to be particularly different from other sex offenders I’ve encountered throughout my career,” the retired detective told Fox News Digital. “So he appeared quite ordinary to me. Our conversation felt typical, and his thought processes seemed normal.
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Shawn Grate addressing the court prior to his sentencing. (Jason J. Molyet/News Journal via Imagn)
“However, something shifted when he articulated his cravings — his words being ‘a hunger to kill,’” she said.
Mager worked with author Lisa Pulitzer to publish “A Hunger to Kill: A Serial Killer, a Dedicated Detective, and a Search for Justice That Forever Changed a Small Town.” The book shares the story of how Mager captured — and subsequently unraveled — one of Ohio’s most notorious serial killers.
“I’ve been approached to speak about this case at least 30 times, and I’ve turned down every invitation,” Mager shared. “But when a family member of one of the victims reached out in tears, expressing her dismay over the negative portrayals of the victim in certain podcasts, I felt compelled to act. She pleaded with me, saying, ‘Please do something.’”
Ashland Police Department Det. Kim Mager testifying during Shawn Grate’s trial in 2018 in Ashland County Common Pleas Court. (Tom E. Puskar/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“I realized I needed to tell this story — the true story,” Mager expressed. “It’s essential for people to understand that the experiences endured by these victims could happen to anyone. It could have been me.”
On September 13, 2016, while Mager was taking a shower, her phone rang. It was her captain; emergency dispatch had received a 911 call from a woman claiming she had been abducted by Grate.
Mager hurried to the station to speak with the woman, and by that time, investigators had tracked down Grate. He was arrested and charged.
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Kim Mager’s memoir, “A Hunger to Kill,” is available in bookstores now. (St. Martins Press)
According to Mager’s memoir, Jane Doe showed signs of distress with bruises covering her face, arms, and legs, along with fresh scratches and older injuries. Some were swollen and red, while others had a bluish hue. Her neck and upper torso displayed maroon stains, her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was damp with tears.
The jury recommended the death penalty for Shawn Grate, which the judge confirmed. (Brian J. Smith/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“I could sense the burden of what had transpired in her life,” Mager stated. “For victims, sharing their experiences is an incredibly daunting task — often greater than anyone realizes. It’s definitively more challenging than questioning a suspect. Yet, I had to extract every possible detail to apprehend him.”
As a seasoned specialist in sex crimes, Mager was one of the officers assigned to Grate’s case.
Interviewing Jane Doe proved to be an emotional experience for Kim Mager, who was resolute in seeking justice. (Jason J. Molyet/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“I had never heard of him before,” Mager confessed. “We were not familiar with his background.”
Grate had a reputation as a charming drifter who was affable to everyone. However, that “nice guy” image quickly diminished during the interrogation.
“My initial impression was that he appeared physically fit,” Mager remarked. “He was muscular, and before making eye contact, his physique was the first thing that caught my attention. He also seemed unkempt.”
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Shawn Grate, recognized as a drifter, was labeled a “nice guy” and a “charmer.” (Tom E. Puska/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“Upon making eye contact, his piercing blue eyes were striking,” she recalled.
In a scenario reminiscent of Clarice Starling’s encounters in “The Silence of the Lambs,” she found herself alone in an interview room with the accused predator.
It soon became evident that there were additional victims.
The last residence of Shawn Grate at 132 W. Second St. is filled with woodworking tools, cigarette butts, stuffed animals, and other personal belongings. (Jason J. Molyet/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“He was opportunistic,” she noted. “He seized any available opportunity. Analyzing these victims reveals similarities between some, while others appear drastically different.”
“You might have one woman leading a life rooted in faith, staunch in her beliefs, who would never have a man’s number on her phone. Then you have another who occasionally sold her body. These women came from various backgrounds. There’s no singular victim type; it was all about the opportunity that either presented itself to him or that he created,” she elaborated.
After Grate’s arrest, police uncovered the remains of Stacey Stanley, 43, and Elizabeth Griffith, 29, in an abandoned Ashland property where Grate had been residing. Grate admitted to murdering them.
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A bench dedicated to Stacey Stanley and Elizabeth Griffith, victims of serial killer Shawn Grate, has been placed at New London’s Recreation Park near the playground. (Tom E. Puskar/USA Today Network/Imagn)
According to reports, Stanley was at a low point in her life. Grate had led her to believe he would assist her with a flat tire before he abducted and assaulted her.
Griffith had been grappling with mental health issues and was reported missing.
Grate also confessed to murdering 29-year-old Candice Cunningham, who he had dated. He took investigators to a wooded area about 12 miles away from Ashland where he disposed of her body. He additionally admitted to killing 31-year-old Rebekah Leicy, who had drug-related challenges and was reported missing in February 2015.
Robert Leicy and Cindy Tilton look at pictures of his daughter Rebekah Leicy. Serial killer Shawn Grate pleaded guilty to her murder. (Jason J. Molyet/News Journal/Imagn)
Reports indicate that Grate also confessed to the murder of 23-year-old Dana Lowrey, who vanished in 2005. Her remains were discovered in 2007, less than a mile away from Grate’s residence, where she sold magazine subscriptions at the time. It is believed she was Grate’s first victim.
Lisa Zener reported that Shawn Grate approached her daughter weeks before the discovery of two bodies. (Brian J. Smith-USA Today Network)
Jane Doe stated she met Grate during the summer of 2016. They engaged in conversations about the Bible, enjoyed long walks, and played tennis, according to the Mansfield News Journal. While Grate inferred that he sought more than friendship, Doe declined, explaining her beliefs against premarital sex. Grate feigned respect for her decision.
It was a facade.
Grate took Doe hostage and sexually assaulted her in every conceivable manner. While he slept, she managed to escape and contacted the authorities.
Grate expressed curiosity about understanding the motivations behind his killings.
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Dana Nicole Lowrey’s skeletal remains were found in 2007 after she disappeared in 2005. (Sarah Volpenhein/Marion Star/Imagn)
“He was expressing a desire to understand why he committed these acts since he was perplexed,” Mager described. “As we delved into his past, he recounted various incidents from his life but was unable to pinpoint any specific cause. He repeatedly questioned me, ‘Why did I do this? What do you think drove me to this?’
“He discussed his familial relationships,” Mager elaborated. “He mentioned what he referred to as his mother’s promiscuity, who he claimed abandoned him. One notable incident he shared involved an event when he was four years old. He recalled wanting cereal and needing his mom’s assistance. After knocking on the bedroom door repeatedly and receiving no response, the door opened, revealing a stranger instead of his mother. He said he retreated to his room, feeling frightened.”
Shawn Grate is seen here at the defendant’s table alongside his attorneys, Robert and Rolf Whitney. (Tom E. Puskar/USA Today Network/Imagn)
“He mentioned that he perceived his mother with someone else, leading him to pound on the door in frustration. Ultimately, the door opened, and an unfamiliar man appeared. Grate said he fled back to his room, but the man followed, sitting on his bed and asking him what was wrong,” she recounted.
The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office conducted investigations along County Road in 2015, where Rebekah Leicy’s body was found. Initially ruled as a drug overdose, police later linked her death to Shawn Grate. (Times-Gazette/USA Today Network/Imagn)
Grate maintained that during his childhood, he was extremely close to his father, bonding over their mutual love for baseball. However, a pitching injury ended his ability to play with his father.
“He shared how that pivotal moment fractured their special bond,” Mager recounted. “From that day onward, he conveyed feeling a sense of abandonment.”
Mager expressed that Grate appeared somewhat contrite during their discussions; however, she remains uncertain about the authenticity of his remorse.
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Shawn Grate, convicted of murdering at least five women across three Ohio counties, was sentenced in 2018 for the deaths of Stacey Stanley, 43, and Elizabeth Griffith, 29. (Tom E. Puskar-USA Today Network/Imagn)
Mager was instrumental in eliciting Grate’s confessions regarding five murders, multiple kidnappings, and various sexual assaults throughout Ohio. He earned the moniker “The Ladykiller” from the media, thanks to his charm and appearance. He now resides on death row for the murders of two women in Ashland County, in addition to receiving three life sentences.
Mager hopes the victims will not be forgotten.
“These women were cherished daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends,” she lamented. “Stacey Stanley had a passion for cooking and loved her family. Candice Cunningham’s joyous laughter was infectious. Rebekah Leicy was famed for her loyalty as a friend. Elizabeth Griffith consistently endeavored to do the right thing while finding joy in simple pleasures. Dana Lowrey was dedicated to her work and sought to make the right choices.”
Demolition crews work on the residence at Covert Court, where Shawn Grate murdered two women in August 2016. (Jason J. Molyet/USA Today Network/Imagn)
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“These women deserved none of the horrors they experienced.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
