
Between 1989 and 1992, hunters, fishermen, joggers, and outdoorsmen across rural Ohio were stalked by a killer hiding in plain sight. A single rifle shot from the treeline… and another man was dead. At first, these deaths looked like tragic accidents — until investigators realized the pattern was intentional.
This two-part series uncovers the true story of Thomas Lee Dillon, the suburban family man who became one of America’s most unpredictable serial killers.
Associated Press. “Ohio Sniper Thomas Dillon Confesses to 5 Killings.” AP News, 1993, https://apnews.com.
The Cincinnati Enquirer. “Sniper in the Woods: The Crimes of Thomas Dillon.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, https://www.cincinnati.com.
The Columbus Dispatch. “Inside the Mind of Serial Sniper Tom Dillon.” The Columbus Dispatch, https://www.dispatch.com.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Serial Murder Symposium Materials: Behavioral Science Unit References to Thomas Lee Dillon.” FBI Vault, https://vault.fbi.gov.
Hiller, Joanne. Sniper Killer: The True Story of Thomas Dillon. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
Kohn, David. “A Sniper’s Mind.” CBS News, 23 Oct. 2002, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-snipers-mind/.
Leyton, Elliott. Hunting Humans: The Rise of the Modern Multiple Murderer. McClelland & Stewart, 1986.
Ohio Attorney General’s Office. “Thomas Lee Dillon Case Records.” Ohio Attorney General, https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov.
Rosencrance, Linda. Blind Fury: The Shocking True Story of Serial Killer Thomas Lee Dillon. Kensington Publishing, 2005.
United States District Court. United States v. Dillon, Federal Firearms Violations Case. PACER, https://pacer.uscourts.gov.