Ashland Man Behind Bars Confesses to Killing Women Through Letters

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ASHLAND, Ohio – Suspected serial killer Shawn Michael Grate wrote two letters to News 5 Cleveland’s Megan Hickey acknowledging the murders of “all five victims” that he is connected to and providing what he said was the motive for killing them.

Last month, Grate was indicted on 23 counts including aggravated murder in the deaths of Stacey Stanley and Elizabeth Griffith. According to court records, the bodies were found in an Ashland home where a third victim was being held captive by Grate before she was able to call police.

Since his arrest, Grate has been tied to the deaths of three other women found dead in Richland Co., Ashland Co. and Marion Co. Charges have not been filed in those cases.

To verify the authenticity of his letters, Grate included the original copy of his indictment No. 16-CR1-187. The document is complete with original signatures from the Grand Jury Foreperson, Clerk and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. He addressed the document “To: Reporter Megan Hickey,” traced his left hand, signed the document with his name and dated it September 28.

The letters are written in careful cursive on three sheets of loose-leaf paper. Grate apologized for sloppiness, saying that he wrote the letters with a golf pencil.

Grate’s first letter responded to a request from Hickey asking for an on-camera interview.

“That sounds scary in facing myself even more,” Grate wrote. “The mirror has been enough but having even more questions hitting me straight on could and would only help to understand me better.”

Grate went on to promise that he would eventually share why he committed “a horrible act of violent behavior” and the second letter details what he said to be his motive.

Grate wrote that while in jail, he received “a clear vision of WHY.”

“They were already dead, just their bodies were flopping wherever it can flop but their minds were already dead! The state took their minds. Once they started receiving their monthly checks.”

Grate said “government assistance” took his victim’s “minds.” He said he applied for government assistance five years ago and received $197 on a food card that he used for a year and a half. He found work making handcrafted signs.

“Never was able to receive any encouragement, though many bodies received 700,” he wrote.