Cheryl A. Hughes: 1977, Abducted from Chillicothe, Ohio

    

  Cheryl A. Hughes was 32 in 1977. She was abducted late one night and found a few days later in another state. This is her story:

  Cheryl Anita Arrowood was born April 3rd 1945. She grew up in Ohio. 

  

  She married Donald Hughes in 1963 and they had three children. She worked at RCA in Circleville, Ohio. Her husband worked at the Chilpaco Mill. They lived at 714 Main Street in Chillicothe. 

   Cheryl went to pick up a pizza for her husband on late Saturday night on July 9th, 1977. She got off work at midnight at RCA in Circleville so technically it was Sunday morning. Her husband was at work and he was hoping she’d bring a pizza for his break. She made it to Giovanni’s pizza at 104 E. 2nd Street. She left there with the pizza at 12:45 a.m. 

   When she didn’t make it to her husband with the pizza he assumed that she’d had to stay at work and pick up another shift or some overtime. It was 1977 so there were no cell phones to send a quick text. 

   Her vehicle was found outside of town on Walnut Creek Road to the east of Chillicothe in a rural area. Perhaps someone came upon it empty with the keys in it and went for a joyride? 

  The pizza and drinks, her wallet with $45 in cash and her purse were all still in the van when it was found at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. 

  Perhaps someone had tricked her into pulling over? Some killers were known to pull up next to a potential victim at a stoplight and tell them something was wrong with their car or tire and offer to help fix it. 

   I suspect that Ralph Richard Howell was delivering the bulk Sunday newspapers to Chillicothe on Saturday night when he encountered Cheryl Anita Hughes. I think he followed her and possibly tricked her into pulling over. I think he abducted her, sexually assaulted and murdered her and then dumped her body in Greenup County Kentucky on early Sunday morning July 10th, 1977. 

   Asphyxiation was listed as the cause of death in news reports from the time. I wonder if rope was used. 

  Cheryl A. Hughes was found in Greenup County in Kentucky, just south of Portsmouth, Ohio and the town of South Shore Kentucky on July 10, 1977.

  Why do I suspect Ralph Richard Howell?  In 2022, he was found to have murdered Cheryl Thompson in 1977. She was abducted, assaulted and strangled. He’s suspected of strangling many of his victims with rope. 

  One victim in 1983 escaped: 

  This is the victim’s description of what happened: The victim said she was on the side of the road with car trouble. Ralph Richard Howell pulled over and offered her a ride. He was in a truck that delivered bulk shipments of Cincinnati Enquirer newspapers. She refused but he kept insisting. He said things like “I’m not an animal. I won’t hurt you. You don’t have to be afraid.”  The coercive goading wore her down and so she got in. 

  As soon as she was in the truck, he had a rope around her neck and was strangling her. She fought. She also managed to frantically talk to him and beg for her life. She also asked him if he had a wife. He said yes. She asked if he would want someone to do this to his wife. He said no.  He eventually let her out. She went to the police and reported her story. He was charged with abduction and attempted rape but plead down to only a misdemeanor of unlawful restraint. 

  Howell is suspected in the murders of Nancy Ann Theobald, Charmaine Stolla, Victoria Hinscher and several other young women. 

  Nancy Ann Theobald was taken from Cincinnati but was found in eastern Ohio. She was strangled and a rope was left around her neck. 

   Howell drove a truck delivering newspapers all over Ohio and Northern Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. I think he realized early on that investigators were less likely to connect him to a crime if he took the victim far away into another jurisdiction. 

   Howell died in a car accident in 1985 in Kenton County, Kentucky. That’s just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. 

   I submitted a tip to the Greenup County Sheriff’s Office today about Cheryl Anita Hughes’ case.  I’m hopeful that she can get some Justice after all these years. 

   

   I could be wrong. There were many killers and serial killers in Ohio and the Midwest in the 1970’s. But, Ralph Howell seems a likely suspect in this one. His job took him all over Ohio and Northern Kentucky. 

Rest in Peace Cheryl Anita Arrowood Hughes. You deserved a long life with your family. 

   If you have information about Cheryl Hughes case please contact the Greenup County Sheriff’s Office at https://www.greenupso.com/