William Gohl

William "Billy" Gohl was born on February 6, 1873, in the United States to German immigrant parents. Little is definitively known about his early life, though it is believed he spent part of his youth working as a sailor and later ventured north during the Klondike Gold Rush, hoping to strike it rich. Like many prospectors of the time, his efforts in the Yukon proved unsuccessful, and he eventually returned to Washington state.

Upon returning to the port town of Aberdeen, Gohl found employment as a bartender before gaining a more prominent role as an official in the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific (SUP). Known for his large stature and commanding presence, he quickly became a significant figure in the labor movement. His position at the union placed him in direct contact with transient sailors and laborers who frequented the docks of Aberdeen.

His work within the SUP was a blend of legitimate union organizing and alleged intimidation. During a 1905 labor dispute, Gohl was fined for forcibly abducting non-union crewmen, and it was not the last time he would come into contact with the law. He was known to assemble armed men and exert pressure on non-union workers, gaining a reputation as both a powerful labor leader and a threatening figure in the region.

Between 1905 and 1910, William Gohl was suspected of being responsible for an alarming number of sailor deaths in Grays Harbor, Washington. While he was only convicted of two murders, many historians and contemporary news reports have linked him to dozens more—possibly up to 41. Gohl allegedly exploited his unique position as a union official to select his victims with precision. According to accusations and witness testimony, sailors would visit the SUP office soon after docking in Aberdeen. Gohl, often alone, would ask about their family ties and possessions, targeting those who were transient and unlikely to be missed.

Authorities claimed Gohl would then kill these men—usually by shooting—and dispose of their bodies in the nearby Wishkah River, which ran behind the union building. Some reports from the time even suggested that a chute connected the building directly to the river, allowing him to dispose of bodies swiftly and discreetly. Others claimed he used a small boat to commit the murders and dump the bodies.

Suspicion around Gohl intensified in late 1909 when sailor Charles Hatberg disappeared on December 21. His body was later discovered in Indian Creek on February 2, 1910. A .38 automatic pistol found near the body was traced back to Gohl. Hatberg had allegedly angered Gohl by reporting a minor livestock shooting to a local detective.

An associate named John Klingenberg later confessed to witnessing Gohl alone with Hatberg on the day of his disappearance. Klingenberg further admitted that Gohl had shot and injured another man, John Hoffman, a potential witness, on December 23, 1909. Klingenberg claimed he himself then finished off Hoffman under Gohl’s orders and dumped the body into the harbor after robbing him of $450. Klingenberg was later sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the crimes.

Gohl was arrested in February 1910 and formally charged with the murders of Hatberg and Hoffman. On May 12, 1910, he was convicted of both killings and sentenced to life imprisonment. The jury declined to recommend the death penalty, instead opting for life due to a plea for leniency. He was transferred to the state prison in Walla Walla on June 13, 1910.

Although convicted of only two murders, contemporary reports continued to associate him with dozens of other mysterious deaths. In April 1910, the body of Carl O. Carlson was found floating in Grays Harbor, adding to speculation that Gohl had been behind a long string of sailor deaths.

In his later years, Gohl was transferred from prison to Eastern State Hospital, an asylum for the criminally insane. There, he deteriorated both mentally and physically, suffering from advanced syphilis that led to dementia paralytica. On March 3, 1927, he died from lobar pneumonia and erysipelas, with complications from his untreated syphilis. He was buried in an unmarked field above West Medical Lake on hospital grounds.

In recent years, historian Aaron Goings has challenged the prevailing narrative, suggesting that Gohl may have been a scapegoat used by powerful anti-union forces in Aberdeen. According to this view, many of the bodies found could have resulted from dangerous working conditions and frequent accidental drownings.