Lick Road is home to the legend of Amy, a 30 year old woman said to have been killed here by her boyfriend. Located just outside Cincinnati, it is one of the areas more popular “haunted” hot spots. Lick Road dead ends at the Richardson Forest Preserve, maintained by the Hamilton County Park district. There are two paths at the end of the road, both gated, leading into the preserve. The path to the right goes through a field, the path to the left leads into the woods, to a small bridge crossing a creek. It is at this bridge that Amy is said to have been killed.

Sitting  there at the end of the road can be creepy enough, but when you throw in some of the stories about the area, it’s even worse.  Depending on who you ask, you may hear screams in the night, hear footsteps, or catch a glimpse of a woman in white walking by. The most popular story is that if you park here and just sit and wait, Amy will write the words “Help me’ in the condensation on you windows. Not to mention an old urban legend staple…that if you park facing the path, shut off your engine, and flash your lights 3 times, an orb or an apparition will come towards you down the path.

Until it was recently replaced, one of the street signs on Kemper road, just before you reach Lick road, had the name ‘Amy’ spray painted across it, which set a creepy tone itself. However, it doesn’t appear that Amy, or anyone else, has been murdered here. When asked, the Chief Ranger for the Hamilton County Park District, who has held the position for over 20 years, says there are no records of any deaths, natural or otherwise, at the Richardson Forest Preserve.

The likely start of this legend is the death of 15 year old Linda Dyer. On August 24th, 1976, Dyer was Hitchhiking near North bend Road, and picked up by 2 men in a 1975 Volkswagen. The following day, her body was found under a bridge at the corner of Crest and Banks road, which is close to Lick Road. The autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed and strangled to death, but due to lack of blood around the body when she was found, it was determined that she had likely been killed elsewhere, and her body dumped there. Her killer(s) were never found. So while this didn’t occur at the bridge on Lick road, the location and details of her death are close enough to the legend of Amy to believe that her death was the origin of this ghost story.

So does Amy, Linda, or someone else haunt the dead end of Lick Road? I guess the only way to find out is to drive out there, roll up your windows, and wait for her plea for help. But, since a lot of you already do that, don’t expect to be alone there. There’s always someone driving back there to have a look for themselves. The area also gets patrolled by the police pretty regularly, so keep that in mind. Lastly, if you venture past the gates looking for one of these ghosts, you’re trespassing. Get permission from the Hamilton County Park District before going in.

Directions

Take US 27 (at Colerain Ave. exit) north from I-275 to the Kemper road exit, and turn right onto Kemper. Go up a few blocks, and turn left onto Lick Road, it’s the 3rd road you will come to on the left.