Carl Otto Wanderer (June 26, 1895 – September 30, 1921) was a convicted murderer tied to what became known as "The Case of the Ragged Stranger". Wanderer murdered his wife Ruth and a "ragged stranger" in a bizarre plot, whose exact motivations remain unknown. The case was cracked in part by famed Chicago-based reporter and future screenwriter Ben Hecht, of the Chicago Daily News, and reporter and future playwright Charles MacArthur of the Chicago Examiner.