Ten deaths, two arrests and a person of interest: Spate of potential serial killings across US come to light in one week
In 2019, the number of active serial killers in the United States was in the single digits. according to crime researchers.
US officials say they may have tracked down at least two different serial killers allegedly responsible for at least six deaths in New York and Texas over the past week. A third man is implicated in four Oregon deaths.
Last Thursday, Rex Heuermann, a New York architect, was arrested and charged with the murders of three women whose remains were found in Gilgo Beach, Long Island, a decade ago.
(AP)
Mr Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello, all of whom were sex workers at the time of their deaths.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Monday he felt officers had a solid case against the architect and that he was “confident” that Mr Heuermann would be charged with the murder of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes be charged.
Police reportedly used a DNA sample from a discarded pizza box, recordings of burner phones allegedly used to call the victims, and a hair sample from the architect’s wife found on one of the remains to pin the suspect.
Officials say Mr Heuermann was caught glancing through the Internet search history for images of child sexual abuse and Googling the so-called Long Island serial killer, whom authorities claim is the man from New York.
Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello, the victims of the Long Island serial killer
the following week, Anonymous law enforcement sources told local media they had identified Jesse Lee Calhoun of Portland as an individual involved in the suspected deaths of four women in the wider metro area in recent months, though officials have not publicly named him or charged him with any crimes.
(Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)
If he is indeed an interesting person, that would mean the Oregon Police Department believes he was connected to the death of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22, all found between February and May in wooded areas or near roads in the greater Portland area.
Police said there was a connection between the deaths, although officials had not determined an official cause of death.
Kristin Smith, 32, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Webster, 31 and Ashley Real, 22
(Portland Police Bureau/Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office/Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Calhoun, whose last address was in Portland, is currently being held at the Snake River Correctional Facility in Ontario, Oregon on independent charges. according to state records.
The 38-year-old was taken into custody there on July 6, and his release is planned. The documents do not explain why he is in prison, although he was reportedly arrested last month for violating his probation terms and attempting to jump into a river to avoid police officers.
In 2019, Calhoun was charged with three counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, once assaulting a public safety officer and once first-degree burglary.
That year, when a SWAT team arrived to arrest Calhoun on pending warrants, he choked a police dog and kicked an officer. according to court documents viewed by KOIN.
Calhoun’s sentence was originally scheduled for the summer of 2022 and was conditionally commuted by then-Governor Kate Brown. She was among a group of 41 Oregon inmates who had their sentences reduced after serving with the prison fire department to fight wildfires in 2020. Per Willamette week. He was released in 2021.
Calhoun’s commutation was revoked earlier this month, Gov. Tina Kotek announced said Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The 38-year-old was arrested in 2018 with meth, guns and numerous rounds of ammunition, an incident that prompted the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office describe Calhoun as a “prolific thief and career criminal”.
A Washington woman named Krista Senor, who says she was romantically involved with Calhoun, claimed she lived with the allegedly interested person and knew he sold fentanyl and had sex with other women during their time together.
She claimed in an interview with a local YouTube channel that Calhoun and one of the dead women, Real, had previously been involved and that Real would trade sex for the Portland man’s drugs.
“I’m still shocked about it. It’s just surreal,” said Ms. Sinor, 43 The Oregonian On Wednesday. “It’s very strange. I can’t imagine any of it. Neither his family nor his friends can do it.”
On Wednesday, Dallas, Texas police arrested 25-year-old Oscar Sanchez Garcia and charged him with two counts of murder in the deaths of Kimberly Robinson, 60, and an unidentified woman, according to Dallas police.
Oscar Sanchez Garcia, 25, has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Kimberly Robinson, 60, and an unidentified woman. Police say he is also the prime suspect in the death of 25-year-old Cherish Gibson
(DPD)
He is also suspected of killing a third woman, Cherish Gibson, 25.
He is currently being held on $4 million bail and does not appear to have filed a lawsuit against his allegations.
The two murdered women were found near a Dallas transit station on April 22 and June 24, respectively. The third woman was found less than five miles away on Saturday.
Police linked the suspect to the killings using phone records and information from a license plate reader to tie him to the crime, a report said Affidavit obtained from WFAA.
