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Man confesses to murders, leads police to the bodies of at least 7 women in Indiana Police name sex offender suspected in 7 Indiana murders. More victims are possible.
(about 1 hour later)
Police found the bodies of at least seven women in northwestern Indiana over the weekend, a gruesome string of killings apparently connected to the same man.Police found the bodies of at least seven women in northwestern Indiana over the weekend, a gruesome string of killings apparently connected to the same man.
Hammond, Ind., police found the first body around 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The woman, identified as missing 19-year-old Afrika Hardy, was found strangled to death in a Motel 6 in the town. Police on Monday identified the suspect as 43-year-old Gary resident Darren Deon Vann, a convicted sex offender in another state, who they said met at least two of the victims through a prostitution scheme facilitated by Chicago.backpage.com.
When police picked up a man based on a tip for that crime, he confessed and led them to separate locations in Gary, Ind., where they found three other female bodies, police told the Chicago Tribune. Hammond, Ind., police found the first body around 9:30 p.m. on Friday. The woman, identified as 19-year-old Afrika Hardy, was found strangled to death in a Motel 6 in the town.
On Monday morning, WLS-TV reported that three more bodies were located in Hammond, possibly linked to the same 43-year-old man, bringing the total to seven. A different woman, who had facilitated the meeting between Vann and the victim, went to the motel with a male friend to look for the victim after receiving strange text messages that appeared to come from Vann.
Police said the man is a “person of interest” in the string of killings, but they are not naming him until charges are filed. “Due to these text exchanges, the facilitator went to Motel 6 with a male friend of hers and the victim was found,” said Hammond Police Chief John Doughty in a press conference on Monday.
It is unclear how many of the murders the man might have been involved in, and Hammond police scheduled a news conference on Monday at noon Central time to provide more information. Investigators used the transaction to identify Vann’s phone number. When police found him, they said, he confessed and led them to separate locations in Gary, Ind., where they found three other female bodies.
A second victim was identified as Anith Jones, 35, whose family had reported her missing on Oct. 8. About 30 Gary police officers had been searching for her and found her car sitting in the driveway of an abandoned house. “During his initial arrest in the City of Gary, he told officers that he had messed up by committing the crime in Hammond,” Doughty said. On Monday morning, three more bodies were located in Hammond, bringing the total to seven.
Doughty said that Vann has cooperated with police by describing victims and accompanying them to locations where they have found additional bodies. He is expected to be charged with Hardy’s murder on Monday.
A second victim was identified as Anith Jones, 35, whose family had reported her missing on Oct. 8. About 30 Gary police officers had been searching for her and found her car sitting in the driveway of an abandoned house. The victims ranged from 19 to 36 years old, and all were African American females.
NBC 5 said the areas where the bodies were found were mainly blighted, sometimes fire-damaged houses.NBC 5 said the areas where the bodies were found were mainly blighted, sometimes fire-damaged houses.
Amid the discoveries, the mayor of Hammond, Thomas McDermott, Jr., said in a Facebook post that the man was a “convicted sexual offender.” He had been convicted of sex crimes in Texas, added Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, according to ABC 6. Texas criminal records show that Vann was arrested in July 2008 for sexually assaulting a 25-year-old woman. He was sentenced in 2009.
“The suspect gave up the location of a body in Gary that was confirmed found where he said it would be,” McDermott wrote.  Doughty added that they are investigating his claims that he was involved in crimes dating back 20 years in Indiana.
McDermott said police are also investigating the man’s ties to murders dating back 20 years or more. “I can’t go into direct statements, but his level of cooperation and the things he’s told us could indicate that there are other potential victims,” Doughty said.
“There are court records indicating that he was here back in 2004 [and] 2005, but there are also records that he was in Austin, Texas, and so he appears to be a person who has moved back and forth between a number of states,” said Freeman-Wilson, according to NBC Chicago.  
Gary officials are trying to allay fears that there is a serial killer at large in the community.
“We would like to dispel the rumor that there is a serial killer on the loose,” Gary Police Cpl. Gabrielle King said in a statement, according to NBC 5 in Chicago. “There is a 43-year-old man in the custody of the Hammond Police Department, who led officials to 3 deceased female victims who has claimed responsibility for their demise. Gary Police are closely working with Hammond Police to assist in covering every area of the investigation needed to pursue charges as expeditiously as possible.”