The serial killer investigation on Long Island continues into 2012 as Suffolk investigators continue to release new nuggets of information.  Authorities this week released a sketch of a third unidentified victim in the investigation.   A woman was found along Ocean Parkway in April 2011.  Body parts found there were positively connected to other body parts found in 1996 on Fire Island.

Authorities say 10 victims were killed over the last 15 years and the former police commissioner believes that it is the work of one person. 

If you have any information, please contact the Homicide Squad: 631.852.6392

Suffolk County Investigators

The search to find more bodies along Ocean Parkway in Long Island, NY will move to another county Monday.  Investigators confirm Nassau County will take over the search, but Suffolk will continue to be the lead in the case.  New York State Police confirm they will also participate in the searching this week, and they have jurisdiction over the 15 mile stretch of Ocean Parkway that runs between Suffolk and Nassau. 

The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said Sunday they are assisting with the identification of the bodies.  The chief examiner said that once identities are made, they will send the bodies back to Suffolk County and that’s where the official cause of death will be determined.  Although authorities know that the four women found in December were soliciting sex online, they have not released the sex or identities of the most recent bodies discovered.  There are reports that the deaths could be linked to someone in law enforcement, but that is just one of many theories surrounding this case.

Authorities confirm these are the locations of where each body was discovered since December:

•  The coordinates for the location of the first remains is N40.62418 W73.37716

•  Second remains were found 500 feet west of that location.

•  A third set of remains were found 500 feet east of that location.

•  A fourth set of remains were found 500 feet east of the third body. 

•  The fifth set of remains were found one mile east of the previous remains found.

•  A sixth set of remains were found 8/10 of a mile west of the fifth set.

•  A seventh set of remains were found 1.4 miles east of the fifth set.

•  An eighth set of remains were found 1/10 of a mile east of the seventh set.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2010, eight bodies have been found in the area.  Authorities confirm the first four bodies discovered in the winter were prostitutes, they may have met the suspect on line and that victims may have died at the hands of a serial killer.  One of the victims was reported missing about three and a half years ago and another was seen alive as early as last fall. 

We do not know the identities of the most recent women found, but authorities say that none of the victims are missing woman Shannen Gilbert.  Police say Shannan’s family initially reported her missing in May 2010, and that report is what sparked searches for her body which in turn  uncovered the last eight victims.

Is a serial killer at work and are these bodies connected to a murder scene of other murdered prostitutes in 2006?  We can confirm the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office in Atlantic City is in contact with Suffolk County Police in New York to see if there is a possible link. Both agencies are working the homicides in their jurisdictions and are carefully piecing together clues.

FIVE FAST FACTS ABOUT NY / NJ MURDERS:

1) On Saturday, December 11, an investigator made the first discovery of human remains on Gilgo Beach. A more thorough search was conducted and a couple of days later, three more bodies were located in the area.  The bodies on Long Island are identified as Maureen Brainard-Barnes, of Norwich, Conn., Melissa Barthelemy, of New York’s Erie County, and Amber Lynn Costello, of North Babylon, on Long Island and Megan Waterman, 22, a Craigslist escort from Scarborough, Maine, who disappeared June 6 .

2) November 2006, authorities in New Jersey uncovered four bodies dumped behind seedy motels just outside Atlantic City in the town of Egg Harbor. All of the women were found face down in mere inches of water with their faces pointing east towards Atlantic City. The bodies were carefully placed about 60 feet apart from each other. All of the victims were wearing clothes, but they were missing socks and shoes.

3) In all the murders in NY and NJ, the victims were women. In the Atlantic City murders, the females were Caucasian. So far four of the victims in NY have been identified as petite caucasian women.

4) In the Atlantic City murders, the victims were found within a month of being killed. In NY, the remains could have been stashed on the beach for up to a year-and-a-half.

5) Who is Shannan Gilbert? Authorities say the 24-year-old is still missing. She is said to have been a prostitute who usually arranged meetings through Craigslist.  She made a chilling 911 call the night she went missing which led authorities to the area. All of the victims in Atlantic City were considered “street walkers” and did not use the Internet for their services.

If you have any information, please contact the FBI with your information.

Gilgo Beach photo courtesy of Panoramio.com

A murder mystery is unfolding on the east coast, and investigators are working to figure out if a serial killer could be at work.  In New York and New Jersey this past week, eight women have been found murdered, but the question is: could the cases in both states be connected? 

I can confirm the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office in Atlantic City is in contact with Suffolk County Police in New York to see if there is a possible link.  Both agencies are working four homicides each in their jurisdictions and are carefully piecing together clues. 

The first steps are to positively identify the bodies found earlier this week on Gilgo Beach on Long Island.  The only piece of solid information came out last night when police said that none of the remains found on the beach were missing woman Shannan Gilbert.  Shannan was originally reported missing in May, and authorities were searching the area for clues when they came across the bodies last weekend.

FIVE FAST FACTS:

1)      On Saturday, December 11, an investigator made the first discovery of human remains.  A more thorough search was conducted and a couple of days later, three more bodies were located on the beach. 

2)      November 2006, authorities in New Jersey uncovered four bodies dumped behind seedy motels just outside Atlantic City in the town of Egg Harbor.  All of the women were found face down in mere inches of water with their faces pointing east towards Atlantic City.  The bodies were carefully placed about 60 feet apart from each other.  All of the victims were wearing clothes, but they were missing socks and shoes. 

3)      In all the murders in NY and NJ, the victims were women.  In the Atlantic City murders, the females were Caucasian.  We do not know the race of the victims in New York yet.  The Medical Examiner’s office will release that information.  

4)      In the Atlantic City murders, the victims were found within a month of being killed.  In NY, the remains could have been stashed on the beach for up to a year-and-a-half.

5)      Who is Shannan Gilbert?  Authorities say the 24-year-old is still missing.  She is said to have been a prostitute who usually arranged meetings through Craigslist.  Shannan was supposed to meet a client on nearby Fire Island when she vanished.  All of the victims in Atlantic City were considered “street walkers” and did not use the Internet for their services.

If you have any information, please contact the FBI with your information.

Investigators in Houston, TX are looking into a possible link between three strangulation murders since early summer.  The FBI has joined forces with the Houston Police to seek justice for three homeless women who were targeted.

OCTOBER 9, 2010:

Carol Flood, 62, was a frequent visitor to the Edwards Greenway Palace Theater.  Authorities say she was last seen around 3:45 p.m. and her body was found 24 hours later.  She was nude from the waist down and had been strangled.   

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010:

Retia LaFaye Long, 52, was found murdered behind the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

JUNE 17, 2010:

Raquel Mundy, 24, was found in a nearby field, same circumstances, she had been strangled.  Investigators are waiting for official DNA confirmation, but there’s definitely enough at this point to work a serial killer angle.  She was last seen getting a ride from a man with a grey car. The person she was last seen with is described as Hispanic.   

If you have any information, please contact CRIMESTOPPERS: 713-222-TIPS.  You could receive a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Jason Thomas Scott (suspect)

An indictment was handed down Tuesday for murders in Prince George’s County, Maryland. A grand jury indicted Jason Thomas Scott, 27, of Upper Marlboro with two counts of murder, two of first-degree burglary and three gun related charges. Scott is officially charged in the murders of Delores Renee Dewitt, 41, and her daughter Ebony, 19. Investigators expect formal charges to be brought down for other homicides in the area as well. Other jurisdictions are also investigating to see if Scott is responsible for crimes and murders in their areas. Currently Scott is being held behind bars and will be arraigned within the next couple of days.

This is a case that caught my interest from the start, and one that’s been on my mind ever since. It baffled me that two mothers and two daughters could be murdered in the same neighborhood, only blocks away, and the cases weren’t somehow connected. The murders occurred within weeks of one another. In addition, in the same neighborhood at least 40 burglaries had been committed.

The Upper Marlboro, Maryland neighborhood where the alleged murders took place isn’t far from one of my homes, and is just miles outside of Washington, D.C. Shortly after the crimes occurred, I visited the neighborhood and spoke to residents. I was also the first journalist allowed inside the home where two of the murders took place.

BACKGROUND: It all began on January 26, 2009. Investigators told me Karissa Lofton, 16, called 9-1-1 just after 2 a.m. and told the dispatcher her mom was shot inside their home on Southall Drive. When police arrived on location, they not only found Karen Antoinette Lofton, 25, shot inside her room, but Karissa was shot and left for dead as well. I have personally been inside the bedroom where Karen and Karissa were both shot to death. I can also tell you the family had a security system downstairs and a motion detector near the front entrance. It was cut off shortly after the suspect entered the home.

In an odd twist, less than two months later on March 15, 2009, a car fire was reported to 9-1-1 just blocks away from the Lofton home. At first glance, it appeared to be just a car, but when Prince George’s County firefighters arrived on the scene, and extinguished the flames they found two bodies inside. Autopsies were performed and police identified the bodies as Delores Renee Dewitt, 41, and her daughter, Ebony Dewitt, 19.

Karen and Karissa Lofton (top) Delores and Ebony Dewitt (bottom)

CASE SIMILARITIES:

 

• Both mothers and daughters are close in age

• Both murders happened just blocks away from each other in a middle class suburban neighborhood

• Both crime scenes are located in cul-de-sacs

• The murders both happened on Mondays in the early morning hours

• In this neighborhood, police confirmed to me that there have been 40 burglaries since October 2008

Scott is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and worked for UPS for nine years in Maryland.

Investigators believe Scott is also responsible for the murder of Vilma Butler, 47, who was killed and her home was set on fire two years ago. The lot is now vacant.

There is a chance this suspect has committed more murders and crimes across the country. If you have any information, please contact Prince George’s County Police (301) 772-4420

Karen and Karissa Lofton (top) Delores and Ebony Dewitt (bottom)

This is a case that caught my interest from the start, and one that’s been on my mind ever since.  Two mothers and two daughters murdered in the same neighborhood in Prince George’s County, Maryland.  The murders occurred within weeks of one another, and now investigators believe they may have the man responsible behind bars. 

This Upper Marlboro, Maryland neighborhood isn’t far from one of my homes, and is just miles outside of Washington, D.C.  I always thought the cases were connected in some way, even though authorities, specifically an FBI profiler, said early on it appeared they were not.  Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that more than 40 burglaries occurred from 2008 up until the murders in the same neighborhood.  The evidence wasn’t adding up, and now we have a little more information about the person who may be responsible even though we don’t know his name yet.  Prince George’s County Police Chief Robert Hylton said he is positive the man responsible for the murders is behind bars and is about to be indicted, and he may go down in history as one of the most dangerous and notorious criminals in the county’s history.

It all began on January 26, 2009.  Investigators told me Karissa Lofton, 16, called 9-1-1 just after 2 a.m.   Karissa told the dispatcher her mom was shot inside their home on Southall Drive.  When police arrived on location, they not only found Karen Antoinette Lofton, shot inside her room, but Karissa was shot as well.  I have personally been inside the bedroom where Karen and Karissa were both shot to death.  I can also tell you the family had a security system downstairs and a motion detector near the front entrance.   It was cut off shortly after the suspect entered the home.

In an odd twist, less than two months later on March 15, 2009, a car fire was reported to 9-1-1 just blocks away from the Lofton home.  At first glance, it appeared to be just a car.  Prince George’s County firefighters arrived on the scene, and to their surprise, when they extinguished the flames there were bodies inside the vehicle.  Autopsies were performed and police identified the bodies as Delores Renee Dewitt, 41, and her daughter, Ebony Dewitt, 19. 

CASE SIMILARITIES:

•      Both mothers and daughters are close in age

•       Both murders happened just blocks away from each other in a middle class suburban neighborhood

•       Both crime scenes are located in cul-de-sacs

•       The murders both happened on Mondays in the early morning hours

•       In this neighborhood, police confirmed to me that there have been 40 burglaries since October 2008

Investigators believe they have the man responsible; he’s 26-years-old and is behind bars already.  Police are not naming him because he has not been officially charged with the murders.   The alleged suspect is behind bars facing charges of gun crimes, carjacking and possession of pornographic images of a minor.  Reports indicate he is a serial burglar, and that makes me wonder if he is connected to the other burglaries in the neighborhood.

There’ s a chance the same suspect could be responsible for the murder of Vilma Butler, 47, who was killed and her home was set on fire two years ago.  The lot is now vacant. 

There is a chance this suspect has committed more murders and crimes across the country.  If you have any information, please contact Prince George’s County Police (301) 772-4420

More than 200 brand new photos were finally released by the NYPD this week in the Rodney Alcala serial killer case.  Investigators are hoping to identify all of the people in the photos. Authorities in California released an initial stash of pictures last month to the public out of which more than 20 women have been identified and are said to be doing well.  At that time, another batch was sent off to the NYPD cold-case squad, but was not immediately made public.  

All of the photos depict women, girls and young boys.  Along with being on death row for five murders, police say Alcala is a suspect in two other cold-case killings in New York. Cornelia Crilley, 23, was raped and strangled in 1971, and her case was never solved.  Also, Ellen Jane Hover, 23, disappeared in 1977.  Her bones were found in a grave a short time later. Alcala may have been the last person to see her alive.     

Police say Alcala would lure women in with his photography and get them to pose, but some photos were taken unbeknownst to the victims. Investigators do not know if he kept some of the photographs as trophies of other victims he had murdered, or if they are just generic snapshots.  I know firsthand from tracking murderers and covering cases like this over the last decade that these men and women do, in fact, take things to remind them of their work.  Sometimes the items they take are very unique, so can easily be traced back to the victim.  Cold-case homicides in some states have been re-opened seeking possible links to this serial killer.

Police need to know who each person is, and if they could possibly be victims.  Maybe you have a missing loved one, or a cold case unsolved?  Take time to review each picture online. The Orange County Prosecutor’s office, along with the Huntington Police, are even offering a DVD of all 125 photos for pick up at their locations.  A handful of women have been located, but there are still dozens more to track down.  This is what the prosecutor’s office said in a recent press release:

“Due to the number of photographs, CDs with the images are available for the media to pick up at the Huntington Beach Police Department located at 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. The CDs will also be available at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at 401 Civic center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.”

BACKGROUND: A convicted serial killer who once appeared on the dating game in the 1970’s is now sitting on death row for the third time. Rodney Alcala represented himself in court in March for the rapes and murders of four women and one child, and police fear there may be even more victims.  He was sentenced to death again, and is among nearly 700 other California inmates awaiting execution.  During this investigation, authorities uncovered hundreds of pictures of unidentified women.  The question is, are those women alive or possible victims?  So far, investigators say they have positively identified more than 20, but they still have a long road ahead.  Those women are alive, and don’t appear to be victims. 

Alcala was found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in 1980 and again in 1986 and was sentenced to death both times, but appeals overturned the cases.  T his case was prolonged much like police say Alcala prolonged the lives of his victims, and extending the pain for the victim’s family. As he would strangle them, and just before they would die, Alcala would bring them back to life by resuscitating them.  Alcala is now in the same serial killer category as Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgway, Charles Manson, and Andrew Cunanan (to name a few).

According to the FBI, “Serial killings are rare, probably less than one percent of all murders. They do, however, receive a lot of attention in the news and on screen—and much of the information out there is wrong. Yet, the public, the media, and even sometimes law enforcement professionals who have limited experience with serial murder, often believe what they read and hear. And this misinformation can hinder investigations.” 

The FBI says – as for serial killer myths, our group of experts had this to say about a few of them:  

1) Serial killers are not all dysfunctional loners: some have had wives and kids and full-time jobs and have been very active in their community or church or both.

2) Serial killers are not all white males: the racial diversification of serial killers generally mirrors the overall U.S. population.

3) Serial killers do not want to get caught: over time, as they kill without being discovered, they get careless during their crimes.

Check out the publication at the bottom of the FBI’s website, an in-depth informative article entitled “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators – serial killers are much different in real life.”

As for Alcala’s case, the District Attorney’s office was finally able to link four adult cases with DNA to put Alcala on trial for the murders of child Robin Samsoe, 12, and adults  Jill Barcomb, 18, Jill Parenteau, 21, Georgia Wixted, 27, and Charlotte Lamb, 32.  The prosecutors say he raped one of the women with a claw hammer. 

Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs is asked to contact Sergeant Smith at (714) 536-5947 or Detective Ellis at (714) 536-5947 with the Huntington Beach Police Department or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at (714) 347-8492.

On a side note, when Alcala appeared on the dating game in the late 1970’s, he had already been convicted and served time for raping an 8-year-old girl.  It’s a shame the Internet, along with the sexual offender registries, had not been invented back then. To top it all off, the woman on the show picked Alcala as the winner (although she never went on a date with him, reportedly because he was so creepy).  I wonder how the woman, the panel, and members of the staff feel now that they know a sexual predator who later turned out to be a serial killer was among the contestants on the game show?  I have a lot of friends in production who work for a lot of different shows; there is actually a background process now that takes place to allow people on their programs.  Sometimes, yes, people do slip through the cracks, but with the Internet and public demand for information, our chances are pretty high in knowing whether or not someone committed a sexual act with a child.

If you know any of the people in Alcala’s photos, contact Huntington Beach Police Detective Patrick Ellis, at 714-375-5066, or email him at pellis@hbpd.org.

Rodney Alcala, convicted serial killer

A convicted serial killer who once appeared on the dating game in the 1970’s is now sitting on death row for the third time. Rodney Alcala represented himself in court in March for the rapes and murders of four women and one child, and police fear there may be even more victims.  He was sentenced to death this week for a third time, and hopefully he won’t be allowed to appeal the decision. Alcala was found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in 1980 and again in1986 and was sentenced to death both times, but appeals overturned the cases, prolonging the pain for the victim’s family.  This case was prolonged much like police say Alcala prolonged the lives of his victims. As he would strangle them, and just before they would die, Alcala would bring them back to life by resuscitating them.  Alcala is now in the same serial killer category as Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgway, Charles Manson, and Andrew Cunanan (to name a few).

According to the FBI, “Serial killings are rare, probably less than one percent of all murders. They do, however, receive a lot of attention in the news and on screen—and much of the information out there is wrong. Yet, the public, the media, and even sometimes law enforcement professionals who have limited experience with serial murder, often believe what they read and hear. And this misinformation can hinder investigations.” 

The FBI says – as for serial killer myths, our group of experts had this to say about a few of them:  

1) Serial killers are not all dysfunctional loners: some have had wives and kids and full-time jobs and have been very active in their community or church or both.

2) Serial killers are not all white males: the racial diversification of serial killers generally mirrors the overall U.S. population.

3) Serial killers do not want to get caught: over time, as they kill without being discovered, they get careless during their crimes.

Check out the publication at the bottom of the FBI’s website, an in-depth informative article entitled “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators – serial killers are much different in real life.”

As for Alcala’s case, the District Attorney’s office was finally able to link four adult cases with DNA to put Alcala on trial for the murders of child Robin Samsoe, 12 and adults  Jill Barcomb, 18, Jill Parenteau, 21, Georgia Wixted, 27, and Charlotte Lamb, 32.  The prosecutors say he raped one of the women with a claw hammer. 

Investigators believe Alcala kept Robin’s earrings as a trophy and stored them in a Seattle storage unit in 1979 along with pictures of more than 100 other women, girls, young boys and even babies.  You can view all of the photo’s here at Nancy Grace’s blog. 

Police say Alcala would lure women in with his photography and get them to pose, but some photos were taken unbeknownst to the victims. Investigators do not know if he kept some of the photographs as trophies of other victims he had murdered, or if they are just generic snapshots.  I know firsthand from tracking murderers and covering cases like this over the last decade that these men and women do, in fact, take things to remind them of their work.  Sometimes the items they take are very unique, so can easily be traced back to the victim.   

Police need to know who each person is.  Maybe you have a missing loved one, or a cold case unsolved.  Take time to review each picture online. The Orange County Prosecutor’s office, along with the Huntington Police, are even offering a DVD of all 125 photos for pick up at their locations.  A handful of women have been located, but there are still dozens more to track down.  This is what the prosecutor’s office said in a recent press release:

Due to the number of photographs, CDs with the images are available for the media to pick up at the Huntington Beach Police Department located at 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. The CDs will also be available at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at 401 Civic center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs is asked to contact Sergeant Smith at (714) 536-5947 or Detective Ellis at (714) 536-5947 with the Huntington Beach Police Department or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at (714) 347-8492.

On a side note, when Alcala appeared on the dating game in the late 1970’s, he had already been convicted and served time for raping an 8-year-old girl.  It’s a shame the Internet, along with the sexual offender registries, had not been invented back then. To top it all off, the woman on the show picked Alcala as the winner (although she never went on a date with him, reportedly because he was so creepy).  I wonder how the woman, the panel, and members of the staff feel now that they know a sexual predator who later turned out to be a serial killer was among the contestants on the game show?  I have a lot of friends in production who work for a lot of different shows; there is actually a background process now that takes place to allow people on their programs.  Sometimes, yes, people do slip through the cracks, but with the Internet and public demand for information, our chances are pretty high in knowing whether or not someone committed a sexual act with a child.

Rodney Alcala (March 2010)

A convicted serial killer who once appeared on the dating game in the 1970’s is now sitting on death row for the third time. Rodney Alcala represented himself in court last week for the rapes and murders of four women and one child, and police fear there may be even more victims. Alcala was found guilty of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe in 1980 and again in1986 and was sentenced to death both times, but appeals overturned the cases, prolonging the pain for the victim’s family.  This case was prolonged much like police say Alcala prolonged the lives of his victims. As he would strangle them, and just before they would die, Alcala would bring them back to life by resuscitating them. 

The District Attorney’s office was finally able to link four adult cases with DNA to put Alcala on trial for the murders of child Robin Samsoe, 12 and adults  Jill Barcomb, 18, Jill Parenteau, 21, Georgia Wixted, 27, and Charlotte Lamb, 32.  The prosecutors say he raped one of the women with a claw hammer.  On March 9, 2010, Alcala was sentenced to death againor the rape and murder of Robin and the murders of the other four women.  Let’s just hope this time Alcala isn’t granted yet another appeal.

Investigators believe Alcala kept Robin’s earrings as a trophy and stored them in a Seattle storage unit in 1979 along with pictures of more than 100 other women, girls, young boys and even babies.  You can view all of the photo’s here at Nancy Grace’s blog. 

Police say Alcala would lure women in with his photography and get them to pose, but some photos were taken unbeknownst to the victims. Investigators do not know if he kept some of the photographs as trophies of other victims he had murdered, or if they are just generic snapshots.  I know firsthand from tracking murderers and covering cases like this over the last decade that these men and women do, in fact, take things to remind them of their work.  Sometimes the items they take are very unique, so can easily be traced back to the victim.   

Police need to know who each person is.  Maybe you have a missing loved one, or a cold case unsolved.  Take time to review each picture online. The Orange County Prosecutor’s office, along with the Huntington Police,are even offering a DVD of all 125 photos for pick up at their locations.  This is what they said in a recent press release:

Due to the number of photographs, CDs with the images are available for the media to pick up at the Huntington Beach Police Department located at 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. The CDs will also be available at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office at 401 Civic center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

Anyone with information regarding the identities of the women and children in the photographs is asked to contact Sergeant Smith at (714) 536-5947 or Detective Ellis at (714) 536-5947 with the Huntington Beach Police Department or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ed Berakovich at (714) 347-8492.

On a side note, when Alcala appeared on the dating gamein the late 1970’s, he had already been convicted and served time for raping an 8-year-old girl.  It’s a shame the Internet, along with the sexual offender registries, had not been invented back then. To top it all off, the woman on the show picked Alcala as the winner (although she never went on a date with him, reportedly because he was so creepy).  I wonder how the woman, the panel, and members of the staff feel now that they know a sexual predator who later turned out to be a serial killer was among the contestants on the gameshow?  I have a lot of friends in production who work for a lot of different shows; there is actually a background process now that takes place to allow people on their programs.  Sometimes, yes, people do slip through the cracks, but with the Internet and public demand for information, our chances are pretty high in knowing whether or not someone committed a sexual act with a child.  ]]> http://www.michellesigona.com/2010/03/serial-killer-case-could-be-more-victims/feed/ 2 http://www.michellesigona.com/2009/11/more-victims-identified-anthony-sowell-case/ http://www.michellesigona.com/2009/11/more-victims-identified-anthony-sowell-case/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:17:35 +0000 Michelle Sigona http://www.michellesigona.com/?p=533

According to the Cleveland Police, investigators do not have plans to go back and search the address of Anthony Sowell, but they do have cadaver dogs combing over the neighborhood where Sowell lived.  Investigators are searching commercial dumpsters, and an old elementary school for more bodies.  The house at 12205 Imperial Avenue is still considered a crime scene and will continue to be secured. According to a Cleveland Police press release: “The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office to evaluate investigative strategies. Two County Prosecutors have been assigned and will assist investigators with preparing for prosecution.”  Sowell is currently facing 5 counts of aggravated murder, rape, kidnapping, and felonious assault.  Sowell is held only a $5 million bond, and currently has a public defender.  He could face the death penalty.  Meanwhile, on November 9, 2009, the 8th and 9th victims were identified.  Cleveland Police say Janice D. Webb and Kim Yvette Smith are among the victims found inside Sowell’s residence.  Also, the Prosecutors office filed an indictment today against Sowell for charges attempted murder, rape, kidnapping, and felonious assault.  Cuyahoga County Jail Warden, Kevin McDonough told me that Sowell is currently being held in solitary confinement.  He is only allowed out of his cell when there aren’t other inmates around, and his time out in the common area is very limited.  Warden McDonough said Sowell is only held at his facility during his court case, and will be transferred to the state prison when the case is over.  He says Sowell is “watched closely,” and during Sowell’s time there, he is allowed to receive and respond to mail. 

TONIA CARMICHAEL, VICTIM

According to police, Tonia, age 52 was reported missing in Warrensville Hts. on November 10, 2008. 

TELACIA FORTSON, VICTIM

TELACIA FORTSON, VICTIM

Investigators say Telacia lived in East Cleveland and was reported missing on Halloween, October 31, 2009.  Her family told police they last saw her in early June 2009. 

 

TISHANA CULVER, VICTIM

TISHANA CULVER, VICTIM

NANCY COBBS, VICTIM

AMELDA HUNTER, VICTIM

CRYSTAL DOZIER, VICTIM

Michelle Mason, victim