Detroit police go door-to-door in search of killer’s victims
DETROIT — In an effort to quell public fears stemming from a spike in violent crime in Detroit and police warnings of a serial killer targeting women, city officials announced Friday a massive, door-to-door dragnet for information and other victims.
“We are not going to let up,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said, flanked by other officers, city officials and volunteers at a news conference at police headquarters. “We are going to find this violent, predatory criminal.”
The serial killer, Craig has said, appears to be luring women into vacant buildings, raping and then killing them. So far, three women’s bodies have been found, only two of which have been identified.
Since Wednesday, news of a serial killer has generated national headlines, and city officials, as well as Detroit residents, do not want the bad news to revive the city’s decadeslong reputation for violent crime.
There were 261 homicides last year, down from 267 in 2017.
Moreover, Michigan history is dotted with serial killers who have targeted prostitutes. The men, crime experts say, often preyed on them because they tended not to draw as much publicity — or public sympathy.
Police are now seeking the public’s help to identify the third woman, who was found Wednesday morning on Mack Avenue near Mount Elliott and prompted the police to warn residents — especially women — to be on alert.
The third victim was described as black, about 5 feet tall and about 100 pounds with a short-crop Afro hairstyle.
Craig said he hopes there are no other victims, but added that there very well could be.
At the news conference, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan also promised to step up efforts to board up and tear down thousands of vacant homes and sought public support for his plan to seek a $200 million bond to continue his pledge to eliminate blight.
“The violence we’ve been experiencing in the City of Detroit has been heartbreaking,” he said. “We’ve seen attacks on women, we’ve seen attacks on the LGBT community and we’ve seen random drive-by shootings.”
Last month, he said, a teen was even shot and killed over Cartier eyewear.
Duggan added that to turn back that recent increase in violence, it will take “our entire city, police and the community together to say, once and for all: ‘This violence is just not acceptable.’”