Warning: Long post... but, it really made me think. *With permission of the author.
Victims: Years Apart, Feet Away
Fifth City Triangle
Charlotte Woods aka Charlotte Day, aged 42, was only the second victim in the string of unsolved strangulation murders beginning in 2001. On March 28, 2001 Ms. Woods body was found in vacant lot at 3432 W. Monroe. She had been strangled.
Two years later and only 950 feet away, the body of Lucyset “Mary” Thomas was found on an abandoned garage floor at 3522 W. Jackson. She died Oct. 20, 2003, at age 38. In addition to strangulation, Ms. Thomas suffered blunt force trauma to the head.
Three years later and a mere 750 feet from the location in which Ms. Thomas was found, and completing this small triangle was 34 year old, Kelly Sarff. Ms. Sarff’s body was found on September 24, 2006, in the basement of an abandoned building at 3512 W. Monroe. Her cause of death was strangulation.
Humboldt Park Duo
Velma Howard, 50 and Catherine Satterfield Buchanan, 58 both suffered the same fate.
Mrs. Howard was found in an alley, wrapped in a blanket at 622 N. Homan in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. She died Feb. 21, 2014, due to strangulation.
Ms. Satterfield Buchanan was found laying on the street at 3506 W. Huron June 22, 2017. 750 feet and three years apart, another fatal strangulation.
Not alone in Albany Park
On August 25, 2002 Loraine Harris, 36, was strangled and left to die in a dead end of an alley at 5059 N. Ridgeway.
Seven years later and barely 800 feet away Vanessa Rojakovich, 32 was found on the bank of the north branch Chicago River near 5100 N. Central Park Ave. On December 9, 2009 she was found suffocated from a plastic bag that was placed wrapped around her head.
More examples lead to more questions
In the Back of the Yards neighborhood, victims Bessie Scott aka Coleman, Judith Wilson and Mary Ann Szatkowski share a small area of less than a thousand feet apart. The length of time between the killings of Bessie and Judith to Mary Ann is 5 years.
Four years separate South Washington Park neighborhood victims Ethel Jean Amerson and Teresa Bunn. The space between their discoveries was approximately 1000 feet.
If there is a serial killer in Chicago who is disposing of bodies in geographical clusters… What makes these areas desirable to him that he would dispose of bodies in such close proximity, even though the years have passed?
Though the areas aforementioned are high crime, prostitution and drug areas, it is strange that he would dispose of so many bodies under 1000 feet of each other. If he is a serial killer, is he keeping them close so he can covertly visit these dump sites during the course of his regular work day?
Geographical Pattern of Unsolved Chicago Strangulations
Created by LavenderPineVanilla using Google Maps
In general, people are often repeat behaviors. “Creatures of habit,” as the saying goes. And as with anyone, if there is in fact a serial strangler in Chicago, it is possible that a repetition compulsion can be found. A line is formed between one dump site to the next, and so on for each year. Based on this, a pattern has appeared over the past 17 years.
What does this pattern tell us? Maybe nothing…Or maybe you can use Rossmo’s geographical profiling algorithm (CGT) to narrow down the the home location of the potential serial strangler.
If you’re not a mathematician, then perhaps, it can just suggest the buffer zones that serial criminals implement to keep their anonymity. A serial murderer would not live close to or along those lines formed in their repeated pattern of behavior.
Stalking the local bars for victims?
Is the possible serial strangler meeting his victims in bars…
One of the most recent victims of the suspected serial strangler was 21 year old, Diamond Turner. She was found dead in a dumpster, having suffered blunt force trauma and asphyxiation when a plastic bag was placed over her head. Diamond was last seen at a neighborhood bar, Red’s Lounge on S. Stony Island.
Back in 2001, Elaine Boneta, was found strangled blocks from her home at 2645 W. North Ave. Strangely enough, Elaine’s apartment overlooks the local bar located next door.
2003 victim, Rosenda Barocio lived on the 5100 block of S. Cicero Avenue. Could she have walked the mere 600 hundred feet down the street to “Angie’s” neighborhood bar?
And finally, Dellie Jones, 33, who lived near Augusta Avenue and Cicero Avenue. In one minute, she could have hopped down to the corner of her street to get a drink at the liquor store. Old Chicago liquor stores nearly always had a bar in the back for the neighborhood patrons.
There are potentially more victims who’s circumstances put them in close contact with the neighborhood bar. More investigating must be done, however, to lend credence to this theory.
But…this possibility does potentially explain the anomalies of victims found in and near their homes. And more specifically, that not all victims were prostitutes.
Commonalities in the cluster
Analyzing time, types, and victim parallels
Number of incidents per month
Looking at the numerous women who are considered, by the Murder Accountability Project, as potentially victims of a serial killer…what is it that links them?
The average age of this cluster of unresolved murders is 36 years old. Could this perhaps tell us that the murderer may be within the same age range of his victims? Perhaps, in his 30’s to 50’s?
76% of the victims are Black, 22% are White, and only 2% are listed as Hispanic. As with most criminals, they often reflect the racial profile of their victims. It is likely then, in this case, that the perpetrator is black.
According to data, the month of August has the highest number of incidents during the last 17 years, with no incidents happening in the month of April. The heat of the summer seems to bring out the worst in this potential serial killer. What is the trigger about the month of August that brings about this nightmarish behavior? It is also, very interesting that the there are no incidents reported in the month of April. Could he be so preoccupied with his work, for example, as a tax-preparer or does he normally go on vacation during April, akin to a spring break?
In relation to the cause of deaths of these unfortunate women, 94% were strangled, followed by 6% of the victims succumbing to asphyxiation. In addition to strangulation, some of the victims, a full 8%, suffered blunt force trauma to the head. And in further ghastly actions, one person was dismembered and another was set on fire.
So many unanswered questions remain in relation to the type of weapon used in the
course of these strangulations. Was there rope used? Was it only hands? Was there a knot tied?
More details, however, are in the public domain regarding the asphyxiation of 3 victims. Of which, all suffered the same terrible fate of having a plastic bag over their heads.
Strings and couplings…
Consecutive attacks form aggression outbreaks
When it comes to the dates of these crimes, some have striking routine about them.
These unsolved strangulations form a pattern of aggression outbreaks. As previously stated, over the 17 years of unsolved strangulation murders, August was the month with the most recorded incidents.
But, what is more interesting, is that there are several back to back or consecutive murders. In August, 2001 Winifred Shines and Brenda Cowart were found merely 20 days apart. Both victims of strangulation and both left outside. Winifred, 33, was the first victim that hot August and was left in the alley in back of Stop & Buy Clothing Store. Less than three weeks later, Brenda, 52, was found in a vacant lot by a passing citizen.
The next year, in 2002, another hot August and another repeat. However, these two victims were for the first time white. Jody Grissom, 19, was found on August 14, 2002 left between two garbage cans in an alley. And 11 days later the body of Loraine Harris, 36, was found at the dead end of an alley. Both had been strangled.
2003 saw an escalation of this coupling pattern. Attacks within the same month increased. Not only were there two victims in the month of August, but in May and October also.
On the same day, May 20, 2003, Tereka Jones, aged 30, and Linda Green, aged 42, were found strangled to death 8 miles apart in the south side neighborhoods of North Lawndale, and Greater Grand Crossing.
In August 2003, two days, and less than two miles separated the strangled bodies of Rosenda Barocio, 20, and Latonya Keeler, 30, who were found in alleys near the North Lawndale area. The neighborhood where only 3 months earlier, Tereka Jones had been found.
21 year old Latricia Hall, was the first strangulation victim in the month of October, 2003. Five days later, Lucyset (Mary) Thomas, 38, was found in an abandoned garage. Conspicuously, Lucyset (Mary) was the first victim that suffered, along with strangulation, blunt force trauma that led to her death.
Back to back strangling victims were found again in December 2005. Yvette Mason, aka Melinda Jackson, 35, and Shaniqua Williamson, 40, bodies were found separated by only 5 days and just a mile apart.
The last in the series of two victims in the same month, ended with the discoveries of 21 year old Theresa Bunn, and Hazel Marion Lewis, 52, in November 2007. Both woman’s bodies were found within 5 days of each other. The increased violence, often seen in serial killers over time, is noted with the horrific burning of their bodies.
The significance of the monthly coupling of strangulations, may perhaps, offer an insight into the workings of a potential serial killer. Also noticeable, with this pattern is the duplication of method of disposal, and the increased violence toward the bodies of these women, i.e., blunt force trauma to the head and setting the victims bodies on fire in garbage cans.
I believe there may be multiple serial killers responsible for these killings. Strangulation is often a preferred method of killing used among serial killers. It allows the killer to exert ultimate control and power over their victims. It is also a way for these individuals to get sexual gratification.
After reading about the DNA evidence it does not convince me that the crimes are not connected. The information provided by the police doesn’t identify where on the victim’s bodies these DNA samples were taken from.
