Person of interest in Detroit serial killings charged in sexual assault
DETROIT – A Detroit man who police are calling a person of interest in the serial slayings of three women now is accused of raping a fourth victim and could be connected to two additional cases, with authorities in a nearby community saying they spotted him last year with a woman who is missing.
In the most recent case, DeAngelo Kenneth Martin, 34, is charged with one count of assault with intent to murder and four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was arraigned Monday in 36th District Court in Detroit. His latest mug shot shows a large bandage over his right eye.
Prosecutors said the victim, a 26-year-old woman, was stabbed and sexually assaulted at 1:40 a.m. May 7. She was younger than the victims in the serial killings — and was able to get away and survive the attack.
"We're still working our case," Detroit Police Chief James Craig said at a Monday afternoon news conference at police headquarters. "We're confident he is connected to all the cases we've described."
In addition to the victim of the May 7 case, Craig said there appears to be a second woman in her 50s who was attacked and survived. That assault occurred, he said, June 3, at the same location as the third slaying.
Craig added that there could even be a fourth woman, possibly from Ferndale, Michigan, who was killed.
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But while Monday's news seemed to quiet public fears about a serial killer being on the loose, it raised questions about how many victims there are in total — and how police tie the other deaths to Martin.
For the most part, Craig said, the cases are linked by the age of the victims — in their 50s, except for the younger victim Martin is charged with raping — and geography. They mostly were on the east side.
Craig added that the killer appeared to primarily target what he called sex workers, victims who would be especially vulnerable, and he had what the chief referred to as a signature modus operandi.
The serial killer, Craig has said, appears to have lured women into vacant buildings, raped and then killed them.
As the investigation continues to unfold, police in nearby Ferndale said Monday that officers there had two interactions with Martin last year, including once when he was with a woman who was later reported missing.
Police responding Aug. 3 to a suspicious or disorderly persons complaint at a 7-Eleven in east Ferndale found Martin and 64-year-old Deborah Reynolds sitting outside with an open container of alcohol. Both were given breath tests. Martin was legally intoxicated and Reynolds' test results were inconclusive, police said. Reynolds was seen drinking from the container and cited for having an open intoxicant in public. Officers did not see Martin drinking and did not issue him a citation.
Per police department policy, officers drove Reynolds and Martin from the scene in separate vehicles to their "stated desired location" in Detroit, Ferndale police said in a news release.
Reynolds' family reported her missing weeks later. After learning of her disappearance, Ferndale police reviewed body camera and in-car camera footage from officers' interactions with her and Martin.
"Martin and Reynolds were familiar and friendly with each other, even seen standing arm-in-arm on video," the news release said. "Reynolds did not appear coerced or fearful."
According to the release, Reynolds spent nearly five minutes alone with a female officer and never mentioned feeling unsafe. She also didn't act in a way that raised any red flags for the officer.
“I have reviewed all of the details of these cases personally, and I can tell you that they were handled in a thoroughly appropriate and responsible way,” Ferndale Police Chief Vincent Palazzolo said in the news release. “Our goal when we’re called to a situation like this is to assist the people involved, and that’s what our officers did. The two individuals were able to function without assistance, had no history of violent crime, and appeared affectionate with each other, so we helped them get where they needed to go safely.”
Police in Ferndale encountered Martin again about a month later, on Sept. 2. Officers stopped him for jaywalking, causing cars to swerve and brake, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of providing false information about his identity. He was later released without incident.
Reynolds was not with him that time, police said.
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Ferndale police are assisting Detroit police with the investigation.
News first surfaced that Detroit police were looking for a serial killer last Wednesday, after police said three women's bodies had been found. They appeared to be homicides and linked by similarities that police have not yet publicly described in detail.
But only one of the three slayings had been determined to be a homicide by the medical examiner.
The victims identified so far are Nancy Harrison, 52, and Travesene Ellis, 53.
Harrison's body was found March 19. Ellis' was discovered May 24, and the third, who is 52, on Wednesday. Her name, however, has not yet been released by police.
On Friday, the chief — along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials — sought to calm fears and announced a massive door-to-door dragnet for information and other victims.
Police said Martin — who has been known to be homeless and frequent the city's east side where the bodies were found — was picked up at a bus stop Friday evening.
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At Friday's news conference, Duggan also promised to step up efforts to board up and tear down thousands of vacant homes. He sought public support for his plan to seek a $200-million bond to continue his pledge to eliminate blight.
Police and city workers began searching abandoned homes across the city's east side, going door-to-door to look for other possible victims, and board up homes to protect others from crime.
Craig said Monday that 17 homes were boarded up Friday, 35 on Saturday and expected 55 to be boarded up by the end of Monday. The aim, he said, is to board up about 1,000 vacant east-side buildings.
Martin, who does not yet have an attorney, is set to appear at a probable cause conference on June 20, with a preliminary exam June 25 before Judge Lynise Bryant-Weeks.
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