Detroit boarding up vacant homes amid possible serial killer

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit police officers are checking abandoned houses for any additional victims of a possible serial killer.

Three women have been found dead in vacant houses since March, the latest one this week. Only one so far has been ruled a homicide. But Mayor Mike Duggan says there’s a “strong possibility” that one person is responsible for the three deaths.

Duggan announced Friday that police will immediately start inspecting abandoned houses in certain areas of Detroit. The mayor says the houses then will be boarded up by other crews. He says 1,000 houses on the east side and 1,000 on the west side need to be sealed.

Police Chief James Craig suspects two of the dead women worked in the sex trade. The third hasn’t been identified.