Suspected serial killer who could be behind 5 recent murders on the loose in California

Newsweekreported last week about a string of homicides committed in Stockton, California. The local Police Department stated that they share a common pattern, although they do not know if it is one suspect or a group of suspects who is behind the murders.

A pattern has been identified

According to Newsweek, the Police Department in Stockton, California (SPD) took to Facebook last Wednesday 28 September to share data about their recent work. Apparently, during 2022, they have been investigating 43homicides, 11 more than the same period last year.

According to the SPD, the detectives looking at some of the recent cases identified a pattern in which some of the murders have been committed either during the night or early morning and the victims were alone.

Newsweek also reveals the comments of Stockton Police Chief, Stanley McFadden, who during a news conference on Wednesday said ‘there were enough similarities in the killings to warn the public’, however he did not specify how many homicides fit into this pattern.

Five cases since July

NBC Newsreported about a follow-up news conference by Stockton Police Chief McFadden on Friday 30 September, who revealed that the pattern thus far fits five homicides which started in July and involve all after-dark shootings.

According to Chief McFadden, they have a person of interest whose back was captured by a security camera in the area and at the time where one of the murders took place. This person is either a suspect or a witness, McFadden has said.

Additionally, the five homicides are all recent, the first one occurred on July 8 and the latest one as recently as last week, on September 27.

According to McFadden, ‘police have ruled outgang violence, hate crime and the targeting of homeless residents’. The cases also are not due to robbery either because all victims had their belongings on them.

According to McFadden, ‘whoever is shooting is creeping in the shadows’, and all of the murders have taken place in shady areas, with few security cameras and involving a single victim:

The areas are dimly lit, they're overshadowed by trees, be alert, have your head on a swivel.

According to NBC News, the city is offering a reward of up to $75,000 for any information that leads to an arrest and Stockton Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $10,000.

Sources used:

- Newsweek: ‘Serial Killer in Stockton? Police Investigating Pattern of Several Killings’

- NBC News: ‘Five fatal shootings in Stockton, California, could be serial killings, police say’

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