Possible Gary Indiana Serial Killer Admits to Killing Over 7 Women; Bodies Found.
Darren Deon Vann, 43, of Gary, Ind., is believed to be behind the gruesome murders of seven women in northwesteren Indiana.
A Gary, Indiana man has recently confessed to the slaying of 7 northwestern Indiana women and have lead police to the discovery of 6 bodies this past weekend.
Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville, Teaira Batey, 28, of Gary and Afrikka Hardy, 19, are three of the confirmed victims found over the weekend in what police describe as a gruesome killing spree which may go back as far as 20 years.
Police obtained a search warrant finding multiple items connecting Darren D. Vann 43, from Gary, to Hardy, 19, whose lifeless body was found in a bathtub on Friday night, at a Motel 6.
Hardy’s mother, Loria Townsend says she hadn’t discovered about her daughters death until she received a message through Facebook.
“She wanted to spread her wings,” said Townsend.
The family has recently been living in Colorado but are originally from Chicago. Hardy, 19, who was four months pregnant, had recently moved back to Chicago a few months ago.
Darren Deon Vann, who reportedly told police he’d “messed up” by killing a woman in Hammond, then confessed to several more slayings leading police to the gruesome discovery of several bodies in nearby Gary, Hammond Police Chief John Doughty said Monday.
Vann met Hardy through a online classifieds website where local escorts advertise their services.
Police were able to electronically track down Vann using a phone number provided to them by what Police Chief Dougherty described only as “a facilitator” who had arranged the meet between Vanna and Hardy.
On Tuesday, Gary Police detectives using cadaver dogs were searching abandoned homes, where six of the bodies were found over the weekend.
Vann, who “admitted his involvement in the Hammond incident” began leading police to other bodies in Gary, Doughety said. Vann has only been charged in Hardy’s death.
Although the coroner’s office didn’t elaborate on the cause of death, they did say Williams and Hardy were strangled to death.
Jones, 35 had been missing since October 8.
When asked why Vann chose to cooperate, Police Chief Dougherty said he wanted to cut a deal, but didn’t provide further details.
When asked of a motive, Dougherty said, “It was just something he wanted to do.“
All the victims bodies were found within a 5-mile drive of each other.
He has a record.
Vann, who is a convicted sex offender in Austin, Texas, but not registered, was convicted in 2009 from a 2007 case in which he sexually assaulted a woman at an Austin apartment, the Austin Police Department said in a statement.
Police stopped short of calling Vann, native-born of Indiana, a serial killer but believe the number of victims could grow as detectives from Texas conduct reviews of possible-related cases to see if there are any connections.
In the meantime, Lake County, and Cook County detectives are re-opening cold case files to find any connections or similarities.
The coroner’s office is asking for help in identifying 3 of the bodies. One of the bodies was found in the 400-block of 43rd Avenue was wearing a silver colored link bracelet with “Best Aunt” on it, was about 5’3″.
The other woman’s body was found in the 4300-block of Massachusetts was about 5’0″ tall wearing size 3/4 RUE21 jeans, and white NIKE gym shoes.
Teaira Batey who had been reported missing in January, was found in an abandoned home in the 1800 block of E. 19th.
Based on statements from Vann given to police, he may have stared killing up to 20 years ago.
The victims ages range from 19 to 36 years old, and all were African American females.
Afrikka Hardy, whose body was found in a bathtub at a Moel 6, in Hammond.
Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville, Ind., was confirmed as one of the victims.
