It appears as though there is a serial killer on the loose in Detroit, who is possibly targeting escorts.

On Monday, Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee held a press conference to inform the public about 4 bodies found in two separate incidences that are most likely connected. In each incident, two women were found deceased in the trunk of a car, and police say that at least 3 of the victims posted escort-type ads on the same web site.

On December 19^th, two women were found dead in the trunk of a 2009 Chrysler 300C, that was parked in the driveway of a vacant home. There were no outer signs of trauma on the women, and no cause of death has been determined yet. Godbee said that due to the fact that the bodies were hidden inside of the trunk, they are investigating the incident as a homicide. The two victims were identified as cousins Demesha Hunt, 24, and Renisha Landers, 23. According to the Huffington Post, the relatives of Hunt and Landers insist that the girls were not escorts.

On December 25^th, Detroit Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire inside of a garage on the East side. Upon extinguishing the fire, firefighters discovered two bodies in the trunk – both females ages 28 and 29 years old. The bodies have been tentatively identified, but only one name has been released to the public – 29-year-old Vernithea McCrary.

Godbee said police are awaiting the medical examiner’s final report to determine the cause of deaths for the four women.

The Detroit Police Department’s initial investigation has revealed a connection between at least three of the four victims. Each girl had placed an ad on www.backpage.com, a site similar to Craigslist, that offers everything from automotive to real estate services. Three of the four women apparently have a link to the “pre-arranged adult services section”.

7 Action News is reporting that police are also looking into about a dozen other sites that the women may have posted ads on.

SOURCES:

– http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/police-investigate-more-than-a-dozen-websites-in-womens-murders#ixzz1i1r7KKxh

– http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/detroit-police-say-3-of-4-women-found-dead-in-car-trunks-promoted-themselves-online-as-escorts/2011/12/26/gIQAKnxKJP_story.html

– http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/27/serial-killer-may-be-targ_n_1171583.html

2-year-old Bianca Jones was allegedly kidnapped in a carjacking that occurred Friday morning in Detriot, Michigan. Bianca’s father, Deandre Lane, told reporters that he was driving with the little girl to her mother’s house when two men in a red car signaled to him that there was a problem with his taillights. When he got out of his car, the men turned a gun on him and took off in the car, with little Bianca still strapped in her car seat.

Lane’s vehicle, a 2004 grey Mercury Grand Marquis, was recovered 20 minutes later a few blocks away from the carjacking site. The door was open and the engine was running, but Bianca was not inside, and the car seat was empty.

The carjacking suspects

Lane told police that the two men were driving a red compact car, which has not yet been located. He described one of the suspects as being a black man, 6-foot-tall, and about 185 pounds. He was said to be wearing a black shirt and black pants. No info has been released about the second suspect.

Below is a police sketch of the first suspect:

As this case begins to make the rounds in the news, many people are questioning the validity of Lane’s story, including members of his own family. WXYZ-TV is reporting that relatives have said that Lane called his live-in girlfriend immediately after the carjacking, even before he called police.

Bianca’s father

According to Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee, Lane’s story is being intensively investigated. Police have searched his house, but have not said if anything of interest was found. On Sunday, Godbee, along with Bianca’s mother, Bonika Jones, held a press conference. Jones pleaded with the kidnappers to please let her daughter go, and Bianca’s 7-year-old sister also begged to have her sister back.

Godbee told reporters that Lane is being held on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated matter in another jurisdiction. He confirmed that Lane was given a polygraph test, but declined to say what the results of that test were.

Detroit’s Action News has reported that he failed the polygraph, although I have yet to read any confirmation of that from a police source.

Lane currently lives with his girlfriend, and they have a 2-year-old daughter together as well. Lane’s girlfriend spoke to reporters and told them she last saw Bianca when Lane left their home with her at 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Bianca had been staying with them for the past week, and was expected to stay with them a little longer.

Timeline

Below is a timeline of events the morning of November 2, 2011, as told by Deandre Lane, and as reported by the local Detroit media.

7:30 a.m. – Lane’s girlfriend sees him leave their home with Bianca

9:55 a.m. – Lane is driving to Bianca’s mother’s home when two men carjack him

10:15 a.m. – Lane’s car, a grey Grand Marquis, is discovered a few blocks away

Everyone in the Detroit area needs to be on the lookout for Bianca. She is said to have braided hair and was last seen wearing a pink skirt, pink tights, pink shoes, and a purple coat with gold piping.

There is a $17,500 reward for info leading to her whereabouts. If anyone has any information regarding her disappearance, they are asked to call 1-800-SPEAKUP (anonymous) or the Detroit Police Department : 313-596-2170.

I will post any updates below.

UPDATE: 12/5 12:40 PM CST

New details about the investigation into Bianca’s disappearance are emerging today, and the news isn’t exactly comforting. According to Local 4 News, FBI investigators searched Lane’s home late last night, and recovered a “significant amount of evidence.” No report on what exactly the evidence is yet, but that can’t be a good thing for Bianca.

Police have also received tips that Lane had been spotted behind Wayne Community College near the Detroit River, sometime in the hours before the alleged carjacking. Lane is also reportedly seen on school surveillance tape dropping off a 15-year-old nephew at approximately 8:10 a.m. Friday. That nephew has allegedly told police that Bianca was in the car when he was dropped off.

A report has also surfaced about investigators interviewing a Wayne County inmate about what he knows about Bianca’s disappearance. Who this inmate could be is anyone’s guess, but my first thought is that it might be someone who has communicated with Lane while he was there over this last weekend.

Police have set up a roadblock in Bianca’s neighborhood this morning, and are questioning any passing drivers about whether they saw anything suspicious the morning of her disappearance.