Chicago Stranglings: Four Women Found Strangled In Vacant Buildings In The Last Two Years, Police Seek Link

It has been a violent Spring in Chicago, and the city has received a lot of negative attention in recent weeks. Now, police are saying there could be a serial strangler on the loose, after a fourth woman was found murdered in a vacant building last weekend.

The Chicago Tribune reports that, in the last two years, four women have been found strangled in vacant or abandoned buildings in the South Side's Roseland and West Pullman neighborhoods:

Three of the attacks are linked by evidence, while the most recent slaying last weekend fits the pattern, though forensic testing has not been completed, said Calumet Area Lt. Anthony Carothers.

The first victim, 38-year-old Eureka Jackson, was found strangled in November of 2008. The bodies of the other three victims were all discovered in 2010. An unidentified woman was found on Jan. 11, 30-year-old Siobhan Hampton was found on March 30 and 29-year-old Lutelda Michelle Hudson was found last weekend, the Tribune reports. All of the women had been strangled to death, had police records involving prostitution and were discovered in vacant or abandoned buildings.

On Tuesday, police issued their third alert to people in the West Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods, and Cook County Crime Stoppers offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

"We just recently obtained confirmation of similarities," Carothers told the Tribune. "So now we're reviewing it more as a pattern. ... Now we can follow the evidence. We can put our hands on it. ... They are someone's daughter. Even if society or the Police Department doesn't agree with their way of making money, they still don't deserve to be killed."

Police are beefing up patrols in an area near 120th and 112th streets, Michigan Avenue and Halsted Street, and urging women to be cautious and avoid walking alone, Fox Chicago reports.

Fox also reported that the slayings are similar to a string of murders in 2000, when six women were found dead in vacant buildings throughout the summer.

Comments

[GravitonX]

10:57 AM on 05/21/2010

Skynet will protect you.

[peowlemeow]

11:36 AM on 05/20/2010

I think America has gotten too inured to violence.I don't know if it is a weak willed "better you than me attitude" that demarks self-preservation or if it an accumulation of decades of strife ,just boiling over.Chicago needs to gentle up a bit and look out for its neighbors and fellow citizens.

[imaginaryfriends]

08:20 PM on 05/19/2010

Lake Charles, Louisiana has a serial killer and has killed a number of women but you won't hear about it from the local or national newspapers and the tv doesn't say much, either. It's like some sort of secret. No one wants the news leaked to the public. What's up with that?

[AndyWright68]

06:06 PM on 05/19/2010

And not one victim had a gun!

All you anti-gun people had these women convinced that the police keep us safe and we should not be carrying guns. You should be ashamed! Women with guns have prevented hundreds if not thousands of violent attacks and rapes whereas the police have prevented none! They have caught rapists AFTER they rape. Then this lousy system lets the rapists out of jail to rape again and again and again. There is only one answer to stop men who attack women BANG! BANG! BANG! No parole!

Get a gun, keep it on you at ALL times and be vigilant. The police DO NOT keep us safe. It is YOUR responsibility to protect yourself. Courts ruled it is NOT the responsibility of any government agency or the police to provide for your safety. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia

[weirwolf]

07:57 PM on 05/19/2010

Listen, I'm all for guns and protecting myself, but you're starting to sounds like a gun-lunatic that the left always points the points at when it comes to changing gun legislation.

Please don't associate yourself with gun right activist. Your making us all look crazy.

[AndyWright68]

08:31 PM on 05/19/2010

There is no reason to be a gun activist. We all have the right to life and to protect that life by any means necessary. Because guns exist then having a gun is necessary and all gun-control laws are violations of the 2nd Amendment.

You don't have to be a nut to stand up for what is right.

[Captain Pants]

08:40 AM on 05/20/2010

I have to agree, not every crime or act of violence has to be turned into a rant on the second amendment.

[HankyJoe]

09:35 AM on 05/20/2010

Owning a gun is not going to save you.
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/05/chicago-police-officer-shot-during-possible-robbery.html

[Lakeview Greg]

05:23 PM on 05/19/2010

Shouldn't CPD have been more aware of similarities before now? Four unsolved stranglings, all in vacant buildings. I dunno, seems to me with computers and all that the detectives should have been comparing notes after the first two victims were found, instead of 4. Better late than never, I guess.

[Will o Wisp]

05:41 PM on 05/19/2010

but it was over a period of 2 years. Two or three might not seem like much of a pattern given the base rate of homicides in general. Also, despite the TV making a huge deal over it, serial murder is still a rare event.

[Lakeview Greg]

06:07 PM on 05/19/2010

I might be expecting too much. Probably has to do with my attitude regarding CPD generally. But experience and life have taught me to regard anything coming out of CPD with a very wary eye.

[lastep]

05:05 PM on 05/19/2010

makes Chicago.......makes Chicago safer. What a waste of time and letter being a smart arse

[Pagoas]

05:05 PM on 05/19/2010

omg! what if the strangler doesn't have a birth certificate?

[mackbolan]

10:33 PM on 05/19/2010

you mean like the serial killer some years back that was riding the train from town to town....

[StephenJK]

02:53 AM on 05/21/2010

LOL

[lastep]

05:04 PM on 05/19/2010

banning handguns will makes Chicago safer

[AndyWright68]

05:07 PM on 05/19/2010

So you're ignorant then? Good to know.

[weirwolf]

05:10 PM on 05/19/2010

We should also ban hands as well. because people are being strangled to death. While we at it, knives are used in stabbings, they should be banned as well. This will make Chicago safer right?

I'm sorry you feel that way. Criminals, gangbusters, drug dealers shouldn't have guns. Don't punish law abiding citizens.

[SoutheastBeast]

05:51 PM on 05/19/2010

Hand guns are already banned in Chicago.

[weirwolf]

05:55 PM on 05/19/2010

they shouldn't be!!!!!!!

[CAHertzfe]

04:53 PM on 05/19/2010

I suppose this is Obama's fault too? He's not keeping America safe right? Geeeesh!

[AndyWright68]

04:37 PM on 05/19/2010

When a man attacks a women who has the most power?

When a man attacks a woman with a gun who has the most power?

The woman more often that not doesn't even have to pull the trigger. Just the sight of a gun will make most anyone run!

[weirwolf]

04:53 PM on 05/19/2010

I live in West Bucktown. I was woken up at 430am to the sound of gunshots. I haven't heard them in a while so I was pretty startled. Needless to say, as an avid gun enthusiast and owner, I feel more comfortable protecting myself with my .45 than calling the cops.

I just wish we could conceal and carry. I have considered doing it on occasion, but I never have. Too bad CROOK county impedes my second amendment rights.

[AndyWright68]

05:11 PM on 05/19/2010

Just remember: No one knows you have a gun but you. Luckily the cops don't randomly pat people down...yet.

My advise is the same to everyone. Get a gun and carry it on you ALL the times!

Of the tens of thousands of laws we have not one of them is worth my life!

[PurityOfEssence]

06:10 PM on 05/19/2010

The problem with everyone carrying guns is that for every 1 rape you prevent - there are 50 people who get in a shootout over a parking space, or get shot because they "looked at me cross-eyed" or because the Cubs beat the White Sox in interleague play.

People are irrational; adding guns to the mix won’t help anything.

and by the way - in your little scenario above the rapist would probably have a gun too - now who has more power?

[AndyWright68]

08:55 PM on 05/19/2010

People are irrational? It's sad you think that. All your examples are unproven myths. the truth is that an armed society is a polite society. The truth about the old west is that there were no shootouts that came from arguments. in fact, there was less fighting then we have now. High-noon quick draws never happened.

The woman would still have more power if the rapist had a gun. If you tried to attack someone with a gun and they pointed a gun at you how much further would you advance? You would run just like anyone else. You prefer she not have a gun when he has one? You believe she should just give up and spread 'em? My daughter has a gun and if someone attacks her with any kind of weapon she will not stop shooting until she is out of ammo.

Everyone should get a gun and keep it on them at all times. there is no rational argument against this. Unarmed=sitting duck.

[AndyWright68]

04:35 PM on 05/19/2010

And not one of them had a gun!

All you anti-gun people had these women convinced that the police keep us safe and we should not be carrying guns. You should be ashamed! Women with guns have prevented hundreds if not thousands of violent attacks and rapes whereas the police have prevented none! They have caught rapists AFTER they rape. Then this lousy system lets the rapists out of jail to rape again and again and again. There is only one answer to stop men who attack women BANG! BANG! BANG! No parole!

Get a gun, keep it on you at ALL times and be vigilant. The police DO NOT keep us safe. It is YOUR responsibility to protect yourself. Courts ruled it is NOT the responsibility of any government agency or the police to provide for your safety. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia

[f0rTyLeGz]

05:08 PM on 05/19/2010

Brilliant AndyWright68! Hookers with handguns.

[AndyWright68]

05:35 PM on 05/19/2010

So you want dead hookers. I see where you are at. Turn yourself in.

[BikeFreak]

06:45 PM on 05/19/2010

THANKS!!!!

That's a GREAT name for my new punk band!

[EvasDaddy]

05:21 PM on 05/19/2010

Watch a lot of TV do you Andy? Jack Bauer?

"BANG! BANG! BANG!" ... yeah, that will make our women safe.

[AndyWright68]

05:36 PM on 05/19/2010

It has and it always will. I would rather all the women be armed than our abusive cops.

[psych101]

04:24 PM on 05/19/2010

Chicago needs to increase its police force and improve the training of its police. This is another frightening example the dangers of failing to invest in our public institutions.

[AndyWright68]

04:40 PM on 05/19/2010

The last thing they need is more corrupt cops. People need to arm themselves. The criminals right now have the power because they believe in arming themselves. There are more good people than bad and if they were armed they would have the advantage.

[EvasDaddy]

05:22 PM on 05/19/2010

You do know that Jack Bauer on "24" is a fictional character, right Andy?

[psych101]

07:35 PM on 05/19/2010

Its sad when you disparage an entire institution of hard working public servants who put their lives at risk every day because of a select few. We do need more and better trained cops. The more we neglect this fact the more likely corruption and incompetence will spread in the police force. This is not television so put don't your remote and stop watching The Shield.

[BikeFreak]

06:50 PM on 05/19/2010

More cops?

Hell, I'll take my chances on the street than risking coming across a cop with a bad attitude and entitlement issues!

[psych101]

07:38 PM on 05/19/2010

Yeah more cops. Areas that are have the highest crime rates tend to have the lowest police presence or more accurately put, proportionally lower to given crime rates. Sure cops can be obnoxious and disrespectful if not outright stupid at times. But so can doctors, teachers, etc. Are you telling me we should have fewer well trained doctors?

[jerrypl]

04:12 PM on 05/19/2010

Creepy stuff. Those streets are very tough. A sex perverted murderer? Possibly. Being raised in Chicago, I feel the streets are much tougher than 45 years ago.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

[StephenJK]

03:00 AM on 05/21/2010

Tougher? Perhaps. Crazier? Definitely.

[Lady Doodlebug]

04:07 PM on 05/19/2010

Very sad. They are looked upon a throw-away women -- and no one deserves to be killed.

The police should work a little harder on this, as serial killers will graduate to higher visibility killing eventually.

[CDWoods]

04:04 PM on 05/19/2010

It's just Joakim Noah, and he'll stop once he gets back on the meds.