Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. cautioned the public about using Internet adult dating sites in the wake of the murders of four young women. (Elizabeth Conley / The Detroit News)
Detroit— Three of the four women recently found dead in the trunks of two cars had profiles on a website offering adult escort services, Detroit police said Monday.
They urged the public to use caution involving Internet adult dating or escort services.
Detroit Police Chief Ralph L. Godbee Jr. made the public safety announcement about arranging meetings with strangers online just one day after the most recent deaths were discovered. The bodies were found within blocks of each other over the past week.
All four deaths are black women in their mid- to late 20s and all are believed to be Detroit residents. Toxicology tests are pending in all the cases to determine the specific cause of death, but Godbee stressed his investigators are treating them all as homicides. Investigators suspect at least three of the women were involved in accepting pay for dating services arranged over the Internet.
"Three of the four women have profiles on a website offering adult escort services," Godbee said. "We are stopping short of calling this a serial killer but feel this is important information the public needs to know about."
On Christmas morning, the bodies of two women were found in the trunk of a white Buick LeSabre parked inside a garage and set on fire in the 14000 block of Lannette Street. Those two women have been tentatively identified as between 28 and 29 years old, Godbee said.
On Dec. 19, the corpses of two women were found in the 14400 block of Promenade Avenue inside the trunk of a silver Chrysler 300. They have been identified as Renisha Landers, 23, and Demesha Hunt, 24. The cause of their deaths is still pending until the outcome of toxicology tests.
Godbee said investigators have yet to conduct interviews of operators of the website, www.backpage.com, which three of the women were acquainted with but he stressed it is important to anyone using social media to be wary of such sites and that any dating or escort situations should always be conducted in public places and persons should always let others know where they are at all times.
In yet another mysterious slaying believed to be unrelated, police still are seeking information in the killing of an 81-year-old Southfield woman, Helen Gale, whose body was found on the floor of the backseat of her burning car in an alley behind 196 W. Buena Vista in Highland Park..Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Anyone with information can call (800) 773-2587 (800-SPEAKUP) .
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