Prostitute murders in Peoria

The Chicago Tribune has a story on missing and murdered women in Peoria, Illnois. There have been six known deaths, their bodies dumped in rural areas of the city. Four had been asphyxiated, two died of overdoses. All were black, and all had connections with prostitution and drug use.

Why my mum thinks I need to stop reading popular true crime / criminology non-fiction: the two who died of overdoses may have been dumpings by clients who panicked and didn’t know what to do, so this may confuse the search for a possible serial killer. Aside from the confirmation of asphyxiation, there’s no information about whether there were any ritualistic or signature clues left at the scene, such as posing or overkill. Possibly these details have been left out in order to screen suspects.

• 19 Nov 2004