Indiana – CHICAGO (FOX 32 News/ Sun Times Media Wire) – Police in northwest Indiana identified a suspected serial killer Monday, saying the convicted sex offender who is in custody is believed to have killed at least seven women – and possibly more.
Darren Deon Vann, 43, of Gary, was taken into custody over the weekend and led authorities to at least three of the bodies, officials said at a news conference in Hammond Monday afternoon.
As of Monday morning, the bodies of the seven females had been discovered throughout Hammond and Gary, according to the Lake County coroner’s office.
Police say Vann is a violent convicted sex offender in Texas. When Vann relocated to Gary, Ind. after his release from prison, he registered as a sex offender with the city.
Hammond Chief John Doughty said Vann is cooperating with police and Hammond authorities are pursuing charges against him in the death of Afrika Hardy, 19, whose body was found Friday.
Friday, Hammond police responded to a call of an unresponsive person Friday evening at the Motel 6 at 3840 179th St. Police discovered the strangled body of Hardy.
A cousin of Hardy’s said the teen, who spelled her first name “Afrikka” on some social media sites, originally was from the Chicago area, but had grown up in the Denver area, graduating from high school there. She recently had moved back to Chicago, the cousin said.

Hoyda said Sunday that as part of the investigation into her death, police served a search warrant on a home on 49th Avenue in Gary, where they also took the person of interest into custody. The man, later identified as Vann confessed, Hoyda said, and gave police information on three other dead women, all in Gary.
Vann later told police he “messed up” by committing the crime in Hammond and was surprised by how quickly he was caught.
“Late afternoon on Saturday the search warrant was executed at a home there and a vehicle and person of interest in the Hammond incident was taken into custody by Hammond police,” Hoyda said in a statement. “A subsequent interrogation of the person of interest, a 43-year-old male from Gary, led to the man making a confession and then leading detectives to the city of Gary where several other female victims of possible homicide were located. The search warrant was executed not at the residence of the suspect but at a location near to the reported suspect’s home in Gary.”
Police discovered the body of Anith Jones, 35, of Merrillville, at 413 E. 43rd Ave., around 11:20 p.m. Saturday.
Jones’ family had recently reported her missing, and a group of about 30 Gary police officers searched the 4900 block of Louisiana Street, where her car was found sitting in a driveway of an abandoned house, looking for her. She had been missing since Oct. 8.
Jones’ sister, Yolanda Nowell, did not wish to speak Sunday afternoon, but said last week that her sister “is very street savvy.”
Jones had a stand at the 41st Avenue and Calumet Street flea market, Nowell said, and had moved from Chicago to Northwest Indiana about 10 years ago. She was one of seven siblings.
Police then discovered the second body around 1 a.m. Sunday in the 1800 block of E. 19th Avenue. The woman was found wearing a green hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
A third body was found in the 2200 block of Massachusetts Street at 1:50 a.m. Sunday. The woman was found wearing a pair of blue jeans and white Nike shoes.
Late Sunday, the coroner’s office confirmed the discovery of three additional Jane Does.
At 7:50 p.m., a female body was discovered in the 4300 block of Massachusetts Street in Gary, according to the coroner’s office. Hours later, at 10:05 p.m., two additional female bodies were discovered in the 400 block of East 43rd Avenue in Gary.
All seven deaths have been ruled homicides, according to the coroner’s office. (read more)