Police search home in case involving dead prostitutes

ST. LOUIS -- Police investigating the deaths of 10 women, all believed to be victims of a serial killer preying on prostitutes, detained and questioned a man Friday and searched his home in suburban Ferguson, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in its Saturday editions.

The development comes just weeks after a letter arrived at the newspaper that directed authorities to a body in a remote area of St. Charles County. Those remains, identified late last month, fit the profile of nine other bodies -- all of black women -- found on both sides of the Mississippi River starting in April 2001.

The women were killed in a way that led police to believe the deaths were connected.

As the man was questioned at St. Louis police headquarters, the FBI spent the day at his home, removing boxes and other items, and searching two cars parked there and poking the ground with probes.

The officer in charge of the investigation, St. Louis police Capt. Harry Hegger, would only say the FBI executed a search warrant at the home. The search continued Friday night.

No charges have been filed. William Eubanks, the special agent in charge of the FBI's St. Louis office, said it could be Monday before there are further developments. Eubanks also expects any resulting charges would be filed in federal court.

Late Friday, St. Louis Circuit Judge William H. Dierker Jr. appointed the city Public Defender's Office as the man's counsel. Attorneys from the office had filed a petition earlier in the day seeking access to the man, who they said had asked for counsel.

In that petition, the public defender's office said the man had been "detained and is being held ... upon investigation of homicides in Missouri and Illinois."

In a signed document presented to the court, the man said:

"I do not want to speak with any person other than my lawyer.

"I do not and will not consent to any blood tests, DNA tests or any other form of test. I simply will not sign any consent form whatsoever.

"I am aware of my 4th and 5th Amendment rights and hereby assert them."