Kidnap, Rape Mobilizes Serial Killer Unit Task Force Serves Warrant At South Hill Home

Thu., April 15, 1999

Robin Rivers S Bill Morlin Staff writer

The Spokane serial killer task force served search warrants Wednesday at a home on Spokane’s upper South Hill.

Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Dave Reagan said investigators were looking for information related to a Feb. 16 abduction and rape in downtown Spokane.

An unidentified 25-year-old woman was abducted at gunpoint from the downtown area, raped and beaten. Because of the nature of the crime, it was turned over to the task force, Reagan said.

Investigators would not say who owns the South Hill home.

Detectives served warrants on a house in the 3700 block of East 49th Avenue at about 3 p.m. Wednesday. No one was inside and no arrests were made, Reagan said.

Investigators seized several bags of evidence from the home and towed a car from the scene.

Detectives requested the search warrants after receiving tips about the abduction from an informant in the serial killer investigation.

“It was information that was provided to our officers as part of our investigation,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Cal Walker. “We followed it up to the point where we are executing a search warrant.”

Walker would not say whether the search warrants are connected to the serial killer investigation.

“I’m not going to say whether it is or if it isn’t. We are investigating what appears to be a separate incident,” he said.

He stressed that the task force has solved other crimes not related to the serial killer investigation.

The task force is investigating the unsolved killings of at least 20 women since 1994. Ten victims since 1997 have been connected to the Spokane serial killer. Eight had been shot and dumped in remote areas of Spokane County. Two were killed similarly in Tacoma.

Staff writers Bill Morlin and Jonathan Martin contributed to this report.

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