COULD HOUSTON HAVE ITS OWN DOWNTOWN SERIAL KILLER?

Carol Flood

Reita Long

Before I wrote about this crime spree in the downtown area I wanted make sure I had a clear definition of a serial killer.  So, I looked it up.  Here's what I found online:

A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people over a period of more than thirty days, with a "cooling off" period between each murder, and whose motivation for killing is largely based on psychological gratification. 


With that said the Bayou City may well be on its way to having a downtown serial killer.  According to information released by the Houston Police department apparently they believe a person or persons could be responsible for three murders in the downtown area since June.  The victims have been described as two homeless woman and a woman who was stranded without a car.  What they all have in common besides being murdered downtown is how they were murdered.  All by strangulation.  Here's the latest information released by HPD:



Houston police homicide investigators are asking for the public's assistance in identifying a suspect or suspects wanted in the strangulations of three women in the downtown area since June.

The female victims are identified as Raquel A. Mundy, 24, Reita L. Long, 52, and Carol Flood, 62.  Each was strangled.  Photos of Ms. Flood (left) and Ms. Long (left) are attached to the bottom of this news release.
At a news conference today (Nov. 1), investigators said there is no evidence at this time suggesting the three incidents are related, but that they are awaiting DNA test results to help determine if the cases are connected or not.
On June 17, Ms. Mundy took her mother to the Greyhound bus station at 2121 Main Street and parked her vehicle at a nearby fast food restaurant closed for business at the time.  Her vehicle was towed.  Mundy was last seen at the bus station talking with an unknown Hispanic male about 2 a.m.  She was found about 4:30 p.m. the next day (June 18) in the 300 block of St Charles Street.  It is unknown how Mundy traveled from the bus station to where she was found.

On September 30, Ms. Long, a homeless woman in the downtown area, was found about 6:20 a.m. at 1700 San Jacinto, on steps outside the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.  

On October 10, Ms. Flood, also believed to be homeless in the downtown area, was found behind the old YMCA building at 1600 Louisiana about 5:10 p.m.  She was last seen about 3:45 p.m. the previous day (Oct. 9) at the Grand Palace Theater at 3839 Weslayan.  Ms. Flood left the theater sometime between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

Anyone with information on any or all of these incidents is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.  Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $5,000 reward in each of the cases for anyone providing information leading to an arrest of a suspect.