Charges announced in string of murders from 2002 in Gary, Indiana
Authorities announced Tuesday that a man stands charged in connection with a string of homicides that took place in Gary, Indiana, in 2002.
The Gary Police Department confirmed Edward Russell Jr. was charged with the murder of four people in February 2002. The City of Gary said the charges were actually filed last July, but documents have just been unsealed.
Police said Russell was charged with the murder of Mary Ann Wrencher in the 800 block of Kentucky Street on Feb. 9, 2002.
He was also charged with the murders of Lenard Johnson, Barbara Hall, and Curtis Hall, which were reported between Feb. 8 and Feb. 12 in the 800 block of Virginia Street.
Police did not release the circumstances surrounding the series of homicides.
However, in February 2002, CBS News Chicago reported that Gary police were investigating four murders in Gary to see if they were related. A mother, adult son, and tenant had been found stabbed to death in their home on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and another woman had been found stabbed to death on Saturday, Feb. 12.
"I can't go into the specifics of the weapons use, but it was basically hands-on. It was brutal," said retired Gary police Sgt. William Fazekas. "That's what I remember about it."
Russell was a person of interest even back at the time of the murders, but modern DNA technology was needed to charge him, Fazekas explained.
"He was picked up and questioned at a certain time. There was DNA submitted. I know from 2002 till now, we have better DNA profiling," he said, "and that's basically what it's, without going any detail, what's really changed this case is the newer technology with DNA."
Court documents show that Russell was Wrecncher's boyfriend. She was found with multiple stab wounds.
A neighbor told police Russell was seen coming out of the house on Virginia before the murders, taking property with him.
Prosecutors on Tuesday said that there could possibly be more victims.
The City of Gary said Russell was being held at the Lake County, Indiana, Jail for pending court proceedings. He was also serving a separate sentence concurrently at the Westville Correctional Facility.
Gary police said the case was reopened. The City of Gary said it could not offer further comment or details of the investigation.
