Stockton Serial Killer: Chicago police say suspect not connected to "Duck Walk Killer"
STOCKTON - Investigators are now saying that Chicago's "Duck Walk Killer" is not connected to the Stockton serial killer case.
On Thursday, CBS13 confirmed that the Stockton Police Department was working directly with the Chicago Police Department to determine whether the Stockton serial killer's first murders happened in Chicago back in 2018.
We are able to break this story with the help of Brad Edwards, an investigative reporter with CBS Chicago, who confirmed this information with his police sources.
"It immediately brought me back... It was as if I was seeing the video we saw in Chicago. Now granted that's superficial and in most cases hey if one guy walks like another guy it doesn't mean anything. In this case if one guy walks like another guy it could mean everything," Brad said.
The Stockton serial killer, who, according to police, has taken the lives of six people and injured a seventh in Stockton and Oakland, has a city on edge as they wonder who might be next. All of the victims were shot, and police say ballistics evidence linked the same man to the shootings.
Last week, police released video surveillance footage of the man they believe is the killer and asked residents to pay attention to his gait. His stride is uneven and walks with his hands in his pockets.
After the surveillance video was released, CBS13 received a call from Edwards, who told us about a story he covered back in 2018 of a man accused of shooting two people at point-blank range and killing them. At the time, the suspect was referred to as the Duck Walk Killer. That was the last time he was seen.
"This double murder that happened struck a chord in Chicago -- no one's forgotten about it, and we have a lot of crime in Chicago," said Edwards.
We compared surveillance videos of the suspects, and the similarities between the men are striking. Both were wearing all black, their heads and faces covered, and their walk is almost exactly alike.
"Over and over and over we heard 'pay attention to the gait, the gait...the walk' and it struck a chord. This week, when detectives in Chicago saw the video out of Northern California, and again it was 'pay attention to the gait," he said.
Both police departments were trying to determine whether the killers are the same person.
"My sources tell me high-level conversations are going on. There is an absolute open book sharing of information," he said.
However, on Friday, the Chicago Police Department stated that there doesn't appear to be a link between the Stockton case.
"We are aware of the Stockton Police Department investigations and are in contact with their detectives. At this time, we do not believe there is a link in these investigations," Chicago police said.
CBS13 reached out to retired homicide detective John Cabrera – who worked on the unibomber case and the Golden State Killer.
"They're eerily similar in stature clothing and that gait. It was very close as far as what appeared to be the same height 6 to 6'2" weight the same slender clothing hands in pocket," says Cabrera who explains it's common for investigators to reach out nationwide – to find connections between other unsolved murders and Chicago could still be ruled out.
"II would be searching through all of their case files looking for anything similar. Clothing descriptions race whatever you can find. Also ballistics. This is going to be very important."
