It hasn't been said out loud by officials, but the words "serial killer" may soon be applied to a string of murders that bear a terrible similarity.

If you haven't been following the news in St. Louis, it is true that many women have been killed over the past week and a half. A viral TikTok video started the discussion about these murders being connected.

Officials in St. Louis are now starting to confirm the connections. KSDK in St. Louis reported yesterday that police now believe at least 3 of the killings may have been done by the same person. They mentioned the phrase that no one wants to hear is now being associated with what's happening in St. Louis:

Social media posts shared around St. Louis are warning women with another phrase -- "serial killer."

KMOV also tied these murders together with the similarity of those who are allegedly being targeted.  KSDK was among the media outlets that shared the officials confirming that at least some of the women killed in the last week and a half in St. Louis were involved in sex work.

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If at least 3 of the murders in St. Louis are connected, then by definition there is a serial killer on the loose in St. Louis as defined by Britannica.com. The FBI measures serial killers the same way.

Many of us in the tri-state area spend weekends adventuring in and around St. Louis. How can you be safe? See something, say something applies in this situation like it does many others. You might inadvertently helped stop a serial killer from taking even more lives.

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