Police in the San Francisco area hunting a serial killer have a rare piece of evidence: a surveillance video showing the suspect walking through an apartment complex.
The shadowy footage is just a few seconds long, but police in Stockton, California, are hoping it’s enough that someone will recognize the tall man with an unusual gait.
“We don’t know what the motive is. What we do believe is that it’s mission-oriented. This person is on a mission,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden told the media.
Homicide Series Update: Today Chief McFadden released a video of the “Person of Interest” in regards to this series. If you have any info, please call 209-937-8167. There is a $125,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest. pic.twitter.com/QLhcobVFJZ
— Stockton Police Dept (@StocktonPolice) October 5, 2022
Five men were shot to death between July and September, aged 21 to 54. They were both white and Hispanic, causing police to rule out hate crime as a motive. A sixth person has also been linked who lived in the Bay Area city of Oakland, California. That shooting occurred in 2021.
“I have absolutely no answer as to why that pistol went dormant for over 400 days,” McFadden said of the two sets of killings.
Police have combed through hundreds of hours of video from the various areas and released one segment that they believe depicts the suspect.
POLICE HUNTING FOR SERIAL KILLER
The video shows the back of a tall, slender man dressed all in black and wearing a knit cap, striding along a walkway when it is dark. The suspect is limping and does not bend the knee of one leg. It’s rare to obtain photographs or video of serial killers, as police have historically relied on sketch artists.
The Stockton victims were all shot within the vicinity of a college at night or in the early hours. They were alone and in dimly lit areas. Police have advised residents to avoid such places after dark and not to walk alone.
One of the victims was Paul Alexander Yaw, who was homeless.
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“He was my son, a father, a grandson, nephew, cousin and brother and was loved by many. He has left a huge hole in our hearts and I hope they catch the person(s) responsible before this happens again,” Yaw’s mother said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
