CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Authorities in Ross County say there does not appear to be any link between a man killed in West Virginia and the deaths and disappearances of several women near Chillicothe.
A suspect has pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of a woman whose slaying is one that has been troubling the southern Ohio city, according to a newspaper report.
Neal Falls was killed July 18 by a woman who said he attacked her after they met through an online site, Charleston police said. Police say the Charleston woman grabbed his handgun and fired it back over her shoulder as he choked her.
When they searched his car, police found items including axes, knives, handcuffs, a shovel and bleach in his car and a list of 10 other escorts from across the country who are still alive.
Authorities say Falls, 45, of Springfield, Ore., has been stopped, interviewed or investigated by police in at least 20 states, leading them to wonder is he is a serial killer. Records show that police had interactions with Falls such as running his license plate or checking his Social Security number in Arizona, Kentucky, Virginia, and other states.
Charleston police Lt. Steve Cooper says his department is sharing information with other law enforcement agencies in hopes that cold cases can be solved.
They say no history of major crime has surfaced involving Neal Falls.