May 01--Police today took two men in for questioning in connection with the slayings of four Detroit women -- including three who had ties to an online classifieds website featuring escort ads -- and have executed a search warrant on a home in Sterling Heights, an official said.
On two occasions in December, women were found dead in car trunks -- first cousins Renisha Landers and Demesha Hunt and then friends Natasha Curtis and Vernithea McCrary. Police have said three of the women had ties to Backpage.com.
Detroit police said two men -- ages 24 and 32 -- were arrested by multi-agency task forces at about 6 a.m. in Sterling Heights.
Inspector Dwane Blackmon, of Detroit's homicide unit, said the men, who have not been identified, are considered persons of interest.
"We see a direct link between them and the girls," he said, declining to go into specifics.
The men haven't been charged and the investigation is ongoing, Blackmon said.
Landers, 23, and Hunt, 24, were discovered Dec. 19 in the trunk of Landers' Chrysler 300 in the 14900 block of Promenade. On Dec. 23, Curtis and McCrary's bodies were found in the trunk of a burning Buick LeSabre in the 14900 block of Lannette. Firefighters discovered their bodies after responding to a fire in a garage.
In late December, Backpage.com attorney Steve Suskin wrote in a statement that nearly two dozen websites that include escort ads were linked to the investigation into the women's deaths. The statement said Backpage.com provided police with detailed information about 70 different escort ads appearing on 22 other websites, but did not say how many of the victims were believed to be involved in those other ads.
Free Press Staff Writer Tresa Baldas contributed to this report. Contact Gina Damron: 313-223-4526 or [email protected]
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