After the drugs arrive in Chicago, other intermediaries distribute the drugs to local dealers, many of whom are gang members selling on the streets of Chicago. Some sell from street corners, some from businesses, and others from their homes. There are many street gangs in Chicago. Some of the better-known ones are Gangster Disciples, Black Disciples, Gaylords, Vice Lords, and Latin Kings. Some estimate there may be over 100,000 active gang members in the Chicago metropolitan area. This provides a lot of opportunity for drug distribution.
As a result of competition, sometimes turf wars break out among the gangs which can result in violence, including killings. Given that the Candy Man Killer targets drug dealers, Jackson believes it is a real possibility there is a turf war going on. However, he does not yet have evidence of that. Jackson has worked his sources and thus far, everyone has denied knowing about any turf wars.
“What would explain the two-year absence of any similar killings?” asks Garcia.
“Well,” says Jackson, “It’s quite possible that whatever was driving the killings two years ago stopped. Maybe the dispute was settled. Maybe the killer has been in jail. Maybe this recent murder has nothing to do with those from two years ago. It could be a copycat type of thing. Really hard to say right now. The strange quirk is the leaving of the knife at the scene.”
“Yeah, that’s interesting,” agrees Garcia. “And it’s a very specific knife. In this case and all six cases two years ago, the knife used was…. let me check my notes. Here it is, a Cardet kitchen knife with a seven-inch blade and black handle. Uses the same knife each time.”
“Yep,” replies Jackson, “strangest thing I’ve ever heard of. And then leaving the knife lying on the victim’s chest. It’s almost like someone is teasing us by giving us the weapon.”
“I wonder if we could track down who is making multiple purchases of this knife,” questions Garcia. “I’ll get Ricci’s thoughts on this next week. I have no idea how common this knife is or how many places sell it. Hey, thanks for the help Trevon.”
“No problem. I’ll keep checking my sources and keep my ear to the ground. I’ll be sure to pass along anything I find.”
“Great, thanks again.”
From the autopsy reports on each victim, Garcia finds in each of the now seven cases, the victim was stabbed from directly in front. The knife was thrust into the center chest cavity just below the breastbone. The knife was then pushed up into the area behind the breastbone toward the heart and probably twisted as well. This action caused severe damage to one or more of the thoracic aorta or vena cava veins. The thoracic aorta carries blood from the heart while the vena cava vein carries blood to the heart. In a few cases, the blade of the knife was shoved far enough into the chest cavity that the heart itself was cut. Victims with such damage bleed out and die quickly. Based on this, Garcia does not believe a female would have the strength to overcome each victim and cause such damage. The attacker is a male, thinks Garcia.
Garcia discovers all the cases occurred in the early morning hours, sometime between 2:00 and 4:00 am, a time when not many people would be out and about. Every victim has been a young black male involved in drug dealing. Each victim either lived alone or had been alone at the time of the attack. Two years ago, three of the victims had been killed just inside their residence, while three others were killed in the back alley in the rear of their home or apartment building.
In the most recent case from two weeks ago, the attack took place in the West Garfield neighborhood. The victim lived in the bottom flat of a two-story, brownstone multi-unit house. The victim, a 19-year-old black male was found lying approximately 10 feet inside the front door. There was no sign of forced entry, so it appeared as though the assailant was allowed entry into the residence. This was similar to the other three previous cases in which the victim was found inside his home.
On Monday, Garcia is at work early, as he has been going over the facts in his head all weekend and wants to discuss the cases with Ricci. Ricci walks into the office at 8:05 am with his usual large cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee.
“How are you feeling today?” asks Garcia.
“Oh, I’m fine, just a touch of nausea last Friday,” replies Ricci. “How is the review going?”
“I think I’m up to speed on everything. Would like to discuss your thoughts on a couple things.”
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“Are you aware of any other serial killers who used different weapons each time and then left the weapon at the scene?”
“Not that I can ever recall.”
“Why do you think someone, assuming it is the same person, uses a different knife each time and then leaves it behind?” asks Garcia.
“Because he’s smart,” answers Ricci. “What’s the one thing you don’t want to have in your possession after killing someone?”
“Bloody knife” nods Garcia.
“Damn right. We’ve got our work cut out for us with this guy. He is incredibly careful about leaving any trace behind.”
“I’ve checked on places that sell this Cardet kitchen utility knife and wouldn’t you know it, you can buy it most places, including Amazon,” sighs Garcia.
“Yeah, this guy knows what he’s doing.”
“Have we captured anything on security cameras?” inquires Garcia.
“No. Remember where these attacks occur. Not many people in the Garfield Park neighborhoods or Lawndale have security cameras.”
Garcia then suggests they re-interview the person who reported the suspicious male in dark clothing who walked with a limp.
“We can, but do you really think there’s some
