The bodies of seven women have been discovered across northwest Indiana this weekend.
Police do have a person of interest in custody who confessed to their killings and directed officials to three of the dead women.
Authorities did not identify the man in custody as of Monday morning but said he is a 43-year-old Gary resident, according to NBC Chicago.
Police located the person of interest in Gary, Indiana, during an investigation into 19-year-old Afrika Hardy’s death Friday night. Hardy was found strangled at a Motel 6 in Hammond.
One of women found in an abandoned home has been identified as 35-year-old Anith Jones of Merrillville. Jones was reported missing Oct. 8.
Indiana officials confirmed Sunday night that a total of seven female body had been located so far.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. took to Facebook, calling the person of interest a serial killer and saying that he is a convicted sex offender.
McDermott’s praising of the Hammond police department for their handling of this situation comes just weeks after a lawsuit was filed against the department that claims officers used excessive force and falsely arrested a man during a traffic stop. The traffic stop was caught on camera by a child in the back seat.
Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.