Chicago police have been working with their colleagues in Stockton, California, to see if there are any connections between a West Coast serial killer and two unsolved murders in Rogers Park by the so-called “Duck Walk Killer.”
But CPD said today that no clear links have yet been found between the investigations.
The North Side murders involved two men who were gunned down in apparently random attacks on September 30 and October 1, 2018. Chicago police released a video of the gunman wearing dark clothing with a ski mask and walking with an unusual gait. His unique walk quickly earned him the nickname “Duck Walk Killer.”
Both Chicago victims were ambushed-one outside his home, the other was walking on the Lakefront Trail. The California killer has also been ambushing men. But, unlike in Chicago, many of the California victims have been homeless.
Back in 2018, Chicago police said they believed the murderer lived in or near Rogers Park, but the case went cold.
Investigators later determined that the gun used to kill Douglass Watts and Eliyahu Moscowitz in Rogers park was later used in two shootings on the city’s West Side. But police never recovered the gun, according to the Chicago Tribune’s coverage, and CPD did not say if the same man committed the West Side shootings.
The “Duck Walk Killer” faded from the headlines until earlier this month. That’s when Stockton police released a short surveillance video of a suspect who is wanted for questioning in connection with a string of murders on the West Coast.
Chicago videographer the1stMikeC quickly realized that the Stockton suspect has an unusual walk and carries his hands in his coat pockets, not unlike the Duck Walk suspect.
the1stMikeC posted a video montage comparing the two suspects on October 4. Watch:
The California serial killer is suspected of targeting seven victims in Stockton and Oakland, six of whom died. All six of the deceased victims are men. A woman survived.
The first California murder occurred in Oakland in April 2021. The woman was shot a few days later in Stockton. The shootings stopped. Then, authorities said five more murders took place in Stockton between July 8 and September 27.
CBS2 reported on Thursday that Chicago police are now coordinating with California investigators to see if the shootings in their jurisdictions have any connections.
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