CINCINNATI, Ohio - Las autoridades de varios estados investigan un posible vínculo entre un hombre que murió baleado en Virginia Occidental a manos de una mujer que conoció en internet y las muertes misteriosas de varias mujeres en el sur de Ohio.

El jefe de los detectives de Charleston dijo el domingo a The Associated Press que no se ha establecido un vínculo directo entre el hombre que murió, un residente de Oregon, y los casos en Chillicothe, Ohio.

Sin embargo, el teniente Steve Cooper dijo que se estudia esa posibilidad debido a que las víctimas eran mujeres en ambos lugares y ante la proximidad: un viaje de menos de dos horas por tierra desde Charleston.

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"Geográficamente, las ciudades se encuentran bastante cerca una de la otra", declaró Cooper. "Él no ha sido relacionado con los casos en Chillicothe".

Cooper había subrayado anteriormente que la policía también investiga si Neal Falls, de 45 años, tiene lazos con varios asesinatos irresueltos en Las Vegas, Nevada.

Asimismo, en declaraciones a CBS News, Cooper dijo que "es probable que  el señor Falls es un asesino en serie".

En total, se cree que Falls podría ser responsable de nueve asesinatos o desapariciones de mujeres en tres estados: Ohio, Illinois, and Nevada.

Cooper dijo el viernes que es probable que Falls haya atacado a otras mujeres antes de golpear y tratar de asfixiar a otra fémina el 18 de julio. En medio de ese ataque, la víctima se apoderó del arma de fuego del agresor y lo mató de un disparo, informó la policía.

CBS dijo que la víctima, que solo desea que la identifiquen como Heather, no será acusada porque se cree que actuó en legítima defensa.

"Yo creo que ella salvo vidas al disparar al señor Falls, a base de lo que le hizo a ella y lo que se encontró en su auto", expresó.

Los investigadores dijeron que poco después encontraron hachas, una pala, esposas, artículos de limpieza y otros objetos en el vehículo de Falls.

Además, a Falls se le encontró una lista con nombres, edades y números de teléfono de otras 10 mujeres, pero la policía confirmó que todas estaban vivas.

Según las autoridades, Falls, oriundo de Springfield, Oregon, rentó una habitación en Henderson, Nevada, de 2000 a 2008. Durante ese lapso, cuatro prostitutas desaparecieron. Los cuerpos desmembrados de las tres fueron hallados a lo largo de carreteras.

Las muertes y desapariciones en el sur de Ohio generaron la creación de una fuerza especial conformada por policías de Chillicothe y la oficina del jefe de policía del condado Ross, el FBI, investigadores estatales y otras agencias del orden público locales.

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CHARLESTON, West Virginia - Police in West Virginia seem to have quite the case on their hands: a man killed by a woman he attacked in her home may have been a serial killer himself.

Neals Falls

 CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT VIA KOIN-TV

Investigators now believe 45-year-old Neal Falls may be connected to murders in three states.

Falls was answering an online ad for an escort, police said, when he showed up to a Charleston, West Virginia, home.

The woman, who wants only to be known as "Heather," answered the door.

She said Falls, armed with a gun, asked her: "live or die?" Then he started choking her.

"When he strangled me, I grabbed my rake, and when he laid the gun down to get the rake out of my hands, I shot him," Heather said. "I grabbed the gun and shot behind me."

Heather ran out of the house and flagged down a neighbor, who called 911. The neighbor said she "had to defend herself," and she had "cuts and stuff all over her."

Some of the items found in Neal Falls' car after he was killed by a woman police say he attacked on July 18, 2015, in Charleston, W.Va.

 CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Inside Falls' car, detectives found a machete, axes, knives, a shovel, a sledgehammer, bleach, plastic trash bags, bulletproof vests, and four sets of handcuffs.

Now, police are investigating whether he could be connected to the murder or disappearance of nine women across three states: Ohio, Illinois, and Nevada.

Evidence found with dismembered bodies outside of Las Vegas, where Falls used to live, is similar to an item found in his car. And all the women were escorts, most of whom advertised online.

"It's likely that Mr. Falls is a serial killer," said Steve Cooper, Charleston Police Department Chief of Detectives. "I believe she saved lives by shooting Mr. Falls, based on what he did to her and based on the items found in his car."

A woman who wanted to be identified as "Heather," who killed suspected serial killer Neal Falls, after he attacked her

CBS NEWS

Police are not charging Heather for the shooting, which they say was in self-defense.

"I knew he was there to kill me," Heather said.

Police in West Virginia have asked the FBI for help, and are entering Falls' name into a national DNA database to check for links to other crimes.

Falls was found with a list of names, ages, and phone numbers of 10 other women, but police found all are still alive.


CHARLESTON, West Virginia - Police in West Virginia seem to have quite the case on their hands: a man killed by a woman he attacked in her home may have been a serial killer himself.

Neals Falls

 CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT VIA KOIN-TV

Investigators now believe 45-year-old Neal Falls may be connected to murders in three states.

Falls was answering an online ad for an escort, police said, when he showed up to a Charleston, West Virginia, home.

The woman, who wants only to be known as "Heather," answered the door.

She said Falls, armed with a gun, asked her: "live or die?" Then he started choking her.

"When he strangled me, I grabbed my rake, and when he laid the gun down to get the rake out of my hands, I shot him," Heather said. "I grabbed the gun and shot behind me."

Heather ran out of the house and flagged down a neighbor, who called 911. The neighbor said she "had to defend herself," and she had "cuts and stuff all over her."

Some of the items found in Neal Falls' car after he was killed by a woman police say he attacked on July 18, 2015, in Charleston, W.Va.

 CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Inside Falls' car, detectives found a machete, axes, knives, a shovel, a sledgehammer, bleach, plastic trash bags, bulletproof vests, and four sets of handcuffs.

Now, police are investigating whether he could be connected to the murder or disappearance of nine women across three states: Ohio, Illinois, and Nevada.

Evidence found with dismembered bodies outside of Las Vegas, where Falls used to live, is similar to an item found in his car. And all the women were escorts, most of whom advertised online.

"It's likely that Mr. Falls is a serial killer," said Steve Cooper, Charleston Police Department Chief of Detectives. "I believe she saved lives by shooting Mr. Falls, based on what he did to her and based on the items found in his car."

A woman who wanted to be identified as "Heather," who killed suspected serial killer Neal Falls, after he attacked her

CBS NEWS

Police are not charging Heather for the shooting, which they say was in self-defense.

"I knew he was there to kill me," Heather said.

Police in West Virginia have asked the FBI for help, and are entering Falls' name into a national DNA database to check for links to other crimes.

Falls was found with a list of names, ages, and phone numbers of 10 other women, but police found all are still alive.