'It's the least we can do': Gary to raze five homes used by serial killer, build memorials to

'It's the least we can do': Gary to raze five homes used by serial killer, build memorials to victims


GARY — Five abandoned homes where a former Marine strangled and hid the bodies of seven women will be demolished and replaced by memorials to the victims, Gary city officials said.

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said razing the homes should provide "solace" for the families of Darren Vann's victims, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported. She said the city will work with the victims' families to create memorial gardens at the properties.

"We know we can never bring back their loved ones," Freeman-Wilson said. "It's the least the city can do. We hope it provides a sense of comfort to them, so they know we are not ignoring or forgetting the loss their families have suffered."

Authorities say Vann preyed on women in an area of Gary known as a hangout for prostitutes and drug users. Vann was arrested in 2014 and pleaded guilty last year to killing Teaira Batey, 28; Afrikka Hardy, 19; Anith Jones, 35; Tracy Martin, 41; Kristine Williams, 36; Sonya Billingsley, 53; and Tanya Gatlin, 27.

Read more: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2019/01/23/indiana-serial-killer-darren-vann-gary-raze-five-abandoned-homes/2655891002/