Serial Predator in Kensington (PHILADELPHIA)

Police Deem Killer A 'Serial Predator'

DNA Returns As A Match In Kensington

Just in the the Fox 29 Newsroom:

Philadelphia police and investigators have just wrapped up a news conference where they  announced that DNA from the 3rd strangulation victim in Kensington has returned a match to the other two strangulation victims.

Last week, 27 year-old Casey Mahoney was found strangled in a vacant lot on Front & Tusculum Street.   She is now the third victim of the so-called 'Kensington Strangler' .  The other victims, Nicole Piacentini and Elaine Goldberg were also found strangled and beaten in early November.

Fox 29's Sean Tobin was at that news conference and reports that a serial predator is now responsible for these three murders.

Earliet this afternoon, city officials announced the total reward is now at  $37,000 to help find a man who has now killed three times.  Officals were also quick to discourage vigilante justice.

Mayor Michael Nutter said during a Tuesday morning news conference on the 1900 block of East Cumberland Street there's "a very dangerous person on the streets of Philadelphia."

"We need to find this person, we need to capture this person. We need to get this individual off the streets of our city," he said.

To take a look at portions of that press conference, click here.  

The Mayor and police stress that anyone with information on these crimes should call 911, or you can call 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Stay tuned to Fox 29 for the latest updates.