With Philadelphia police still searching for the Kensington Strangler, some are questioning whether they have the forensic resources needed to catch the city’s latest serial killer.
Authorities said three murders in Kensington have been linked to the same attacker since November, but the city’s crime lab has provided little in the way of profiling to help investigators, according to a source inside the department.
“It’s frustrating,” said the source, who asked not to be identified because he isn’t authorized to speak publicly. “I would say it’s a general sense inside the department.”
Investigators have been diligent since the serial killer emerged, taking over 200 samples from men in the area. But police have yet to identify a suspect. Top police officials insist they are well-equipped to handle the investigation with the lab, which is nationally accredited.
“Scientifically, we do [have everything we need] because our turnaround on DNA is very quick. And we have probably one of the best, if not the best, homicide units in the country,” said Lt. Ray Evers. “At this point, we’re not looking for outside help. We think we can handle this on our own.”
An FBI profiler is assisting police on the case, but Evers said there are no plans to utilize a state or FBI crime lab.
District Attorney Seth Williams said Friday in an interview that the city’s crime lab is “under-resourced and underfunded,” but added that “we have a state-of-the-art facility. And we have confidence in what they do.”
