IL - Duck Walk Killer: Police hunt person behind 2 seemingly random Chicago slayings, Oct. 2018

[Maddux]

How would the perp have known Watts was gay?
I can see why a man being Jewish might be identifiable based on attire.
I guess it's possible but it seems more random unless more victims point to a pattern.
(Aside from white males thus far.)

I was concerned there would be another shooting Sunday the 7th but it looks like there was not.
Other shootings in the area in the interim have been deemed unrelated.

I do hope they've sent out a mass mailing/email to all orthopedic medical professionals in the state. Maybe all medical professionals in general.
I'm guessing that there are NOT that many males that fit this description.
There are so many shootings in Chicago that I'm concerned this may not be very big news there with only 2 victims. I hope the word is spreading so someone will recognize this guy.

I do hope if someone knows a male who is not black that has a duck walk, they don't hesitate to call that in as well. It is certainly possible that he's using something to conceal his skin tone with what little skin is showing.

I think the gait is the least likely to be faked successfully.

Duck Walk Killer: Police hunt man behind 2 seemingly random Chicago slayings

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Klion dubbed the suspect’s wide gait and “duck walk” as “unique to the individual.”

This story immediately grabbed my attention. At first I thought they had to be motivated by bigotry and hatred, but I also had the same question... how did he know Watts was gay, unless he knew him, in which case maybe there is some sort of connection.

I've been trying to track this story as it develops but it seems there hasn't been much released since the original stories came out. Anyone living in chi area know if this guy has been caught or if a 3rd victim?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Two months after two men were shot and killed in Rogers Park residents are still on high alert.

Monday night residents of Rogers Park joined together in Loyola Park to celebrate Hanukkah and remember 24-year-old Eliyahu Moscowitz, an Orthodox Jew who was shot and killed in October near Loyola Park.

Residents Remember Rogers Park Murder Victim

 

[Millhouse]

This story immediately grabbed my attention. At first I thought they had to be motivated by bigotry and hatred, but I also had the same question... how did he know Watts was gay, unless he knew him, in which case maybe there is some sort of connection.

I've been trying to track this story as it develops but it seems there hasn't been much released since the original stories came out. Anyone living in chi area know if this guy has been caught or if a 3rd victim?

I live in Chicago, and just came here to see if there were any other updates I hadn't seen yet. Turns out- no one really knows much at all. The only very recent update is that the gun used in these murders appears to have been sold off, as it was just linked to a couple of unrelated shootings: Gun used in infamous Rogers Park killings linked to 2 shootings on West Side: police reports

 

[Tripod]

I live in Chicago, and just came here to see if there were any other updates I hadn't seen yet. Turns out- no one really knows much at all. The only very recent update is that the gun used in these murders appears to have been sold off, as it was just linked to a couple of unrelated shootings: Gun used in infamous Rogers Park killings linked to 2 shootings on West Side: police reports

Such a bummer that gun has not been recovered Thank you for this update.

 

[dotr]

Bumping..

 

[mpnola]

How can this dude not be caught yet.....

 

[margarita25]

I live in Chicago, and just came here to see if there were any other updates I hadn't seen yet. Turns out- no one really knows much at all. The only very recent update is that the gun used in these murders appears to have been sold off, as it was just linked to a couple of unrelated shootings: Gun used in infamous Rogers Park killings linked to 2 shootings on West Side: police reports

 

[Manwel]

Hi all,

I'm new to the site after recently watching The Killing Season and becoming aware of the activity here. A few years ago I lived in Chicago near to where these two murders occurred and it really shook me up. My interest in true crime surged as a result, especially as a work friend introduced me to the My Favorite Murder podcast. Unfortunately these two cases have become yet another set of cold cases for Chicago Police Department. Publicly, just one suspect ever existed, but was let go due to a solid alibi. Haven't seen any updates on the case since 2019.

However, something of note caught my attention. Thanks to The Killing Season I learned of the Murder Accountability Project and decided to test out the tool tonight using this particular case. When I searched in 2018 for the two murders, I did not find Douglass Watts' murder included. (No 73-year-old White male appeared.) I thought this was surprising considering the high-profile nature of the murders at the time.

 

[dotr]

Hi all,

I'm new to the site after recently watching The Killing Season and becoming aware of the activity here. A few years ago I lived in Chicago near to where these two murders occurred and it really shook me up. My interest in true crime surged as a result, especially as a work friend introduced me to the My Favorite Murder podcast. Unfortunately these two cases have become yet another set of cold cases for Chicago Police Department. Publicly, just one suspect ever existed, but was let go due to a solid alibi. Haven't seen any updates on the case since 2019.

However, something of note caught my attention. Thanks to The Killing Season I learned of the Murder Accountability Project and decided to test out the tool tonight using this particular case. When I searched in 2018 for the two murders, I did not find Douglass Watts' murder included. (No 73-year-old White male appeared.) I thought this was surprising considering the high-profile nature of the murders at the time.

Welcome to Ws Manwel, sharp eye!
Welcome to The Murder Accountability Project!

 

[dotr]

Bumping with re post..

Oct. 2019 rbbm.
A Year Later, Police Still Searching For Mysterious Masked Gunman Who Killed Two In North Chicago
''However, the gun used in the dual killings later turned up in two other separate shootings on the city’s west side, which Chicago police were investigating, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police later said the suspects in those cases weren’t connected to the north side murders. Detectives suggested the gun may have changed hands, ABC 7 reported.

“We have tracked the gun used in this case,” Cesario said on Tuesday. “We know it found its way to another crime scene.”

''We’re not going to give up on investigating these murders,” Cesario, the Chicago detective, added.

“We know that there is someone out there who has that seemingly innocuous piece of information that will help detectives get the kickstart that we need. Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a trusted loved one, we need you to do the right thing and call the police."

 

[Manwel]

Welcome to Ws Manwel, sharp eye!
Welcome to The Murder Accountability Project!

Thanks! I didn't mention this in my first post but it was also surprising to see the year-to-year change if you simply search for gun-related deaths in Chicago associated with Whites (which I assume includes Hispanic/Latinx individuals as they do not have a search field of their own). In 2014, 2015, the numbers are fairly low. But from 2016-2018, the numbers surge. And for anyone who has tinkered with the Murder Accountability Project, you know there is a way to sort for gun-deaths that are not marked as gang-related—these are all gun-related deaths marked "other" or "unknown" or "handgun." Unfortunately the data is just ages and incident fields, no names or specific locations associated. But if there is some kind of spree killer in Chicago—and I fully agree with previous posts from Chicago locals that this murderer must know the area fairly well—then I wonder if he is responsible for more than just these two Rogers Park men?

I want to dig a little deeper into this by researching the data and cross-checking with media stories to get a fuller picture of each incident. If I find a curious number of "random person in home shot to death" or "random sidewalk shooting, no gang connections," what do we do with that? I always thought it strange with this "Duck Walk Killer" that police just sighed and left it alone after it stopped that week. But all we know is that particular gun stopped that week.

 

[dotr]

Noting these unrelated? shootings..
Oct 15 2019
Man Accused of Killing 5 Chicago Neighbors Left Note on Door: Prosecutors
''A 66-year-old man accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors on Chicago's Northwest Side over the weekend left a note on his door with a haunting message, prosecutors said in court Monday.
"No mercy," written in Polish, was the message on Krysztof Marek's door, prosecutors said.
"Remember, whatever s--- they do to you, you control it yourself, not them" the message continued. "Enough!! They have to pay for it!"

A second note posted on his apartment door also read "Tomorrow! No mercy. Without any stupid hesitation! Remember what this piece of s--- is doing to you!! Enough!!" according to prosecutors.''

 

[dotr]

Maybe this movie might spark some ideas or at least give a feel for the neighbourhood, imo fwiw..
Mar 2, 2018
''Two Chicago couples struggle to keep their love alive as secrets and long-simmering resentments rise to the surface. More info https://www.rogersparkfilm.com/ 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes''

 

[Hatfield]

Bumping with re post..

Oct. 2019 rbbm.
A Year Later, Police Still Searching For Mysterious Masked Gunman Who Killed Two In North Chicago
''However, the gun used in the dual killings later turned up in two other separate shootings on the city’s west side, which Chicago police were investigating, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police later said the suspects in those cases weren’t connected to the north side murders. Detectives suggested the gun may have changed hands, ABC 7 reported.

“We have tracked the gun used in this case,” Cesario said on Tuesday. “We know it found its way to another crime scene.”

''We’re not going to give up on investigating these murders,” Cesario, the Chicago detective, added.

“We know that there is someone out there who has that seemingly innocuous piece of information that will help detectives get the kickstart that we need. Whether it’s a family member, a friend, a trusted loved one, we need you to do the right thing and call the police."

JMO
Im not sure why LE is convinced the shootings on the west side with same gun are unrelated.

When the initial two random people were shot I wondered at the time if maybe it was a gang initiation killing by a wanne-be gang member who had to prove himself or something.

I know it seems obscene the thought of a wanne-be gang member shooting random people for "points" or to get approval to some sort of status in a gang but IMO I do think it actually happens in some areas and some gangs.

There are so many random drive-by shootings that I think some of them are gang members just trying to gain more status or gain approval into a gang.

So I am not sure why LE would say with confidence that the shootings are unrelated. I think its still possible that if the gun was used in another unsolved shooting then that possibility exists that it is the same person doing the shooting. He may have went back to his normal hang out area and did the more recent shootings that are unsolved according to what I read since they have not arrested anyone for the shootings.

It could be as simple as a younger brother of another older gang member that was shooting people to prove his worth to a gang. I could be way off base but its the only thing that I can think of with the randomness of the first two shootings.

 

[Manwel]

JMO
Im not sure why LE is convinced the shootings on the west side with same gun are unrelated.

When the initial two random people were shot I wondered at the time if maybe it was a gang initiation killing by a wanne-be gang member who had to prove himself or something.

I know it seems obscene the thought of a wanne-be gang member shooting random people for "points" or to get approval to some sort of status in a gang but IMO I do think it actually happens in some areas and some gangs.

There are so many random drive-by shootings that I think some of them are gang members just trying to gain more status or gain approval into a gang.

So I am not sure why LE would say with confidence that the shootings are unrelated. I think its still possible that if the gun was used in another unsolved shooting then that possibility exists that it is the same person doing the shooting. He may have went back to his normal hang out area and did the more recent shootings that are unsolved according to what I read since they have not arrested anyone for the shootings.

It could be as simple as a younger brother of another older gang member that was shooting people to prove his worth to a gang. I could be way off base but its the only thing that I can think of with the randomness of the first two shootings.

I think the problem with the gang theory is that not everyone agrees this is a black man based on the appearance of the skin. Most who look closely at the surveillance video agree it's some kind of skin paint. Initially police said they were looking for a "black male" and then it changed to "citizens should be weary of dark-complected" individuals. That switch included a lot of people saying to police they think the person had face paint on. There was a town hall meeting with police in the neighborhood the week all this happened and I heard reports that people asked police if the killer hadn't changed their skin color with paint and the police said they could not provide details about the investigation. The shade is not right. It has such undertones of green that don't align with black skin.

Also most Chicago gang members aren't running around decked out in covert oversized black attire in the middle of a 70-something heat wave in October, including face covering. The details just didn't point that way. Also the fact that it was two separate killings in the same neighborhood 36 hours apart. None of it says "careless youth gang killing." Even the killer looks older. I'd guess 30-45 in age. That doesn't suggest "gang indoctrination."

Plus it's just the MO. Gang initiations aren't "go kill white people in the good neighborhood." It brings too much police activity and attention to an area and that's not actually what gangs want.

 

[dotr]

Reminded of the Duck walk killer because of another case in Atlanta where they are also looking for a killer with an unusual gait, not connected- but noting just in case.
Ws thread..
GA- Daniel Aaron, 31 & Kristen McDevitt, 30,fatally stabbed, 22 Nov. 2021 *CCTV*

Rbbm.
The Duck Walk Killer
Matthew Rodriguez
Oct. 2021

''Since the perpetrator was only caught on camera during the murder of Douglass Watts, investigators couldn’t be 100% sure the two shootings were linked despite their suspicions. Investigators were able to determine the shell casings from both shootings came from the same gun and the murders were then conclusively linked.

During the height of the investigation over 40 detectives were working on the case, but, by February of the following year, leads almost completely stopped coming in and investigators were left with very little to go on. At one point in the investigation, authorities did have a suspect, but he had a solid alibi and nothing further ever publicly came of that.

There were multiple witnesses that came forward saying they saw the suspect walking around earlier that day, but again nothing else has ever come out about this. And it’s likely the witnesses weren’t able to give detectives much since it’s been 3 years and the cases still remain unsolved.

No motive was ever determined in either of these cases, though it was theorized by some that these were hate crimes. Since Watts was openly homosexual, and Moskowitz was an Orthodox Jew who dressed in traditional Jewish attire and had a long beard. However, this theory has been pretty much ruled out since Rogers Park is notoriously a very liberal community.''

 

[swedeheart]

Is serial killer in Stockton, California also 'Duck Walk Killer' who terrorized Rogers Park?

CBS 13 in Sacramento first broke this story with the help of CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards, who confirmed this information with his police sources.

www.cbsnews.com

Police in Stockton, California are working with Chicago Police to determine whether a serial killer in Stockton is the same man who shot and killed two people in cold blood in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood in 2018.

 

[Rtael]

I think the problem with the gang theory is that not everyone agrees this is a black man based on the appearance of the skin. Most who look closely at the surveillance video agree it's some kind of skin paint.

What, exactly, is the implication here? Gang = black?

 

[JerseyGirl]

Is serial killer in Stockton, California also 'Duck Walk Killer' who terrorized Rogers Park?

CBS 13 in Sacramento first broke this story with the help of CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards, who confirmed this information with his police sources.

www.cbsnews.com

Police in Stockton, California are working with Chicago Police to determine whether a serial killer in Stockton is the same man who shot and killed two people in cold blood in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood in 2018.

Here is that thread:

CA - Five unprovoked murders of men ages 21 to 54, Stockton, July-Sept 2022 *Reward*

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/stockton-california-serial-killer-suspect-17481436.php

www.websleuths.com

 

[dotr]

The Duck Walk Killer is still out there somewhere, remember the innocent victims were each shot at CLOSE RANGE in the head, shudder, where is Duck Walk now?!
Refresher re-posts.. rbbm.

rogers park victims - Google Search

Same gun used to shoot 2 men in the head at close range in Rogers Park: police

Eliyahu Moscowitz, 24, and Willard Douglass Watts, 73, were each shot in the head a few blocks apart over a 36-hour time period, police said.

chicago.suntimes.com

By Mitchell Armentrout Oct 2, 2018

''Two men killed in a pair of brazen Rogers Park shootings over a 36-hour period were shot in the head at close range with bullets that came from the same gun — and likely the same shooter, police said Tuesday.


Calling for help from the public, Chicago police released a surveillance video of a person in a mask wanted for questioning in the two murders — one of a 73-year-old man walking his dogs on Sunday morning, the other of a 24-year-old man of the Orthodox Jewish faith slain on a lakefront path late Monday.

“This person is clearly trying to disguise themselves,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a Tuesday press conference at the 24th District police station. “Clearly he or she knows what they are going out to do.”

''The surveillance image released by police Tuesday came from near the scene of Watts’ killing, showing a person dressed in all-dark clothing with a hooded mask. Police describe him as a black male with a thin build.

“There is someone out there who knows who this person is, whether it’s a family member, a friend, a trusted loved one — we need you to do the right thing and call the police,” Johnson said.''