A man was arrested on Oct. 15 in Stockton, California, on suspicion of being a serial killer that has been terrorizing the area for more than a year. Viral social media posts claim another serial killer is now loose on the West Coast, this time in Seattle.
"There appears to be an active serial killer is (sic) Seattle- this news hasnt' been made public on news outlets but sounds like it will soon," reads part of an Oct. 15 Instagram post that has received more than 13,000 likes in five days.
"3 women in their 30's who were out with friends have been found murdered, their bodies discovered south of SODO and posed the exact same ways," reads another portion of the post. SoDo is a reference to a Seattle neighborhood that lies south of its downtown.
Other versions of the claim spread widely across social media platforms.
But the claims are baseless. A woman's body was found in the area on Oct. 4, but it is the only homicide case officials are seeking tips on. Both the police and sheriff's offices said there are no serial killings investigations in Seattle.
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USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the claim for comment.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said posts suggesting a link among death investigations in the area are “unsubstantiated.”
“At this time, the...
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