Iran’s police on Thursday revealed the name of the suspected of killing at least 16 prostitutes in the holy city of Mashhad in a series of murders dubbed the "spider killings," reported the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
Police chief Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf identified the suspect as Saeed Hanai, 39, a brick layer who has a wife and three children.
“He has confessed to murdering 16 women in northeastern city of Mashhad, saying he sought revenge after his wife recounted to him how she had been chased by drivers in a district where the prostitutes mostly frequented,” said the official.
Three other prostitutes had been killed by different people who were arrested earlier, Qalibaf said in a news conference.
Police arrested the serial killer on Wednesday after a long and intensive investigation.
He left the last trail on late Sunday, after police found the body of a 22-year-old girl, choked to death with her headscarf and wrapped in a black gown, as in the previous occasions.
The medical record of the arrested suspect shows that Hanai had consulted physicians several times for mental problems as well as impotence, Qalibaf said, adding the culprit had never abused his victims.
The police chief said Hanai did not have record for offenses, except for a scuffle.
In his confessions, the culprit has said he was frequently advising prostitutes to give up their trade and on one occasion had even provided aid to a woman to stop "selling herself".
The key to his arrest was information given to police by a woman who had managed to flee after being attacked by the suspect, Qalibaf said, adding one of the reasons for the protraction of the case was the fact that the murdered prostitutes had been shunned by their families who never complained about the disappearance of their perverted kin.
A lawmaker called Tuesday for the removal of security officials for "laxness" in the performance of duty and delay in solving the cases, the agency added – Albawaba.com
