Baseline Killer a priority

'Serial Shooter' arrests may spur effort to regain spotlight

PHOENIX (By Michael Clancy, Arizona Republic) August 7, 2006 — A year has passed. He is still out there, somewhere.

The predator known as the "Baseline Killer" started his rampage on Aug. 6, 2005, with the sexual assault of two teenage girls.

He was almost forgotten at a media conference Friday when police announced the arrest of two men in the Valley's "Serial Shooter" case.

But the Baseline Killer, believed to be responsible for eight murders, 11 sexual assaults and eight robberies, remains a priority, police say.

Experts on serial killers say residents should not relax. With all the attention on the Serial Shooter case, they fear the Baseline Killer could strike again in an effort to regain the spotlight.

Police aren't taking a break.

"All the excitement about catching the Serial Shooters is tempered until we get the Baseline Killer," Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill said.

"There were lots of smiles and handshakes when the Serial Shooters were arrested, but the Baseline Killer case did not stop for a moment.

"Our priority is to prevent any more attacks," he said.

To do that, police are taking at least some of the officers on the Serial Shooter task force and moving them to the Baseline Killer case. Others will stay behind to continue working on the Serial Shooter cases.

Paige Rockett, who lives north of Indian School Road along 25th and 26th streets near where the Baseline Killer has struck, said her neighbors are still on edge.

"Finding the serial shooters hasn't really brought us any particular relief," said Rockett, a member of Hoffman Terrace Neighborhood Association. "I think we share the frustration that the whole community shares: No one knows what the guy looks like. It's like, 'What should we be looking for?' "

Lacking specifics

Even police cannot say exactly what they are looking for in the Baseline case. They had even less of a clue in the Serial Shooter case until a series of tips panned out early last week.

Samuel John Dieteman, 30, and Dale Hausner, 33, were taken into custody late Thursday.

Of the two sets of serial killers, the Baseline Killer always appeared to be foremost in the minds of police. In daily media briefings, the Serial Shooter barely was mentioned. Police said they had little information on that case.

By contrast, the Baseline case produced a composite sketch, dozens of victim interviews, a relatively restricted geographic area, even a security tape.

But while the Serial Shooters continued their rampage up to a week ago, the Baseline Killer has not struck since the end of June, when Carmen Miranda, a mother of two, was snatched from a carwash on Thomas Road and murdered.

It was the latest of 22 incidents attributed to the Baseline Killer. More than 30 people have survived attacks, coming face to face with the man. But the description and composite sketch released in September has remained unchanged and lacks specifics. Police say the victims often did not get a good look because he approached from behind or in the dark or that they were so frightened they did not get details.

He is described as a dark-skinned male, 25 to 30 years old, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds with a thin to medium build. He varies his hairstyle, wears a long-sleeve shirt and different hats.

His first two crimes were sexual assaults, his third a robbery. Then, on Sept. 8, he killed a 19-year-old woman in Tempe. Since then, the killer has struck again and again.

Police have not been forthcoming with details, but several things are clear. They know what kind of weapon he uses, they know where he committed his crimes, and they know the victims.

The Police Department's reluctance to provide information is by design, said Bob Keppel, who investigated the Ted Bundy and Green River killings in the Seattle area.

"Serial killers like to make sure the crimes are highlighted with media attention so they can gauge how much the cops know and how close they are," he said. "Only one person knows all the facts, and when police release information they can assess how close the police are.

"If they sense police are too close, they will quit or move. But they are thinking about it all the time."

Taking a break?

Even though it has been more than a month since the Baseline Killer has struck, there is no reason to believe he has left town or quit killing.

It is not uncommon for serial killers to take breaks between their crimes.

David Berkowitz, convicted in the Son of Sam killings in New York, shot his first victims on July 29, 1976, killing one person. Subsequent shootings took place on Oct. 23; Nov. 26; Jan. 30, 1977; March 8; April 16; June 26; and July 30. He was arrested on Aug. 10, 1977.

The Baseline Killer has gone as long as 58 days between crimes.

The apparent randomness of the crimes is another hallmark of serial killers.

Alex Femenia, lead detective in the cases, recently said the random nature of the crimes in both cases "gives us little to go on." There is no discernable relationship between the crimes, he said, and when there is no pattern, "it gives us nowhere to go."

Finally, serial killers tend to like the attention.

Ann Rule, a true-crime writer who has covered several serial killings, warned that the attention focused on the Serial Shooters may trigger rage in the Baseline Killer.

"It is possible, though, that the other killer may strike again because, for the moment or the next few days, he has been eclipsed in the headlines."

"He won't like that. He needs attention," she said. "He may write to the police, as did the BTK serial killer (Dennis Rader, who pleaded guilty last year to killing 10 people in and around Wichita, Kan.). He may strike again so he will be back in the spotlight. So people should be especially careful, and not let down their guards."

Boost in confidence

The arrests in the Serial Shooter case should boost morale among investigators, experts say. It validates their investigative methods, the set-up of the task force and the management of information.

"The Serial Shooter cops can feel proud, and the Baseline Killer cops can feel that accomplishment too," Keppel said.

Hill said the shot of confidence is welcome, although police were confident they were doing all they could do.

James Alan Fox, a professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University in Boston and an expert in the field, said the police would gain experience and a new boost of energy.

"It will elevate their spirits," he said. "It will make it easier to dedicate themselves to the Baseline case."

But residents of the neighborhoods where the Baseline Killer has struck remain wary.

Debbie Romero lives within a mile of where the Baseline Killer killed his latest victim.

"I'm still not going to the carwash," she said, referring to the location where Miranda was killed June 29. "I take it to full service."

And Susan Campbell of Mesa said that while she is relieved that the Serial Shooting suspects have been arrested, she remains on alert when she heads to work.

"Certainly the scare isn't over," she said.

'Baseline Killer'

Description: Dark-skinned male, 25 to 30 years old, 5 feet 10 inches, 170 lbs., usually wearing a long-sleeve shirt and khaki pants. He also wears various hats and may now have short hair.

How to report a tip: Call (480) WITNESS or 1-800-343-TIPS. A $100,000 reward is being offered for information that will help police solve the series of violent crimes.

Staff reporters William Hermann and Ruth Liao contributed to this article.