The Philadelphia Police Department discovered DNA evidence that links one unidentified suspect to the strangulations of two women in Kensington, Philadelphia earlier this month. In light of the murders, two additional women have come forward claiming that they had been sexually assaulted in separate incidents by a man who choked them to unconsciousness, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The reports have generated a large amount of concern on campus this week, with warnings resonating around student group listservs.
The suspect is described by one of the surviving victims as a slender, light-skinned black or Latino man in his late 20s. A composite sketch has been developed by the Philadelphia Homicide Unit based on her description.
The suspect’s height is between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches and has been described as having a mark on his cheek and a goatee. At one point, he was also known to wear a blue hooded sweatshirt and blue denim cargo pants.
The two victims are Elaine Goldberg, a 21-year-old nursing student at Gwynedd-Mercy College, whose body was found on Nov. 3 in a lot on the 2800 block of Ruth Street and 35-year-old Nicole Piacentini, whose body was discovered on Nov. 13 behind a building on the 1900 block of East Cumberland Street.
In an e-mail, Division of Public Safety spokesman Jared Hupp advised students to “find a safe location, such as a retail store, when you are outside of the Penn Patrol Zone and if you feel you’re in danger,” as a precautionary measure.
Students are also advised to utilize PennWalk and Penn Transit as additional resources available to the Penn community.
“Everyone I talked to definitely said we wouldn’t take any risk,” College senior Vandana Rao said. Rao added that she had used 898-WALK for the last few days in light of the possible threat.
Having only used 898-WALK once before, College junior Noor Alawadhi also used the walking escort service in recent days.
“If you’re smart about it, I don’t think there is much else you can do,” she said.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.