An Indiana man has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal stabbings of two women whose bodies were found not far from each other five days apart, Indianapolis police said Friday.
Prosecutors charged David Hiner, 30, with two counts of murder in the deaths of Shannon Lassere, 58, and Marianne Weis, 52, officials said at a news conference.
“No one deserves what these two women experienced — no one,” Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department interim Chief Chris Bailey said. “This was brutal and evil.”
Lassere was killed Jan. 26 and Weis was killed Jan. 31, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.
Lassere’s body was found in a parking lot on Jan. 27 and Weis’ body was found behind a business on Feb. 1, police said. Both had been stabbed. Their bodies were found around 150 yards from each other, on the city’s far east side, according to authorities.
Bailey said the women fought back against their killer, which helped investigators ultimately arrest Hiner, who had injuries.
Videos from businesses showed a man matching his description and one of the victims the night she was killed, and blood on a shoe recovered at the apartment where he was staying matched the blood of both victims, police said.
Both women “died from multiple sharp force injuries,” said Kendall Adams, deputy chief of the police department’s criminal investigations division.
Hiner was arrested on an unrelated probation violation Tuesday and murder charges were filed Friday, Bailey said.
“Detectives needed time for forensic testing of those items seized during the search warrant,” which included clothes, Adams said.
Officials in LaPorte County, where Hiner allegedly failed to meet the conditions of his probation, had been planning to seek his arrest when they were contacted by Indianapolis police, Adams said. Lab results then linked Hiner to the victims, he said.
Investigators believe Hiner knew the second victim, Weis, but did not have information that he knew Lassere, Adams said. A weapon has not been recovered, he said.
A motive was not known Friday, Bailey said.
Hiner was being held in jail Friday night, according to online jail records.
Online court records did not appear to show an attorney who could speak on his behalf. A phone number for anyone associated with him could not immediately be found.
Bailey said the case remains under investigation. “There is still a lot of work to do in this case,” he said.