Investigators in Hammond have identified the suspected serial killer as 43-year old Darren Vann.

Vann was arrested Friday night after a the body of 19-year old Afrikka Hardy was found at a Motel 6 in Hammond.  She had been strangled.

With Vann’s help, investigators have since discovered the bodies of six other women in Gary.

Vann told investigators he had “messed up” by committing the crime in Hammond and was surprised how quickly he was located after the incident.

He lives in Gary and is a registered sex offender in Texas, for a 2009 conviction.

The reaction from neighbors near the abandoned home where bodies were found in Gary is what you would expect – disbelief and relief – that a suspected killer is off the streets and in police custody.

In an area where abandoned homes are a magnet for criminal activity residents are concerned that seven bodies have been found.

“It’s scary,” said neighbor Patty Mattingly. “I’m glad he’s caught. I don’t know how many more there could be. There is closure for the family, but this is just a shame.”

“This probably is not the end,” said Nora Clark. “I’m quite sure that before the day is out, we’ll probably hear that the count is steadily rising.”