CMPD dispels rumor of serial killer in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — Several posts on social media went viral with a claim that a serial killer was on the loose in Charlotte, but the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said on Tuesday that the posts aren’t true.

Channel 9 isn’t sharing the social media posts, but one video on TikTok garnered nearly half a million views in less than 24 hours. That post alleged that there may be a connection between four recent deaths of women in Charlotte. One of the women shown in the video was Ahylea Willard, who was found dead at an apartment complex in east Charlotte.

But according to CMPD, at least two of those cases were suspected overdoses with no foul play. The department said Tuesday on Twitter, “There is no evidence at this time that any of the cases are linked.”

This comes after a CMPD spokesperson told Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz late Monday: “CMPD is aware of a variety of social media pages that draw their own conclusions based on CMPD investigations. With a much deeper level of investigative information in these cases, CMPD is not able to draw the same conclusion that this particular Facebook rumor indicates, which is that there is a serial killer in Charlotte.”

In response to the rumors about the killings, CMPD added that “spreading unverified information is harmful” and urged people to “seek out facts from verified sources.”

“These posts have inaccurate details and are spreading misinformation,” the department wrote. CMPD said investigators are “constantly analyzing all active investigations to see if there are any links.”

Police investigators are still working on Willard’s case and no suspect has been identified as of Tuesday. If you have any information about her death or the car that may have been taken from her residence, call 704-432-TIPS to speak to a homicide detective.

‘Stop sharing’

Longtime radio personality Larry “Nolimit Larry” Mims discussed the rumors on Power 98 FM’s Morning Madhouse.

The Charlotte radio station got calls about the rumors before CMPD’s announcement.

“Us being connected in the community with different sources, we started asking questions, and we found out, pretty much, it’s a rumor,” Mims told Channel 9.

However, rumors continue to swirl in the Queen City.

“Certain people that feel like everything on social media is true, whether it has a credible source or not,” Mims said.

Anti-violence activist Lucille Puckett is also getting inundated with concerns about the rumor.

“To give a tweet and not a press conference where they can answer questions, it makes it unbelievable,” Puckett said. “It’s still not really clear which cases they are referring to.”

Puckett doesn’t believe the rumor and is trying to relay that.

“I think if CMPD comes out with more facts per case to let us, as the community, women, Black women of Charlotte know why they feel that these cases are not connected and related,” she said. “Then I think it can ease some of the minds.”

Puckett has a message for people on social media.

“Stop spreading. Stop sharing, because it’s only making it worse,” she said.

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