Prosecutor’s office IDs person of interest in 4 Springfield unsolved homicides

Prentiss Rashan Hare, already serving a life term for one killing in Springfield, is a person of interest in the deaths of four women found throughout the city from 2006 until 2008, the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday.

The deaths of Shakura Walker, Angela Hanaway, Angela Kilgore and Buffy Jo Freeman all remain unsolved homicides, Dan Driscoll, chief of the prosecutor’s criminal division, said in an interview with News Center 7’s James Buechele.

WHO ARE THE UNSOLVED HOMICIDE VICTIMS?

  • Angela Hanaway, 35, date of death unknown. Found June 10, 2008, in Mad River, near 2300 Dayton Road
  • Angela Kilgore, 37, date of death unknown. Found Oct. 22, 2007, in cistern to the rear of 506 Grant St.
  • Buffy Jo Freeman, 29, died July 11, 2007. Found the same day in Snyder Park
  • Shakura Walker, 27, died May 18, 2007. Found July 13, 2006, in Davey Moore Park. Never regained consciousness.

“Hare was likely present in Springfield at that same time, mid 2006 until 2008, from police records and research done by police,” Driscoll said.

“There was evidence all these women were linked to prostitution and drug use. ... Anytime he’s in the area makes him a person of interest on a homicide based on what we’ve seen from him since then.

Because of that, we think he might someone that needs to be looked at in these cases,” Driscoll said.

RELATED: Person of interest named in unknown number of slayings

Hare, 37, in early May pleaded guilty to killing Tiffany Chambers in Clark County in July 2015.

Chambers, of Jacksonville, Fla., was slain, the prosecutor’s office has said, because she witnessed the slaying of Michael Frazier in Jacksonville on July 11, 2015. Frazier was last seen July 10 near the Centerfold Lounge in Jacksonville and was never seen or heard from again, according to WJXT TV-4.

Thursday, Driscoll, said no charges have been filed in Frazier’s killing.

RELATED: Friend of Tiffany Chambers wants justice

Driscoll said the prosecutor’s office does not think there are real similarities in manner or method of death in the four unsolved homicides, and the office has not developed enough information in the way of suspects to say whether the same person committed the homicides.

Hare has not been talked to and is not cooperating in any these unsolved cases, Driscoll said.

Thursday’s news conference was called because the prosecutor’s office wants the public to know it remains very active in trying to solve the four unsolved homicides.

SEE: A timeline of Springfield, Clark County unsolved homicides

“We are confident that there is someone out there who has information on one or all of these cases,” he said. “We’re hoping that by reaching out that those folks will come forward and bring relief to those families that have waiting so long for justice.”

Driscoll said the prosecutor’s office is encouraging anyone who has information about the four unsolved cases to contact local law enforcement.

RELATED: Detectives have worked these cold cases for years

“When you have a person of interest, it gives you a focal point to work off of,” Driscoll said. “Prentiss Hare fits the definition of a serial killer. I think, clearly, he does that.

“If he has another murder that we don’t know about or that we are able to solve, that doesn’t change who he is.”

Driscoll said that if Hare is somehow linked to these four unsolved cases, people should not be afraid of him anymore.

“He’s not going to be a problem,” Driscoll said, alluding to the fact that Hare is serving the life term in the December 2015 slaying of Deshun Lumford in Springfield.

If you know of anyone else who may be a suspect, you should not be fearful, Driscoll said. “Come talk to us. We can help those people.”

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