A man suspected in four Phoenix-area slayings that happened over three days killed himself today as police swarmed the hotel where he was staying, authorities said.
Shots were fired as the SWAT team went into the suspect's room, but officers did not fire, Phoenix police Sgt. Vince Lewis said.
The man, who was not identified, was suspected in the deaths of a forensic psychiatrist, two paralegals and a counselor.
The raid on the hotel room came after authorities identified the fourth victim, but authorities did not immediately link his death to the killings of the other three. Scottsdale police said Sunday that Marshall Levine, a 72-year-old counselor and life coach, was found shot inside an office building shortly after midnight Saturday.
The Arizona Republic reported Levine also worked as a hypnotherapist and provided marriage and divorce counseling.
On Thursday, Dr Steven Pitt, a prominent forensic psychiatrist who assisted in high-profile murder cases, including the JonBenet Ramsey mystery in Colorado and a notorious Phoenix serial killer investigation, was found dead near Scottsdale. Witnesses reported hearing a loud argument and gunfire outside Pitt's office.
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Police said the killings Friday of paralegals Veleria Sharp, 48, and Laura Anderson, 49, were related to the Pitt shooting, but were still trying to determine exactly what linked the three victims.
"We don't know the relationships or the connections," said Sgt. Ben Hoster. How, or if, Levine's death also had ties to the killings of the two women and Pitt was still being investigated, Scottsdale police told The Republic.
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