Notice: There is NO Daytona Beach Serial Killer Composite

Jerrold Ecklind looks like the sketch, yes indeed --but the sketch is not of the serial killer!

I have been noticing a mistaken assumption on various message boards and blogs around the web. My April 20, 2008 post, The Doctor's Orders - Dr. Ecklind's Agenda was quite popular among amateur crime researchers. The post was about Dr. Jerrold Ecklind's intentions on the day he drove off with a woman and allegedly made her place handcuffs on herself. The Ormond Beach doctor was arrested last month for impersonating a police officer, among other charges. At the end of the post, I attached a press release from the Volusia County sheriff's office containing a sketch of a suspect from an unrelated sexual assault (unrelated to the serial killer, as far as we know) that occurred in New Smyrna Beach. I would like to make sure that readers understand that this is not a confirmed sketch of the serial killer. Having read the post carefully, the reader would know that this case is completely unrelated, as far as we know. Because of the misunderstanding, readers will now see various posts on blogs and message boards referring to the composite as that of the serial killer. Please, I hope this post makes clear that this is not the case, and has never been presented as such on this site.

That being said, I find the two images to be very striking in their similarity. For this reason, and the strange behavior exhibited by Ecklind, I believe the doctor should be investigated thoroughly regarding unsolved crimes in the area. It is no secret that police are looking closely at Jerrold Ecklind regarding the serial murders of four area women. We are still awaiting their conclusions in that matter.

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For the convenience of readers, I have re-posted the press release of the new Smyrna Beach Incident:

SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASES COMPOSITE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released a composite sketch on Thursday of a man wanted for abducting a 26-year-old woman at gunpoint earlier this week and sexually assaulting her in a remote, wooded area near New Smyrna Beach. When the suspect took off after Monday’s attack, the victim walked about a half-mile before flagging down a New Smyrna Beach police officer.

The victim told Sheriff’s investigators that she was walking along U.S. 1 in Port Orange Monday afternoon when a newer model, white minivan with tinted windows drove by several times and the driver tried to convince the woman to get in the vehicle. When she refused, the victim said a white man in his late 30s got out of the van, pulled out a handgun and ordered her to get into the vehicle. Fearing for her life, the victim complied and the suspect got back into the van and drove southbound towards New Smyrna Beach. The victim said the man rolled up the windows and locked the doors to prevent her from escaping.

The suspect drove to a secluded area near New Smyrna Beach, sexually battered the victim and then left the woman in the woods while he drove off. The attack occurred off of a dirt road off of S.R. 44, west of I-95 not far from New Smyrna Beach’s municipal water treatment plant. The suspect was described as approximately 6' tall and weighing about 250 pounds, with black and gray, scruffy hair and no facial hair. The suspect has a small scar on his chin and was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Sheriff’s Investigator Cynthia Gambrell at (386)-423-3301 or Crime Stoppers of Volusia & Flagler Counties toll-free at 1-888-277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.

Dr. Jerrold and Mr. Hyde?

While we're waiting for DNA to exonerate Jerrold Ecklind, an Ormond Beach geriatric physician, from suspicion that he may be the Daytona Beach Serial Killer, there are still a few things to consider.

We have two people, strangers to Ecklind, that say he told them he was an officer of the law. He was no such thing.

Ecklind allegedly pointed a loaded gun at a man and told him he was "the police".

Ecklind had not one, but three, loaded guns in his car. According to his own attorney, these guns were "strategically placed" in his vehicle (one was holstered on his left hip).

Not only did Ecklind have three loaded weapons in the car, he had a pair of handcuffs!

The woman he allegedly "saved" said that when she got into Ecklind’s car, he made her handcuff herself.

He then drove around for 45 minutes telling her he was taking her to jail.

So even if Ecklind is not the serial killer, he's one strange dude that should be supervised closely.

Daytona Beach police will not comment on this case. Ecklind is cooperating with authorities according to his attorney.

Source:

Doctor Questioned About Daytona Beach Serial Killings

Dr. Ecklind Questioned About Serial Killings; Reads Blogs

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jerrold Ecklind, the physician arrested last weekend for police impersonation, has submitted a DNA sample and his home was searched for a .40 caliber handgun typical of those used in the first three serial killings. Ecklind's attorney, Mike Lambert said that no gun of that type was found out of the 40 to 50 guns in Ecklind's possession. Ecklind's DNA sample, which was not drawn at the time of his arrest, is still under examination.

Ecklind was also questioned regarding the four victims of the Daytona Beach serial killer. Ecklind is being cooperative, according to police, who will not divulge any other information.

Police have also obtained a wallet once belonging to Laquetta Gunther from her friend, Stacy Dittmer. Why police are requesting the wallet at this late date, and if the wallet has anything to do with the investigation into Ecklind remains unknown. The wallet did contain several pieces of paper with phone numbers of Gunther's associates, according to Dittmer.

Lambert contends that Ecklind never stated that he was a policeman, however, the presence of the handcuffs could not be explained. According to Lambert, Ecklind has a concealed carry permit and was only trying to help a troubled citizen. I guess he has never heard of a cellphone.

Reading the Blogs

"He's been reading the blogs and he sees that people think he's the serial killer," Lambert said. "But he has nothing to hide and he's been exonerated. He let the police search his home and they found nothing. They questioned him about the women who were killed and he told them he knew nothing about the murders."

Results of a Google Blog search reveals only CrimeShadows News (and a couple of other blogs containing stolen CrimeShadows content) refer to Ecklind and the serial killer in the same posts. There are other posts at various news websites (including the News-Journal) with comments from readers who believe that Ecklind and the serial killer may be the same person.

Ecklind and the Daytona Beach serial killer are mentioned in the same posts here because I provide coverage and a website dealing with the serial killer case. Ecklind has brought himself under suspicion with his behavior, regardless of his intentions. I have never said that I thought Ecklind and the Serial Killer are the same person. I do think he should be looked at closely regarding area unsolved cases and Daytona Beach police are doing just that. Heaven knows there are plenty of other strange characters in Daytona Beach besides Jerrold Ecklind.

What we are being asked to believe is that Jerrold Ecklind, a geriatric physician:

• Happened upon a man and woman arguing decided to intervene with the threat of deadly force.



• That it was only coincidence that he had handcuffs in the car.



• That Ecklind never told the woman that he was an undercover officer.



• That Ecklind never told the man that we was "the police."



• That his guns were strategically placed in the vehicle for his own self-defense.

Well, maybe a jury will buy this version of events. Maybe it is the truth, which they say is stranger than fiction. We've been asked to believe things far less likely.

The Doctor's Orders - Dr. Ecklind's Agenda

Yesterday, police arrested Jerrold Ecklind, an Ormond Beach geriatric doctor, for the false imprisonment of a woman, along with impersonating an officer and aggravated assault. (Story) What were "Dr." Jerrold Ecklind's intentions when he drove off with his prey? He certainly wasn't there to play hero, or he wouldn't have had her handcuff herself. He did have three weapons, all of them loaded. He told her that he was an undercover police officer (which he was not). He was driving to some unknown destination before he was apprehended. Where was going? What was he going to do when he got there? These are haunting questions that, in all probability, have some pretty scary answers.

The probable answer, at least according to what we have seen in similar cases in the past, is that he was planning to sexually assault her. Would he have then let her go, after her having seen his face, his vehicle, and possibly taking evidence with her her? Possibly. Ecklind was counting that the man he pointed the loaded .45 at would think he was a cop and be afraid to say anything. (He bet wrong.) He might have thought that a woman who lived the high-risk lifestyle of his chosen victim would also not choose to report his crime.

On the other hand, he might not have wanted to take such a chance. He does, after all, have so very much to lose.

Of course, he may have just been playing the hero. He might have handcuffed her for his own protection. He may have feared her getting a hold on one of the loaded guns he had stashed in his car. You have to be careful who you give a ride to these days.

I do hope police keep a close eye on this guy. I also hope that he loses his medical license. He has no business in the health-care profession.

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Here is an April 10, 2003 Press Release from the Volusia County Sheriff's Department

Is it just me, or there is there a resemblance?

SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASES COMPOSITE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT SUSPECT

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released a composite sketch on Thursday of a man wanted for abducting a 26-year-old woman at gunpoint earlier this week and sexually assaulting her in a remote, wooded area near New Smyrna Beach. When the suspect took off after Monday’s attack, the victim walked about a half-mile before flagging down a New Smyrna Beach police officer.

The victim told Sheriff’s investigators that she was walking along U.S. 1 in Port Orange Monday afternoon when a newer model, white minivan with tinted windows drove by several times and the driver tried to convince the woman to get in the vehicle. When she refused, the victim said a white man in his late 30s got out of the van, pulled out a handgun and ordered her to get into the vehicle. Fearing for her life, the victim complied and the suspect got back into the van and drove southbound towards New Smyrna Beach. The victim said the man rolled up the windows and locked the doors to prevent her from escaping.

The suspect drove to a secluded area near New Smyrna Beach, sexually battered the victim and then left the woman in the woods while he drove off. The attack occurred off of a dirt road off of S.R. 44, west of I-95 not far from New Smryrna Beach’s municipal water treatment plant. The suspect was described as approximately 6' tall and weighing about 250 pounds, with black and gray, scruffy hair and no facial hair. The suspect has a small scar on his chin and was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Sheriff’s Investigator Cynthia Gambrell at (386)-423-3301 or Crime Stoppers of Volusia & Flagler Counties toll-free at 1-888-277-TIPS. Callers to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous and can qualify for a reward of up to $1,000.

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There's an interesting discussion over at the Websleuths Forum about this case.

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To those concerned: I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in my observations. And to Filly - You're welcome! Thanks for the link.

Have Police Caught the Daytona Beach Killer? No, Not Yet!

"The doctor is only a phone call away."

I've been following the case of the Daytona Beach Serial Killer for some time now. I also operate a website dedicated to providing information about the suspect and victims, in hopes that someone might know something. As I read the news today, I happened upon a story that sent an eerie chill down my spine. Not a chill of fear, but of excitement, as a potentially dangerous man has been identified.

The Daytona Beach News Journal reports today that Dr. Jerrold Ecklind, an Ormond Beach osteopathic surgeon, has been arrested for aggravated assault, false imprisonment and impersonating a police officer. It seems he interrupted an altercation between Ricky Wingate and Gina Oslizlo. Oslizlo willingly entered Ecklind's vehicle, whereupon she was handcuffed and driven around while being interrogated. Wingate was able to get the tag number of the car, and Ecklind and Oslizlo were later stopped, whereupon Ecklind was apprehended.

The reasons for my own reaction to this suspect, are the similarities that can immediately be noted:

• The victims of the serial killer were prostitutes or women in high risk lifestyles. The woman found with Ecklind falls within that category.


• Three of the victims were known to have been shot with a high caliber weapon (.40 caliber). Ecklind had a .45 caliber handgun in his holster.


• The killing are believed by many to have been the work of a policeman, who the women would be likely to trust. Ecklind was impersonating a policeman.


• The victims were believed to have been chosen at random. Ecklind appears to have chosen the woman at random.


• The killer is believed to appear normal and have good verbal and social skills. Ecklind is a physician with his own practice.

Of course, this is just speculation on my part, I readily admit. This guy could just be another of the many dangerous nutjobs running around loose. Let me know what you think.

By the way, Dr. Ecklind is out on a $25,000 bond.


Daytona Beach Serial Killer

Doctor charged with impersonating officer

May 2, 2008 Update: It appears Jerrold Ecklind is just your run-of-the-mill police impersonator. If he was connected to any previous crimes in the area, police would surely have taken him in by now, or at least have made some kind of announcement. If he's lucky, he may not have to cancel any appointments.