Police Failures Allowed Detroit Serial Killer to Continue Rampage

An investigation reveals multiple missed opportunities to apprehend DeAngelo Martin, who murdered four women and raped two others, despite repeated warnings of his violent behavior.

DeAngelo Martin, a serial killer who murdered four women and raped two others in Detroit over a 16-month span, was captured and sentenced last year to serve between 45 and 70 years in prison.
An Associated Press investigation has revealed that Detroit police repeatedly failed to follow up on leads or take investigative steps that may have averted Martin's killing spree, despite receiving repeated warnings that Martin was a violent predator.
Martin was first linked to sexual violence in 2012 when the state crime lab connected him to a sexual assault that had occurred eight years earlier. Despite this, police did not seek a warrant to obtain his DNA to confirm the hit.
Martin's first known murder victim was found in 2018, but police initially arrested the wrong man. DNA testing later linked the crime to Martin, but police failed to seek a warrant to obtain his DNA to confirm the hit.
Family members of the victims have expressed anger at the police failures, with some stating their loved ones would still be alive if police officers had done their jobs. Detroit police have acknowledged they could have better investigated Martin and have pledged to learn from their mistakes.