German police announced on Wednesday that they have detained a man who is suspected of having killed several older women near Schwäbisch Hall, in southwestern Germany.

The region had been on edge after at least two seniors were found dead in recent weeks with authorities believing they were killed.

What do we know about the suspect?

Authorities in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg confirmed in a press conference that a suspect has been taken into custody.

The suspect is a 31-year-old man and a Serbian national. He was detained by police on Tuesday. Investigators said he moved to Germany with his wife and two children in December 2022.

A judge signed off on an arrest warrant against the man today where he is accused of murder and manslaughter.

What do we know about the killings?

The man is suspected of killing a 77-year-old woman in December as well as an 89-year-old woman in January. Both victims lived in the Schwäbisch Hall region.

Investigators also believe the suspect is behind a recent attempted armed robbery against an 83-year-old man.

Authorities are still investigating whether the suspect played a role in another murder case that took place in 2020.

During the investigations, authorities recovered objects used in the crimes and DNA traces tied to the 31-year-old suspect.

Authorities have not yet commented on a potential motive behind the suspected killings.

rs/sms (dpa, AFP)