MIAMI - — Four times, he picked up black prostitutes hungry for money to feed themselves or their cocaine habits. Before they could spend it, he beat them to death and torched their upper bodies.
He was ready to strike again. Only this time, he later told them, the crime would be more heinous than ever.
Francisco Del Junco, 38, a Cuban-born dishwasher at a Coconut Grove sports bar, confessed on Monday to Miami's most savage serial killing spree, police said.
The confession-in Spanish-came in a most unlikely place: underneath the palms along the sapphire waters of Biscayne Bay.
Del Junco, who is white, told investigators he got a sense of relief and satisfaction from the killings, but that he is not a racist, said Miami police Lt. Tony Rodriguez.
Del Junco is accused of killing Vida Hicks, 43; Diane Nelms, 44; Cheryl Ray, 37; and Janice Cox, 37. All were homeless and prostitutes, killed between August and March by the same person, police said.
"He is an individual who sees through you," Rodriguez said. "He is very calculated, he's very cunning and he does nothing without planning it."
Since the end of March, a team of 26 law enforcement officers has worked full time on the case, developing a profile of the killer and tracing his pattern, said Miami police Lt. Bill O'Connor.
Officers fanned out into the homeless encampments of Miami's poorest neighborhoods, hoping to talk to anyone who might know something about the killer. A woman approached officers, telling them about a struggle nine months earlier with a man who hit her over the head before she escaped.
About 4:30 a.m. Friday, the woman flagged down an officer after she saw her assailant again.
The man, whom police say is Del Junco, was seen on his bicycle at Biscayne Boulevard and 21st Terrace. He had a can of gasoline and a box of wooden matches, police said.
He later told them he intended to kill someone else that night-in a manner worse than before. However, police would not divulge the details of Del Junco's plan.
During the weekend, Rodriguez and other detectives talked to Del Junco. Never once did they accuse him of the murders, Rodriguez said. Instead, they talked about his childhood and his flight from Cuba in 1980 during the Mariel boat lift.
Del Junco never had a meaningful relationship with anyone, Rodriguez said. He left his parents behind in Cuba and has some relatives in Miami but does not socialize with them. He never had a romantic relationship, Rodriguez said.
At Dan Marino's American Sports Bar & Grill, where he was a dishwasher, Del Junco was an ideal employee, said Howard A. Shiller, vice president of operations.
Del Junco, who has no car, rode his bicycle to work from his apartment in East Little Havana. He earned $6.25 an hour and worked full time, Shiller said.
Shiller said Del Junco didn't interact much with his co-workers. He was the only dishwasher who spoke Spanish in a kitchen of workers who spoke English or Creole.
During the 13 months he worked at the sports bar, Del Junco never missed a day of work and was never late, Shiller said.
"This guy didn't have one write up," he said.
Del Junco is punctual and desires perfection-traits common in people who kill in a ritualistic manner, Rodriguez said.
In fact, he was so punctual that when investigators were 10 minutes late picking him up for an interview last weekend, Del Junco told them he was worried, Rodriguez said.
"Finally, he liked us so much, he trusted us so much that he had to tell us," Rodriguez said. "We made him realize he needed to do the right thing."
When Rodriguez asked Del Junco, in general terms, about what might motivate someone to kill the women, Del Junco told him, "Listen, I'm going to tell you something. Can we go somewhere?''
So, at Del Junco's request, they drove out to Key Biscayne. The detectives sat on the trunk of their car and Del Junco sat on the ground in the shade of the palm trees. Rodriguez said Del Junco told them he killed the four women - and why. Police will not say what Del Junco said motivated him.
"It's not as simple as jealousy and revenge," Rodriguez said. "There are some very deep emotions and fantasies in these people's minds."
After the confession, Del Junco took Rodriguez and his partner to the scene of each murder, where he re-enacted the crimes, Rodriguez said.
"It's a strange feeling to see the person who did this take you to the actual crime scenes and re-enact this," Rodriguez said.
Late Monday night, police arrested Del Junco and charged him with four counts of first-degree murder.
Word of the arrest provided comfort for at least one of the victims' families.
In Fayetteville, N.C., Josie Williams, Hicks' stepmother, said she was relieved.
"I'm so glad he's off the street," Williams said. "It has been miserable knowing he was still on the streets, walking free."
p report
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