In the spring of 2000, the life of 34-year-old Kelly Jean Hood was tragically cut short in Detroit, Michigan. A Caucasian woman, Hood became one of the victims of the serial killer John Eric Armstrong. Her body was discovered on April 10, 2000, in a desolate railroad yard in the southwest part of the city, a grim tableau she shared with two other women, Robbin Brown and Rose Marie Felt.
All three victims had been strangled.
The discovery of the women's bodies was a significant development in a string of violent crimes that had instilled fear in the community. Investigators quickly linked the murders, noting the victims were left in sexually provocative positions. The investigation into these brutal killings led police to John Eric Armstrong, a former U.S. Navy sailor who had been honorably discharged in 1999.
Armstrong's path to justice began to solidify after he reported finding the body of another woman, Wendy Jordan, in the Rouge River on January 2, 2000. Though not arrested at the time, this event brought him to the attention of law enforcement. Crucial DNA evidence found with Jordan's body would later be matched to Armstrong. His arrest on April 12, 2000, was for the murder of Wendy Jordan, but it soon became clear his violent spree was far more extensive.
Under questioning, Armstrong's façade crumbled, and he confessed to the murders of multiple women, including Kelly Jean Hood. In March 2001, Armstrong was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Wendy Jordan and received a life sentence. Subsequently, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the deaths of Kelly Jean Hood, Robbin Brown, and Rose Marie Felt. Armstrong was also convicted of the murder of another woman, Monica Johnson, on June 18, 2001. He admitted to posing the bodies of Hood, Brown, and Felt so he could return and have sex with them. Armstrong is believed to have murdered at least six other women between 1992 and 1999 in various locations, though these cases have not all been officially confirmed.
