206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
⚠️ Warning: Viewer Discretion Advised ⚠️ The following section contains detailed information about serial killers, their crimes, and case details. Some content may be disturbing or graphic, including descriptions of violence, criminal behavior, and sensitive subject matter.
Description
See any errors? Let us know!

Darren Deon Vann: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Background

Darren Deon Vann, born on March 21, 1971, in Indiana, is an American serial killer who terrorized the communities of Gary and Hammond, Indiana, between 2013 and 2014. Prior to his killing spree, Vann had a criminal history that included a 2009 conviction for sexual assault in Austin, Texas, for which he served five years in prison. He was released in July 2013 and returned to Indiana. Vann also received an "other than honorable" discharge from the United States Marine Corps in 1993 after joining in 1991.

Modus Operandi

Vann primarily targeted women involved in sex work, often contacting them through online platforms such as Backpage.com. After luring his victims, he would strangle them and dispose of their bodies in abandoned buildings throughout Gary, Indiana.

Arrest and Investigation

On October 17, 2014, 19-year-old Afrikka Hardy was found strangled in a Motel 6 in Hammond, Indiana. Hardy had recently moved to Chicago after graduating from high school. She met Vann at the motel after he hired her through an escort agency. Authorities used Hardy's phone records to trace Vann, leading to his arrest on October 18, 2014. Upon apprehension, Vann was found in possession of several key pieces of potential evidence, including Hardy's phone. During police interrogation, he confessed to Hardy's murder and led investigators to the bodies of six other women in Gary. ...Read More
Victims
See any mistakes? Let us know!
Confirmed Victims: (7)
  • Afrikka Hardy Age: (19), Date of Death: 2014-10-17
  •     ...View 6 additional victims
    Links to Additional Sources (17)
    See any mistakes? Let us know!
    Killer's Details

    Darren Deon

    Vann

    March 21, 1971 (age 53) Indiana, United States

    Donald Vann

    60 (183 cm)

    Male

    Black

    The Indiana Killer

    Murder (x7)

    Life in prison without parole (seven concurrent terms)

    7 convictions, possibly up to 18 killed

    2013 - October 2014

    Indiana

    October 18, 2014

    Wabash Valley Correctional Facility

    07/13/2025