Police link former sailor to possible slayings worldwide

DETROIT (AP) -- A former sailor suspected of killing five Detroit-area prostitutes has been linked to at least six other slayings, and police say they are investigating whether he went from port to port killing women while serving in the Navy.

John E. Armstrong, 26, was arrested Wednesday, but he has not been formally charged with a crime. Police say they are still gathering evidence.

But police said he has admitted killing women in Michigan, Norfolk, Va., Washington state and Thailand, both The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press reported today. So far, he has been linked to at least 11 slayings and has been cooperating with police, Police Chief Benny Napoleon said today.

''We're continuing to discover murders that he has been involved in,'' Napoleon told Detroit radio station WWJ. ''We're trying to track his career in the Navy to determine just how many bodies he has left in his wake.''

''We really don't like to talk about the existence of a confession until such time as we have an actual warrant in our hand but suffice it to say, he is cooperating with us,'' Napoleon told WWJ.

The suspect sailed aboard the USS Nimitz as a fueler. He may also be linked to prostitute strangulations in Hawaii, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Israel -- all ports of call for the Nimitz, Napoleon said.

''This guy has created terror around the world,'' Napoleon said.