Latest death called unrelated to Kensington serial killings

Like three women who have been killed in Kensington since last month, 25-year-old Crystal Dawejko apparently struggled with drugs. But her death had nothing to do with the serial killer being sought by police, authorities said Monday.

Dawejko's body was found shortly after 3 p.m. Friday in a rowhouse on the 2800 block of C Street, not far from the places where the women have been killed since Nov. 3.

An investigator at the Medical Examiner's Office found no signs of strangulation or other trauma on Dawejko's body, meaning she was not physically attacked. A ruling on the cause of her death awaits the results of toxicology tests.

Dawejko, of the 6700 block of Vandike Street in the city's Tacony section, had a history of drug problems and run-ins with the police, records show. She has been arrested several times on drug charges, as well as for burglary, car theft, and weapons offenses. In 2006 she spent several months in jail after being convicted of drug possession and prostitution.

The house where Dawejko was found is owned by Lawrence Hollman, who lives there and rents an upstairs room for brief periods. According to neighbors, Dawejko and a man stayed there Thursday night. Hollman told neighbors that Dawejko and the man may have been using drugs and that the man left midday on Friday, saying Dawejko was still asleep.

Hollman told neighbors he later found her unresponsive and called police.

Police are still searching for the man responsible for killing Elaine Goldberg, Nicole Piacentini and Casey Mahoney. The women were all found nude from the waist down. All had battled drug addiction. DNA evidence has determined that the same man killed all three, but police have not yet turned up a suspect.

A $30,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the killer's arrest and conviction, and an additional $7,000 has been posted for information leading solely to an arrest.

Police are also looking for a suspect in several nonfatal attacks on women in the neighborhood. It is not known whether the same person is responsible for all the assaults. Anyone with any information is being asked to call police.