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Bayswan

They lay in a macabre line, four shoeless women face-down in a watery ditch, the tops of their heads facing east, toward the distant high-rises and gambling halls of Atlantic City.

One, a brunette, had been strangled, the only clue to her iden tity a Hard Rock Cafe tank top and capri-style pants. The others, all blondes, were found at intervals farther east -- 148 feet, 90 feet, 82 feet -- discarded like refuse and likewise unidentified.

Yesterday, a day after the discovery of the bodies in a ragged neighborhood of low-rent motels in the West Atlantic City section of Egg Harbor Township, authorities were trying to determine how they had come to be there and whether they were victims of a serial killer.

By late last night, autopsies on three of the women had been completed, confirming that two of them had been victims of homicide. The brunette had been strangled with a cord or rope, authorities said. Prosecutors identified her as Kim Raffo, 35, whose last known address was a rooming house on Ocean Avenue in Atlantic City.

The other homicide victim had somehow been asphyxiated, perhaps by strangulation, perhaps by another means.

An autopsy on a third woman, believed dead at least two weeks, was inconclusive, authorities said.

The fourth woman was scheduled for an autopsy this morning.

"We will have more information once we complete the post-mortem examinations and identify the women," Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz said. "The public should be on guard as always."

The bodies, clothed but barefoot, were found about 320 feet apart on a stretch of land between the Black Horse Pike and the Atlantic City Expressway. Each of the women had been placed face-down in several inches of water. Each of their heads faced Atlantic City, a few miles away.

"Whether that's a coincidence or not, that just is what it is," Blitz said.

Authorities said the first woman examined yesterday, Raffo, had been in the water for several days. Another victim lay in the ditch anywhere from several days to a week, authorities said. The fact that one of the victims had been there for two weeks or more adds a chilling element to the crime, suggesting a killer or killers who continually re turned to the desolate spot with new victims, dead or alive.

All of the women appeared to be white, Blitz said, cautioning that details about the victims could change as identifications are made.

One of the bodies was discovered by two people walking along a dirt access path behind the Golden Key Motel, one of more than a dozen low-rent motels along the north side of the Black Horse Pike, a local route into Atlantic City. The passers-by notified police, who discovered the other bodies.

While Blitz said authorities did not know if the victims were living in any of the motels, crime-scene investigators remained at the Golden Key late into the evening, closely inspecting one of the rooms. At about 7 p.m., investigators emerged from the room with several bags of evidence.

Like many of the weathered lodges around it, the Golden Key is home to the down-and-out and to those down on their luck. Some longer-term residents hold low- paying jobs in the casino industry. Other residents were described as drug addicts or prostitutes. Rooms rent for as little as $15 a night.

Yasmin Olan, who's been stay ing at the Golden Key with her husband and son until the family can find an affordable apartment, said the room investigators were focusing on last night had most re cently been rented by a man who begged cigarettes and told her of a crack addiction. The man fre quently appeared agitated, Olan said.

"It's not that unusual for this motel," she said. "You wouldn't be lieve the things people say to you here."

Employees of the Golden Key said they didn't know if any of the victims spent time at the motel. Police had taken the hotel's guest logs, the employees said, adding that the room being searched had last been rented about a week ago.

"The clientele comes and goes," front desk clerk Jyotika Patel said.

All along the Black Horse Pike, the discovery of the women's bodies had people worried.

"We're all shook up," said Niral Dand, manager of the nearby Bay Point Inn. "All of us are on edge (about) why this happened."

Investigators visited Dand's motel yesterday afternoon, carrying a black-and-white headshot of Raffo. In the photo, she appeared to have a bruised face framed by dark hair, Dand said. He said he did not recognize her.

Authorities plan to canvass the neighborhood with photographs of the other victims. Investigators also are working with the FBI, seeking to match the women with any missing persons cases, Blitz said.

Raffo stood 5-foot-6 and weighed about 140 pounds, Blitz said.

About 148 feet away lay the body of the second woman, described as 5 feet tall and 160 pounds, with a denim miniskirt, a bra and a mesh shirt.

Authorities found the third woman about 90 feet farther east. She stood 5-foot-7 and weighed 140 to 150 pounds. She wore capri-style blue jeans and a long-sleeve sweatshirt.

The fourth woman, the last in the line, lay 82 feet from the third. She stood 5-foot-8 and weighed about 120 pounds. She wore blue jeans and a red hooded sweatshirt, Blitz said.

At the Golden Key, the discovery of the bodies was the last straw for residents Larry Huggup and his girlfriend, who checked out and moved into another motel down the strip.

"This area -- prostitution -- that's all it is out here. Prostitution and drugs," said Huggup, 23, who works as a housekeeper at the Flagship Resort in Atlantic City.

"I think somebody had to see something," he said. "This is a highly populated area. You don't do nothing here without someone seeing you do it."

His girlfriend, 25-year-old Ji niece Hamlett, is afraid. As a cocktail waitress at Bally's, Hamlett catches the 3 a.m. bus to go to work.

"I'm even more scared now," she said. "I can't wait to get out of here."

Original link: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/116417403227240.xml&coll=1