Timothy Haslett Jr., 39, was arrested Friday in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and charged with first-degree rape, aggravated sexual offense, first-degree kidnapping, and second-degree assault, according to reports, after a Black woman he’d allegedly kidnapped, whipped, raped, and tortured escaped and ran to neighbors for help, saying he’d already murdered two of her friends. Prior to the arrest, the Kansas City Police Department had written off rumors of a serial killer targeting Black women in the area as “completely unfounded rumors,” according to the Kansas City Defender.