Man charged in killings of 2 women in Missouri

Sparks, 40, was found dead Oct. 4, 2011, on the far northeast side of Kansas City, and Reed, 24, was found Aug. 21 in rural Kearney, northeast of Kansas City. Both bodies were in spots where they could easily be seen, with their pants pulled down and shirts pulled up.

Both women were last seen on St. John Avenue near Independence Avenue in northeast Kansas City, where they worked as prostitutes, police said.

Earlier this month, police said a third woman, who lived on the same street where Sparks and Reed were last seen, was found dumped in late 2011 along the side of a road in Caldwell County, southeast of Cameron. She survived. But authorities didn't say Saturday if her case was connected.

"We have a tremendous amount of follow-up to do now that we have answered some of our own questions," Niemeier said, adding that it "feels good when you can tell a victim's family that their case has been resolved."