DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man who police call a serial killer will stay in jail for now.
Aeman Presley was denied bond in court on Friday for the murders of two homeless men.
Presley is also a suspect in the death of Smyrna hairdresser Karen Pearce.
Channel 2's Liz Artz spoke with a man who knew Pearce well.
Matthew Poteat says they were stunned to learn the news of her death and just as stunned to learn someone police think could be a serial killer is possibly responsible.
"I was talking to Karen not long ago about coming back to see each other at Christmas," said Poteat. "You think is this true then it slowly sinks in an empty shocking feeling."
Nearly a week later the 44-year-old's longtime friend got a second stunner when he found out police had made an arrest in the case.
"It's like a bolt out of the blue," said Poteat.
Police say Presley also killed two homeless men in downtown Atlanta. He was arrested after trying to get on MARTA without paying his fare, according to police. Detectives told us he had the revolver and rare ammunition used in the murders on him when he was arrested.
"It's not a sense of closure but a sense of some progress being made," said Poteat.
Poteat says that Christmas reunion is still going to happen, but instead of Karen being there, they'll be celebrating her life, her free spirit and beautiful smile.
"She always went for the big lights, the big city. She found it. It's sad it came to this, really sad," said Poteat.
We learned that Presley is originally from Chicago but attended Stone Mountain High School. He also lived in Los Angeles, where he was an aspiring actor.
WSBTV
