Police in the United States are holding a man in custody following the discovery of the bodies of seven women over the weekend. The man confessed to one killing before leading the police to discover the other bodies.

The discoveries began when a 43 year old man confessed to killing one woman and told police they could find the body in a motel in Hammond, Indiana. Following this, the man told police the locations of the other bodies, including three in one abandoned house in the city of Gary, Indiana.

The mayor of Gary, Karen Freeman-Wilson, has said the suspect is a sex offender from Austin, Texas.

The mayor admitted to reporters that she does not know if there will be more bodies found.

"We really don't know. When you're dealing with someone like this it's just hard to tell," she said to the AP.

Police identified the first victim, at 9.30 p.m. on Friday at a Motel 6, as 19 year old Afrikka Hardy.

Police found the second body on Saturday night. She was identified as Anith Jones, a 35 year old Indiana woman who has been missing since October 8.

Police discovered five other bodies over the course of Sunday, in various homes around the city and in the nearby town of Hammond. Two more were found in the same building where Jones was found on Saturday evening.

The discoveries began when a friend of Hardy reported her missing. Police obtained a search warrant for a house and vehicle in Gary and following a search took the suspect into custody. It was while in custody that the man told police about the other bodies.