Man charged with 'barrel murders'

Robinson is said to have met his victims over the internet

A man who allegedly looked for sadomasochistic sex over the internet has been charged with murdering five women whose bodies were found stuffed into barrels.

Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty for John Edward Robinson, 56.

His lawyer says he is innocent.

Izabela Lewicka, 22, may have been dating Mr Robinson

Two bodies were found at his home in La Cygne, Kansas. Police found three more bodies in a storage locker he rented in Missouri. All had head injuries.

Only three of the victims have been identified. They were Beverly Bonner, 49, Izabela Lewicka, 22, and Suzette Trouten, 28.

Prosecutors say Ms Bonner disappeared six years ago after going into business with Mr Robinson, and Ms Lewicka, a Polish immigrant, vanished last autumn after dating him.

'Good father'

Ms Trouten is also said to have worked for Mr Robinson.

Mr Robinson's lawyer has said his client is innocent, and his family issued a statement describing him as a good father and husband who lived modestly.

Suzette Trouten was working for Mr Robinson, prosecutors say

One of the prosecutors involved in the case, Chris Koster, has notified Mr Robinson that he will be seeking the death penalty.

"John E. Robinson committed the offence of murder in the first degree in a manner outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that it involved torture or depravity of mind," Mr Koster said, quoting from his letter to Mr Robinson.

Mr Robinson had earlier been charged with aggravated sexual battery and theft involving two women he allegedly met over the internet for sadomasochistic sex.

Philanthropist

Investigators believe he sought out women in chatrooms using the name "slavemaster".

But officials believe Mr Robinson also made contact with other women by posing as a businessman and philanthropist who wanted to help them find work.

Baby Tiffany Stasi remains missing

The task of identifying the remaining two bodies is proving very difficult.

Police believe they may have been dead for months, even years.

Investigators say Mr Robinson also had links with a woman who disappeared in 1985, 19-year-old Lisa Stasi. Her five-month-old daughter Tiffany also vanished.

Ms Stasi was last seen at a motel in Olathe, Kansas, where Mr Robinson had arranged to meet her.

Two other disappearances are also being linked to the inquiry.