Kansas City, Mo. ? A Kansas City man already accused of one killing was charged Friday with seven new counts of first-degree murder, accusing him of strangling the women in neighborhoods frequented by drug addicts and prostitutes.

Terry A. Blair, 43, also was charged with one count of first-degree assault and three counts of forcible rape in the grand jury indictment returned Friday.

Jackson County Prosecutor Mike Sanders called Blair “one of the most prolific alleged serial killers in this community’s history.”

Blair was charged in September with one count of first-degree murder in the death of one of the women, Sheliah McKinzie, 38, who worked as a prostitute.

More charges had been expected after Blair was named as a suspect in the death of McKinzie and five other women whose bodies were found earlier this year on vacant lots or near vacant buildings in an 18-block area east of downtown.

The indictment returned Friday charges Blair with the death of McKinzie as well as the other five women: Patricia Wilson Butler, 45, Darci I. Williams, 25, Anna Ewing, 42, Carmen Hunt, 40, and Claudette Juniel, 31. It also charges him with killing Nellia Harris, 33, and Sandra Reed, 47.

The new charges in McKinzie’s death are identical to the previous charges. But because they were part of a grand jury indictment, there will be no preliminary hearing.

Harris’ body was found Sept. 20 in a neighborhood with motels known to be frequented by drug users and prostitutes. Police had said in September they were investigating a link between her and the other victims, who were found about two miles away.

Reed’s name had not previously been associated with the case against Blair. Sanders said only that her body was found June 30, 2003, at a time when Blair was in and out of prison and halfway houses.

When Blair was arrested in September, he was on parole for the 1982 murder of Angela Monroe, his pregnant ex-girlfriend and the mother of two of his children. Witnesses told police he was angry because Monroe was working as a prostitute and he wasn’t getting any of the money.

At least six of the victims had faced drug charges. Three had prostitution or solicitation convictions.