A Connecticut man suspected of killing at least seven people was considered a “kind-hearted giant” by his ex-girlfriend’s family, The Daily Beast has learned.

Juliana Holcomb, 19, told The Daily Beast that suspected serial killer William Devin Howell was her late mother’s ex-boyfriend and often stayed at their New Britain home when he wasn’t crashing in his van.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that police were linking the man Holcomb knew as “Devin” to seven bodies buried in swampy woods behind a strip mall. The grisly discovery of four sets of remains came after weeks of digging by authorities. Three other bodies were found there in 2007.