Posted on 08/17/2003 9:03:38 AM PDT by sonsofliberty2000
Sniper suspect is large white man
By Tom Searls and Charles Shumaker STAFF REPORTERS
Police speculated Friday that a large, white male driving a black pickup with an extended cab may be responsible for Thursday night’s killings outside two Kanawha County convenience stores, and possibly others.
Kanawha Sheriff Dave Tucker said at a Friday afternoon media conference that the killer “could be a possible serial-type murderer.”
Both victims of Thursday night’s convenience store shootings, Jeanie Patton, 31, and Okey Meadows, 26, were shot in the head area in a manner similar to the shooting of Gary Carrier Jr., 44, who was shot outside a Charleston convenience store Sunday night.
Initial tests of the bullets in all three shootings revealed the same characteristics, but investigators have not concluded the bullets were fired from the same weapon, said Kanawha County Chief Deputy Phil Morris.
“That’s one step closer to saying they come from the same gun,” Morris said. “We’ve just moved a big step closer.”
The State Police tests, which were completed late Friday evening, linked the three bullets to small-caliber weapons, Morris said. He declined to elaborate on the results of the preliminary tests. State Police weapon analysts will return today to continue testing the bullet fragments.
Patton was gunned down while pumping gas outside the Speedway convenience store on Campbells Creek Drive about 10:25 p.m.
Less than hour later, and about 10 miles away, Meadows was fatally shot outside a Cedar Grove convenience store.
Patton was shot in the head and Meadows was shot in the neck, police said.
Investigators think the two Campbells Creek residents were shot from a distance with a small-caliber rifle.
The Cedar Grove shots were fired from a distance of 60-70 yards, Morris said. “We don’t believe a handgun was used,” he said.
A person also at the Cedar Grove store was reportedly closer to the shooter than Meadows.
Patton was probably shot from a distance of 30 to 35 yards away, Morris said.
Investigators hope further ballistics tests will confirm or disprove that the bullets were fired from the same weapon. Despite the similarities found in the initial tests, it is possible different weapons were used in the three murders.
Carrier, of South Charleston, died after being shot in the head while standing outside a Go-Mart on Charleston’s West Side late Sunday.
City detectives said the bullet that killed Carrier was also fired from a small-caliber weapon.
Charleston police Chief Jerry Pauley — who attended a sheriff’s media conference Friday, along with representatives from the State Police, South Charleston police, the FBI and the ATF — said the Sunday shooting might be related to the Thursday night slayings.
“It could’ve been [by the same person],” Pauley said. “That fragment of a bullet was taken to the State Police lab to be checked.”
The combined police agencies formed a task force to investigate the homicides together and set up a headquarters at Charleston’s Air National Guard base, where they met Friday night, Morris said.
The full-sized black pickup might be the agencies’ best evidence, so far, Morris said. It was seen outside the Cedar Grove store, and a person told police they also saw it near the Campbells Creek shooting.
“The truck had been [parked outside the Go-Mart] about 20 minutes, and moved from one end of the lot to the other, where it drew attention,” Morris said. “Something just didn’t seem to right about that pickup.”
A witness told police he was certain the shots fired at Meadows came from the truck. “As soon as that shot was made, [Meadows] dropped to the ground and the vehicle sped away, spinning its tires,” Morris said.
While witnesses at Campbells Creek had told police about seeing a Corsica speeding away, investigators later discovered the black pickup also had been seen there. “That truck was spotted in the Campbells Creek area, fitting that description,” Morris said.
That also was the only sighting, if ever so slight, of the person authorities are looking for, the chief deputy said. “The information we do have is, it’s a larger, white male,” Morris said.
The suspect would not need to be an “exceptional shot” to hit the mark from about 70 yards away with a rifle, police said.
However, Morris said: “That was a difficult shot, no question about it.”
Both of Thursday night’s victims lived in Campbells Creek, but investigators do not believe they knew one another. However, because the two “lived basically in the same area” and “it’s very, very early in the investigation,” they have not ruled that out, Morris said.
Meanwhile, investigators have nearly ruled out any relationship with the March slaying of 29-year-old Randy Burgess outside the Kanawha City Kroger store. Burgess was shot with a high-powered rifle while leaving the store. No arrests have been made in Burgess’ shooting.
Tucker conceded, however, that a sniper suspect could have more than one weapon. “Everything’s possible when you’re dealing with an individual like this,” the sheriff said.
He said safety should be the main thing on the minds of area residents. State Police, sheriff’s deputies and municipal police will be increasing their presence near late-night convenience stores, especially those with gasoline pumps.
“We’ve increased the patrols like you wouldn’t believe,” Tucker said.
Morris and Tucker warned people to be cautious and to travel with at least one other person if they have to be out late at night. As a precaution, they advised motorists not to fill up late at night if they can avoid it.
“I would continue what I have been doing,” Morris said.
Police throughout Kanawha County have fielded calls about other shootings possibly related to Sunday and Thursday’s shootings, but none of those has proven true, Metro 911 officials said.
Anyone with information about the shootings should call 357-0169.
To contact staff writers Tom Searls and Charles Shumaker, use e-mail or call 348-5100.
Isn't this what got us into trouble in Washington DC?
Arnold Schwartzenegger is a large white man who drives a large truck.
Arnold Schwartzenegger is the sniper.
Because the real witness description was of a member of a protected minority. It's always safe to blame a white redneck though.
Antie Em! Antie Em! It's a circus! It's a circus!
Is there a media number that the new shooter can call to get pointers on some of the dos and don'ts? I mean, now he knows his truck's been made and he won't use it again. But, are there little things that only the cops know that the madia will pass on to the killer so as to make this a story worth moving all the trucks down to Kanahwa?
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