GAFFNEY, South Carolina, July 4, 2009
Teen Becomes 5th Murdered By Serial Killer
Girl Shot While Helping Father Died After Fighting for Life for Two Days
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Investigators in Cherokee County, S.C. say that a fourth murder has been linked to a killer who's been on a rampage for the last several days. (CBS)
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Interactive Crime Beat Statistics and specifics on crime in America.
Abby Tyler, 15, died about 11:15 a.m. EDT at a Spartanburg hospital after fighting for her life for two days, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.
Tyler was wounded and her father was killed Thursday as they worked to close the Tyler Home Center near downtown Gaffney.
County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators believe the killings are linked and the search is on for a suspected male serial killer. An 83-year-old mother and her daughter were shot to death Wednesday, and a 63-year-old peach farmer was found dead at his home a week ago.
Blanton said all the victims were shot, but he would not say how the deaths were linked. The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The spree had alarmed residents canceling Independence Day holiday plans and arming themselves. The sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking and anyone who breaks down on the county's rural roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries "people are going to start shooting at shadows."
The killings began a week ago Saturday when the wife of 63-year-old peach farmer Kline Cash found him dead in their home. Then last Wednesday, relatives found 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot to death in a separate shooting at Linder's home.
Dozens of local, state and federal investigators were assigned to the case when the killings were linked. But a day later, the killer struck again, less than a half-mile from the sheriff's office serving as the headquarters for the investigation, killing 48-year-old Stephen Tyler and his daughter.
"We're knee-deep in the investigation," Blanton said Sunday. "There's fear and concern here and there should be concern."
Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect, saying he is in his 40s, tall, with salt and pepper hair. They think he is driving a silver 1991-1994 Ford Explorer.
By Associated Press Writer Mitch Weiss; AP Writers Jim Davenport and Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report from Columbia.
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 31 Comments
- Ted Bundy proved that a common-looking fellow could be a sly, cold-blooded killer. Vigilance is the real answer. Three of the five victims were women. The two men were closely associated with women. This Felon is a misogynistic homosexual. He uses the element of surprise. South Carolina should observe drifters asking for directions or money.
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- How predictable, this discussion dissolves into nothing more then and right Vs Left debate, NRA vs.Anti-NRA.
When will you learn that is no reasoning with the left, the cannot stand the fact of anyone who abides by the law to have a gun. It is to be outlawed and only for the criminals and government to posses. Why? Simple, they all posses deep domination fantasizes. WHy do you think they are so kind to criminals? In the liberal left eyes, they see them as powerful dominating people that they secretly worship. They are sick and twisted souls for which there is no discussion. Simply ignore them and talk about the real issue here: How to catch this bastard - Reply to this comment
- If someone is breaking into your home, their is no better protection than a shotgun. Only fools take the chance of not having a loaded shotgun when someone is breaking into your home. You become a formidable opponent. The shotgun gives you the opportunity to defend yourself.
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- WE ARE N.R.A. MENBERS AND ALWAYS WILL BE, GUNS DON'T KILL IT'S THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE GUNS.
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- And, THANK YOU very much for supplying those guns to the killers! By providing the guns that the killers use, YOU are as guilty as the killer, just like the getaway driver is as guilty as the bank robber when a security guard gets shot during a bank robbery!
- This isn't the fault of the NRA or it's members! To blame them, is irrational! And, it very well may be, that he has AVOIDED those potential victims that he knew had guns or found out had guns! That might have saved them!
What you have here is a killer with his own agenda! And, if it's
about killing, whether he had a gun or not, wouldn't make ANY difference! He'd use whatever was available! Probably a knife,
or club-type object, or whatever was around.
Asking people to disarm themselves is foolish! And very well may get more people killed! At least those people armed will have the ability to defend themselves if this nut shows up on THEIR doorstep!
IF he stays active, he'll eventually get nabbed!
- People...listen up! Please exercise your 2nd amendment right and arm yourself now! Do not listen to brainwashed liberals and become a victim. The only way we will stop these criminals and psychos is to use force with force. Don't become a victim, buy a gun now and learn how to use it!
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- I surely hope this murderer is caught and soon. One poster said this killer will be caught, but that remains to be seen. Remember the Zodiac serial murder cases? Did they ever catch that killer?
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- If the NRA wants to advocate freedom of gun ownership for everyone, then we have to expect that the crazy and insane, who often don't show it at first, will also have access to these weapons. There is no other way around it. Or, they can start advocating responsibility in gun ownership and support psychological tests that evaluate people's abilities to resolve conflict. Those who believe that conflict must be settled with violence should not be allowed to own guns. It won't be full proof, but it will be a start.
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- I hope this low-life is found and I hope he gets the worst of all punishment available to him. It would be even better if dogs consumed him.
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- We of the NRA are the good guys and are on "The side of the angels".
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- The NRA board members are GUN SELLERS. They don't care who lives or dies, as long as they get to sell lots of guns. They don't care that the guns they sell go to criminals, to Mexican drug lords, or to "law abiding gun owners", aka self-deluded fools. All that matters to the NRA is that people remain afraid, and that motivates them to buy more guns and ammo. The NRA is the enemy of all life on this planet. If you are member, you should hang your head in shame.
- Actually, Fred...most of the NRA members are not gun sellers, but gun owners or those who would like to retain the right to own one in the future. Get your facts straight.
- How many thousands of criminals have guns, nobody knows. NRA encourages gun culture; until they get it back they will not learn a lesion. Church is a place for worship, but a pastor, who is a right wing extremist, encouraged to bring loaded gun to the church. Is he a Christian? No were in bible encouraged carrying gun. It is time for the federal government to take up this matter and bring gun control.
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- Another right wing extremists at it! I'll bet the cases are linked by religion somehow - perhaps a church.
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- There's a good chance you're correct about that!
This guy might be some type of religious nut who's on some type of self-defined 'mission from God (Satan)'!
While everyone needs to think safety, communities need to think twice before they cancel events, just because of one kook! When you do that,
the kook WINS! IF he keeps it up, he'll eventually get caught!
- There's a good chance you're correct about that!
- 'The spree had alarmed residents canceling Independence Day holiday plans and arming themselves. The sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking and anyone who breaks down on the county's rural roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries "people are going to start shooting at shadows." '
I can understand that they are afraid, but arming themselves with guns won't save any of them.
The killer arrives with his gun loaded and murderous intent, he aims and shoots you dead from a distance. You are dead before you even know he was there. What good is your gun going to do you? No good at all.
What SC needs is some intelligent cops to track down the killer. Those cops must capture or kill the murderer, not the fearful citizens. Even well-trained cops kill the wrong person from time to time. If everyone in SC has a gun, and they're all jumpy, and none of them are properly trained to respond to a life-threatening crisis, what will happen? More dead people. No one will be saved that way. - Reply to this comment
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- I live in the county where this is going on. This killer has entered two homes and a business winning the confidence of his victims first, and then killing them. He has not shot any of the victims at a distance as you suggest. Thank you for your concern about the citizens not hurting themselves but I feel better with a loaded 12 gauge right now.
- If he can "win your confidence", then you won't shoot him before he shoots you. Your 12 gauge won't help.
If, OTOH, you get paranoid and start shooting people because you think they might be the killer, then you are very likely to kill innocent people. Gun can only be used for "self defense" if the person or persons attacking you can't aim and you can. That just doesn't happen very often.
- bossman6-please throw away your shotgun before you become paranoid and start shooting strangers.Try reasoning with the killer if he shows up, offer him a cup of tea and a scone.
Its futile to resist-Fred the self-defense expert says so.
- This discussion has seemed to turned in to NRA vs. anti-NRA debate. Let me say that I am not an NRA member and I support reasonable gun control legislation. I live in a rural community where things like this are not supposed to happen. People are generally trusting of each other. But when one psych-wad turns loose like he has, its time to lock and load. The community has been armed and on edge for two days without incident.
The last time something like this happened here was in 1968 when Leroy Martin, dubbed the "Gaffney Strangler", murdered four women. His last victim, Opal Buckson, a teenage black girl was abducted while waiting for a school bus. The county had less than a dozen full time law enforcement officers at that time and the people responded with a man hunt. People got in their cars and trucks, armed, with hopes of finding this young girl alive and patrolled the county roads. There was an encounter when the local golf pro came across Martin on an unpaved road not far from where Buckson's body was eventually discovered. This encounter was reported to the sheriff and along with additional evidence lead to Martin's arrest. No innocents were harmed then, and hopefully none will be harmed now.
I don't know what's going on in this killers mind but if he shows up at your door, its probably a kill or be killed situation. LeRoy Martin targeted women because he got some kind of sexual gratification out of murder. A SLED agent that interviewed Martin following his conviction shared some of the statements he made with me and they literally ran chills up and down my spine. This guy is equally as cold.
- Eh, just more NRA members exercising their "rights".
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