SC serial killer blamed for 4 deaths in 6 days

[tombogan03884]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_killing_spree

GAFFNEY, S.C. – Sheriff's deputies searched Friday for a serial killer blamed for four deaths over the past six days as terrified residents wondered who might be next.

Investigators have not figured out how the victims are linked or if they knew the man who shot them. So far, all they have is a sketch of a suspect and a possible getaway vehicle, said Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton.

"There's no evidence there is a hit list," Blanton said. "There's no evidence he knows the victims. There's no evidence the victims are connected."

But plenty of evidence links the killings, said Blanton, who would not provide details.

"Yes, we have a serial killer," he said at a news conference.

The latest victims were found in their family's small furniture and appliance shop near downtown Gaffney around closing time Thursday. Stephen Tyler, 45, was killed, and his 15-year-old daughter was shot and seriously injured. Tyler's wife, his older daughter and an employee found them in Tyler Home Center, County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.

The latest killing happened one day and about seven miles from where family members found the bodies of 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot in Linder's home. Blanton would not say if Tyler and his daughter were also bound.

The killing spree began last Saturday about 10 miles from Tyler Home Center. Peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was found shot in his living room. Investigators said he appeared to have been robbed, but they haven't determined if anything was taken in the latest killings.

The shootings have prompted fear in Cherokee County, 50 miles south of Charlotte, N.C., and home to about 54,000 people. The county had just six homicides in all of 2008, and that was double the number reported the year before.

Residents have "their guard up and their gun handy," said state Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, who recalled the area being terrorized once before, in the 1960s, by a serial killer dubbed the Gaffney Strangler who murdered several women before he was caught.

"There is no greater fear than the fear of the unknown and nobody knows. You can cut the tension with a knife," Peeler said. "People are locking their doors, even in broad daylight."

The latest shootings took place less than a half-mile from the sheriff's office, the command center where at least 30 investigators were already working on the case. Blanton said a profiler has brought up the possibility that Tyler and his daughter were shot to taunt investigators, but he said his only concern is solving the case.

"We had a 15-year-old girl shot; he killed an 83-year-old woman. The good people of this community don't deserve that. And it doesn't look like he shows much concern or remorse," Blanton said.

The sheriff reminded people they have a right to protect themselves and asked them to call 911 to report anything suspicious. He also advised salesmen and others to avoid knocking on strangers' doors with so many on heightened alert.

"People are going to start shooting at shadows," Blanton said.

[ericire12]

Reason #125874 why I own a gun!

[Kid Shelleen]

Reason #125874 why I own a gun!

+1

[tombogan03884]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090707/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_killing_spree


GAFFNEY, S.C. – The serial killer who terrorized a South Carolina community by shooting five people to death before police killed him Monday was a career criminal paroled just two months ago, authorities said.

Patrick Burris, 41, was shot to death by officers investigating a burglary complaint at a home in Gastonia, N.C., 30 miles from where the killing spree started June 27. Ballistics tests showed his gun matched the one used to kill residents in and around Gaffney over six days last week, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd.

Investigators did not have an address for Burris. While evidence left no doubt he was the killer, they still had no idea why he did it.

"He was unpredictable. He was scary. He was weird," said SLED Deputy Director Neil Dolan.

Burris had a long rap sheet filled with convictions for larceny, forgery and breaking and entering in states across the Southeast, including Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. He had been paroled from a North Carolina prison in April after serving nearly eight years for felony breaking and entering and larceny.

"Look at this," Lloyd said, waving a stapled copy of Burris' criminal record. "This is like 25 pages. At some point the criminal justice system is going to need to explain why this suspect was out on the street."

Gaffney farmer Sam Howell, 61, was among dozens of people from Cherokee County who came to the news conference where authorities identified Burris.

"My prayers were answered. He got what he deserved," Howell said. "He scared the hell out of everyone. I guess we can feel better but we've lost some of our innocence."

The mystery ended in Gastonia early Monday after Mike and Terry Valentine called police to report a suspicious sport utility vehicle in their neighborhood.

They were on edge because the Gaffney serial killer was just a short drive away.

They watched two people who sometimes visit the neighboring home get out of the vehicle, followed by a third man who matched the description of the killer: tall, heavyset, unshaven and wearing a baseball cap. The man appeared to be very drunk, Mike Valentine said.

When officers went inside, Terri Valentine said she heard someone yell "put it down" and heard a gunshot.

Then "bam, bam, bam, bam. Next thing I know, all of Gaston County was here," she said.

Gaston County police said the other two people were in custody, but did not indicate whether they were facing charges.

The Gaffney killings happened in a 10-mile area over six days. Peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was killed June 27 and 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her daughter, 50-year-old Gena Linder Parker, were found bound and shot in the older woman's home four days later. The next day, Stephen Tyler and his 15-year-old daughter Abby were found shot in their family's furniture store.

The investigation isn't over, and Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators will trace the suspect's recent activities and trying to figure out if he has killed other people in other places.

"Now we have someone we can focus on," Blanton said.

He said he hopes the arrest calms the fears of 54,000 people in the county 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., known for its peach orchards and mills.

"We feel the victims' pain," Blanton said. "This isn't over. We're just changing gears."

[Texas_Bryan]

What?  Tom are you suggesting that the justice system failed us?  Are you saying that the judge that paroled this CAREER criminal with a 25 page rap sheet is responsible for allowing those five people to be killed?  Tom this is the land of second, and 25th chances.  The justice system was just trying to make him a non-murdering, productive member of society.  Because just because you have a 25 page criminal history doesn't mean that by a miracle a person can't change.  Ironic that the same justice system that lets a career criminal go on 'parole' can't be there to save the innocent from him.  And for the record, no one changes.  People make mistakes and can learn from them, but can almost never change.  And while the judge on this one has probably been around longer than me, I've never met any human being that has truly changed.  Specialy not a career criminal.  The justice system killed these people, its the same as driving the getaway car, and letting them crash at your hide out.  Un-f$#%ing-believable.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Last Thursday I was going through the local Court news, Five cases, 1 second offense parole violation, 1 felon in possesion of a gun, 5 probation. I sent off a letter to the newspaper about it, but they haven't called back to confirm it so I doubt they will publish it.

[Texas_Bryan]

Last Thursday I was going through the local Court news, Five cases, 1 second offense parole violation, 1 felon in possesion of a gun, 5 probation. I sent off a letter to the newspaper about it, but they haven't called back to confirm it so I doubt they will publish it.

And they wonder why we're so into guns?  They're turning foxes loose in the hen house.  Luckily some of us are with the fighting chickens, getting hooked up with razor blades and shot up with adrenaline, prepared to go to work.

[fightingquaker13]

Thats the problem. I really do believe in giving a kid who commits a nonviolent (or mostly nonviolent, I'll let bar fights slide) crime a second chance. Likewise, someone who just developed an addiction problem if they go into a program. Beyond that, forget it. 25 convictions? And someone thought he'd seen the light? This is beyond absurd. The same folks who say he should be let out are the ones that say we shouldn't be able to defend ourselves against him. In what alternate reality does this make sense?
FQ13

[Kid Shelleen]

He's not a problem any more.

GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) — The serial killer who terrorized a South Carolina community by shooting five people to death before police killed him Monday was a career criminal paroled just two months ago, authorities said.

Patrick Burris, 41, was shot to death by officers investigating a burglary complaint at a home in Gastonia, N.C., 30 miles from where the killing spree started June 27. Ballistics tests showed his gun matched the one used to kill residents in and around Gaffney over six days last week, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd.

Investigators did not have an address for Burris. While evidence left no doubt he was the killer, they still had no idea why he did it.

"He was unpredictable. He was scary. He was weird," said SLED Deputy Director Neil Dolan.

Burris had a long rap sheet filled with convictions for larceny, forgery and breaking and entering in states across the Southeast, including Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. He had been paroled from a North Carolina prison in April after serving nearly eight years for felony breaking and entering and larceny.

"Look at this," Lloyd said, waving a stapled copy of Burris' criminal record. "This is like 25 pages. At some point the criminal justice system is going to need to explain why this suspect was out on the street."

Gaffney farmer Sam Howell, 61, was among dozens of people from Cherokee County who came to the news conference where authorities identified Burris.

"My prayers were answered. He got what he deserved," Howell said. "He scared the hell out of everyone. I guess we can feel better but we've lost some of our innocence."

The mystery ended in Gastonia early Monday after Mike and Terry Valentine called police to report a suspicious sport utility vehicle in their neighborhood.

They were on edge because the Gaffney serial killer was just a short drive away.

They watched two people who sometimes visit the neighboring home get out of the vehicle, followed by a third man who matched the description of the killer: tall, heavyset, unshaven and wearing a baseball cap. The man appeared to be very drunk, Mike Valentine said.

When officers went inside, Terri Valentine said she heard someone yell "put it down" and heard a gunshot.

Then "bam, bam, bam, bam. Next thing I know, all of Gaston County was here," she said.

Gaston County police said the other two people were in custody, but did not indicate whether they were facing charges.

The Gaffney killings happened in a 10-mile area over six days. Peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was killed June 27 and 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her daughter, 50-year-old Gena Linder Parker, were found bound and shot in the older woman's home four days later. The next day, Stephen Tyler and his 15-year-old daughter Abby were found shot in their family's furniture store.

The investigation isn't over, and Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators will trace the suspect's recent activities and trying to figure out if he has killed other people in other places.

"Now we have someone we can focus on," Blanton said.

He said he hopes the arrest calms the fears of 54,000 people in the county 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., known for its peach orchards and mills.

"We feel the victims' pain," Blanton said. "This isn't over. We're just changing gears."

[twyacht]

 Of Dianne Sawyer couldn't understand why small towns in the area were "arming" themselves.

ABC's Sawyer Asks Sheriff if He’s 'Concerned' People Have 'Guns Right by the Side'
Photo of Matthew Balan.
By Matthew Balan (Bio | Archive)
July 6, 2009 - 16:32 ET

Diane Sawyer, ABC Anchor; & Bill Blanton, Cherokee County, South Carolina Sheriff | NewsBusters.orgABC’s Diane Sawyer acted more concerned than the reporter on the scene on Monday’s Good Morning America over a small town in South Carolina arming itself against a serial killer. She asked the local sheriff, “The community has apparently been arming up and we’re reading that ammunition is selling out at some of the stores. How concerned are you that people are standing at their doorways with guns right by the side?”

ABC News correspondent Jeffrey Kofman filed a report from Gaffney, South Carolina six minutes into the 7 am Eastern hour on the five murders apparently perpetrated by the same suspect over the course of a week during late June/early July. After stating the community was “reeling over events of the last week, and it’s not overstating to say that people here are terrified,” Kofman highlighted how people in the Southern small town “left lights on and doors locked. This small South Carolina town is living in fear- and it is arming itself.”

The correspondent unemotionally interviewed a local small business owner, who bluntly admitted that he was armed:

    Jeffrey Kofman, ABC Correspondent | NewsBusters.orgROBERT IRVIN, JEWELRY STORE OWNER: We’ve got guns pretty much everywhere. I’ve got a gun in the truck, and I’m carrying a gun right now.

    KOFMAN (off-camera): You’ve got one on you?

    IRVIN:  I’ve got one on me right now. I’ve got a .25 automatic with me right now. I’m going to be ready. You have no idea. You’ve got to be ahead of this man.

Minutes later, Sawyer played a taped interview she did with the local sheriff. Near the end of the interview, she asked her “gun right by the side” question:

    SAWYER: As we reported, the community has apparently been arming up and we’re reading that ammunition is selling out at some of the stores. How concerned are you that people are standing at their doorways with guns right by the side?

    BLANTON: The people that I’ve spoke to, they’re concerned. Some are fearful, surely, and they have a right to be concerned, but- the ones that I spoke to said they’re not going to let this man- and- and I send this message that we don’t- we’re not going to let this man put us in a bottle, in a prison, and- and dictate our lives on what he does next. We’re just trying to keep all innocent people safe, and like I say each day, this task force is getting a little bit closer, we think.

    SAWYER: Well, we hope you are closer still every minute, and that we have better news soon. Thank you so much, Sheriff Bill Blanton.

Sawyer must not be familiar with the independence and self-reliance found in many people in small-town America.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.