New Pix In Hunt For Killer Of UNC Student
Police in Chapel Hill say they have found additional surveillance photos of the suspect in the slaying of University of North Carolina student body president Eve Carson.
Chapel Hill Police Chief Brian Curran said Monday that detectives now have a photo of the suspect attempting to use Carson's ATM card at a convenience store.
Curran said the subject of that photo appears to be the same young man seen in two ATM surveillance photos released on Saturday. In those photos, the suspect is seen in a baseball cap and hooded sweat shirt driving a sport utility vehicle that may be Carson's Toyota Highlander. Detectives also believe a dark shape in the photo is a male passenger in the rear seat.
"We have been exploring ways to enhance the quality of this photo in an effort to learn more about this person," police said in a statement.
The photo clearly shows the driver of the SUV, who is wearing what appears to be a Houston Astros hat. Police Chief Brian Curran said Monday the hat could be a sign the still-unidentified suspect is a gang member.
"That's always been a possible scenario," Curran said.
Carson, 22, of Athens, Ga., was found last week lying on a street about a mile from campus. She had been shot several times, including once in the right temple. Police have said they believe she was the victim of a random act.
Curran played down speculation that Carson might have been in the back seat of the SUV - perhaps held at gunpoint - when the pictures were taken.
He said, "We've seen nothing to indicate that she is. We are not operating on that theory now," reports CBS affiliate WRAL. "I do not see her in the car."
Officers recovered Carson's cell phone about 1-1/2 miles from the scene of her death, according to search warrants. Sprint Nextel helped police find the phone near a shopping center located on the main road that runs between Chapel Hill and Durham.
Police also retrieved Carson's laptop and memory cards from her campus office, according to the warrants. Investigators were using those, along with bank and phone records, to re-create the final hours of Carson's life.
Her SUV was found the day after her death, a few blocks from her home, but police said this weekend they have yet to locate her wallet or keys. Police have not said when the surveillance photos were taken or the exact location of the ATM machine, saying only it is in Chapel Hill.
Police said Monday they received a number of tips after releasing the photos on Saturday. The school's Board of Trustees, of which Carson was a member, has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her death.
Crime Stoppers received more than 200 calls since the photos were released Saturday morning, Curran said.
Police said they received tips from the public throughout the weekend and were following those, but had not yet identified the man or men in the surveillance photos.
"It's circulating on Facebook and stuff, too," UNC student Luke Eldridge said. "There's Facebook groups about it, so hopefully someone will see it and call."
Photography expert William E. Mathis enhanced the color of the original black-and-white images for The Raleigh Chronicle in hopes of assisting in the investigation. Mathis said he noticed a dark spot in the photo and determined that it was the shadow of another person in the vehicle.
"This image is especially good; it's better than most that I see," Woodall said. "And I know they're hoping, and I certainly hope that it generates some leads, and I believe it is generating leads."
Woodall urged Chapel Hill residents to take precautions in the wake of the killing, although he expressed confidence that the case would be solved.
Investigators believe that Carson's killer, at some point, had access to her SUV, which was found a day after her death about a mile from the crime scene. Police would like to hear from anyone who saw the SUV on Wednesday or Thursday. The Highlander's Georgia license plate is AIV-6690.
Investigators still have no motive in the shooting death of Carson and urged individuals to call police at 919-968-2760 or Crime Stoppers at 919-942-7515. Callers can remain anonymous if they wish.
Woodall said he hoped the $25,000 reward offered by the UNC Board of Trustees would "encourage" someone to come forward with information.