Morgan State Grad Student & Boyfriend Found Shot In Head In Burning Car
BALTIMORE (WJZ)— New details are emerging in the murder of two people found in a burning car. One of the victims is the daughter of a well-respected retired judge.
Adam May has new exclusive details in the investigation.
WJZ has also learned the victims were dating. Now police are trying to figure out who killed the couple execution style.
Friends say Alysia Nicole Strickland, 33, and Taewon "Tae" Tuck, 34, were a happy, serious couple.
Strickland was enrolled in Morgan State University's architecture program. Tuck is described as fun, caring and loving.
Baltimore police say the two were shot in the head and found in a burning car near Mondawmin Mall last Friday morning.
"She was a delightful young lady," said Derrick Vaughan.
Vaughan owns the Corner Bistro Wine Bar, located just a few doors down from Strickland's rowhome in the quaint Ridgely's Delight neighborhood.
"This sounds like something that you would hear from Colombian drug lords in Miami, not something you hear about a girl working, going to school," Vaughan said.
Strickland was originally from Roanoke, Va.
Her mother is a retired judge who is used to seeing crime from the other side. Her father is an attorney.
As member of to the Virginia Tech review panel, Diane Strickland heard all the evidence in that 2007 school massacre.
"It is with deep regret and sadness that we confirm that our beautiful 33-year-old daughter, Alysia Nicole Strickland, was murdered in Baltimore this past weekend," said Diane Strickland in a statement. "No further details are available at this time. We greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Please allow us time to privately process our grief as a family."
Police are not reporting any new leads.
"The bodies were burned pretty badly, and our arson unit is working with the fire investigation bureau," said Jeremy Silbert, Baltimore Police Department.
Police are looking into the background of each victim, hoping it leads them to a motive for the murder.
Both victims have fairly clean criminal records, just traffic citations and a minor drug arrest from a few years ago that was never prosecuted.
Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore police.
