Community | July 06, 2009 | 12 comments

15-year-old girl becomes fifth victim of South Carolina serial killer in a week

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/06/gaffney-south-carolina-serial-killer

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The death of a teenage girl who police say was the fifth victim in a week of a suspected serial killer has left the inhabitants of a small rural American community living in fear.

Abby Tyler, 15, died in hospital on Saturday two days after she was fatally wounded and her father, Stephen Tyler, 48, was shot dead as they closed the family's furniture and appliance shop near the centre of the small town of Gaffney in South Carolina.

With Fourth of July celebrations cancelled, the local sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking on doors and advised motorists breaking down on local roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries "people are going to start shooting at shadows."

The killings, all of which occurred within about 10 miles of each other, began a week ago on Saturday when the wife of a 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 at Linder's home.

Bill Blanton, the Sheriff of Cherokee County, said investigators believe the killings are linked, and the search is on for a white man in his 40s, with salt and pepper hair, about 6 foot 2 and weighing roughly 14 stone.

He said all the victims were shot, but he would not say how the deaths were linked.
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Crime,   South Carolina
  2. tags:
    News,  News and Politics,  Crime,  Murder,  3 more
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