There is a serial killer loose in our town! See post #84 for update

[DarthKTrava]

Glad all this over!

 

[mousetravel]

I was just in swansburro NC from July 3-6th visiting my grandma and heard this. What town was this guy found?

Gaston County, NC

 

[Tink_Taylor]

Good Thing They Found Him


Always Be Careful

 

[Antonia]

I was feeling pretty good about the killer being dead and I still do. But people here have started to ask a few questions that I wish someone could answer. It does give me a little doubt.

Fingerprints were obtained from all 3 crime scenes - even the first one. If the killer had just spent nearly 8 years in the NC prison system and the FBI and state bureaus of investigation were working on these cases - why could they not run fingerprints through a database and identify him early on in the killings?

Looks like he would have been in a database and they could have put out a picture of him and not just a sketch that turned out to not even look like him. They described him as 6'2". The guy they just killed was 6'7"!!! Big difference. He did have the killer's gun. But is he the killer????? Alot of people here aren't totally sure. The say DNA tests will take months.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I was feeling pretty good about the killer being dead and I still do. But people here have started to ask a few questions that I wish someone could answer. It does give me a little doubt.

Fingerprints were obtained from all 3 crime scenes - even the first one. If the killer had just spent nearly 8 years in the NC prison system and the FBI and state bureaus of investigation were working on these cases - why could they not run fingerprints through a database and identify him early on in the killings?

Looks like he would have been in a database and they could have put out a picture of him and not just a sketch that turned out to not even look like him. They described him as 6'2". The guy they just killed was 6'7"!!! Big difference. He did have the killer's gun. But is he the killer????? Alot of people here aren't totally sure. The say DNA tests will take months.

I had heard they had found & shot the guy, but was puzzled because all they said was "bullets match". I was finding odd that they didn't say he matched the sketch or anything else. I haven't followed the case all that much, but I did find that little bit odd & what people in the area felt about it. Seems you all are thinking or wondering similar thoughts. I hope its the right guy too.

Do the dead guys fingerprints match the fingerprints from the crime scenes? Or do just the bullets match?

 

[Antonia]

****Update July 8, 3:15 pm****
The Cherokee County Sheriff says his deputies did find DNA and fingerprints at all three crime scenes.
Although it could take months before they get the results they do believe it will further prove Patrick Burris is the killer. Investigators have already announced ballistics evidence proves his gun was used at the three crime scenes where five people were murdered. The sheriff is also recommending the Valentines, the couple who called 911, should get all of the reward money.
Most of us here think the guy killed by officers looked nothing like the sketch and then there is the huge height difference.

 

[2BigKIdz]

My husband was just saying last night that the guy they shot was huge, you would think that would have been a big help in identifying him

My SIL lives in Forest City, NC and had just been to Gaffney a couple of days before the killings started. They were all very nervous around there. I hope this is the right guy and is the end of it.

 

[2BigKIdz]

****Update July 8, 3:15 pm****
The Cherokee County Sheriff says his deputies did find DNA and fingerprints at all three crime scenes.
Although it could take months before they get the results they do believe it will further prove Patrick Burris is the killer. Investigators have already announced ballistics evidence proves his gun was used at the three crime scenes where five people were murdered. The sheriff is also recommending the Valentines, the couple who called 911, should get all of the reward money.
Most of us here think the guy killed by officers looked nothing like the sketch and then there is the huge height difference.

The scruffy beard is about all they have in common.

 

[Antonia]

Just wanted to know what a few others thought. To many of us here, we are left with a few questions about the whole thing.

Glad to know we are not the only ones that think the sketch and photo look nothing alike!

 

[Seahunt]

There was an interesting article about Mr Burris in the local paper today - apparently his family lives in the area, and he had committed some crimes here 20 years ago:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlHEAD02070809.htm

Due to some unsolved murders here, our law enforcement had been looking for a possible serial killer in this area. Wouldn't it be something if some of the evidence they have on him there traced back to him here, because even though the family says they haven't seen him in years who knows if he came back here from time to time

 

[chell]

They are looking into other NC murders to see if he was involved in those as well. When I looked at the picture of him and of the sketch I was wondering about them as well. But then I had to think about how well I could describe someone to a police artist to draw. Honestly I don't think I could do a good job and I know I wouldn't get someones height correct. I have no idea about height or weight. I've tried to work on it but it is one of those things I can't judge, just like distance. So I've tried to convince myself that maybe that is the case here.

One report I read said there were a few more things linking him to the cases that were never released to the public that helped the investigators know he was the killer. I hope they are correct and not just saying things to make everyone rest better.

I don't understand why he was free with a rap sheet so long.