A stolen red sports car seems to be a key to provide a significant lead in identifying the suspect behind the death of four people who were shot dead in a residence near New Summerfield early Tuesday morning.
In a news conference, Cherokee County Sheriff Brent Dixon said that they have yet to establish the identity of the suspect who he described could be “armed and dangerous.”
The only thing that the sheriff has for a lead is the red 2017 model of Dodge Challenger with license plate LTY9935, which was stolen from one of the four victims.
At the news conference, Sheriff Dixon said that they received a call on Tuesday from an elderly woman who reported the shooting incident. Upon arriving in the area, they initially found a dead man in a driveway in the 1600 block of Highway 110 North.
Three other lifeless bodies were found inside the bedrooms of the house where the crime took place. All four victims — two men and two women — died of gunshot wounds.
The fatalities in the first even quadruple homicide in Cherokee County included an 18-year-old man, a 47-year-old man, a 45-year-old woman and a woman believed to be in her mid-30s to 40s.
As per the initial investigation, all four victims knew each other even as Dixon hinted at the three older fatalities as into dating relationships. The 18-year old male victim was said to be the son of one of the two women who died.
The sheriff is also looking into the angle of robbery as other items could have also been stolen, aside from the red Dodge Challenger that was used as a get-away car by the suspect.
“He (the suspect) killed four people and we want to get him off the streets,” an obviously disappointed Dixon averred.
In the meantime, the sheriff’s office is considering searching the Jacksonville area as soon as they secure warrants from the local court. He also called on public vigilance by calling the sheriff’s office at 903-683-2271 for possible leads which may help solve the case.
“I just ask that the community look for the vehicle,” he added.
