Saturday, August 16, 2003

By Jo Becker, The Washington Post

Law enforcement authorities in West Virginia yesterday said they suspect that a single killer, firing a rifle from a distance, is responsible for three fatal shootings in and near the capital city of Charleston in recent days, a series of attacks reminiscent of the sniper shootings that spread fear through the Washington area last fall.

A man and woman were shot late Thursday outside convenience stores near Charleston, in Kanawha County. The killings occurred within 10 miles of each other and about an hour apart. A third man was killed Sunday outside another convenience store in Charleston.

Authorities are investigating whether a fourth fatal shooting, outside a Charleston supermarket in March, is linked to what they fear is a random string of killings.

County Sheriff Dave Tucker said investigators are searching for a black pickup truck with gold trim that witnesses reported seeing at one of the shooting scenes. Witnesses also reported seeing a heavyset white man in the truck.

Tucker said investigators believe a small-caliber rifle was used in the three shootings in the last week. The slugs are being tested to determine whether they came from the same weapon, Tucker said. He said the two victims Thursday night were shot from significant distances, one from about 35 yards, the other from about 70 yards.

"We're pretty confident it was a single killer, based on what we know," Tucker said. "The fact that people saw one white male. Plus there's no known relationship between the victims, though that's something we are going back and checking."

Officials warned the 200,000 residents of the state's largest county to avoid going alone to convenience stores, especially at night. They said they have formed a "special response" team with the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local and state police.

At 10:20 p.m. Thursday, Jeanie Patton, 31, of Charleston was shot in the back of the head as she finished pumping gas at a Speedway store in Campbells Creek, near Charleston. About an hour later, Oakey Meadows, 26, of Charleston was shot in the neck outside a Go-Mart in Cedar Grove. Gary Carrier, 34, of South Charleston was fatally shot in the head Sunday night while using a pay phone outside a Charleston Go-Mart.

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