(DeSoto County, MS) Four independent sources confirm only to News Channel 3 that the same gun that killed Thomas Schlender May 8, was the same gun that killed Lori Anne Carswell May 11.
Every gun leaves unique striations, or markings, on bullets fired from it.
This new information comes as tips keep flooding in on suspicious vehicles from people who have begun looking over their shoulders constantly.
Nancy Ward noticed something odd as she drove home from Oxford last Thursday night, ”A little bit North of Batesville, I noticed this car following me real close.”
Ward said the car sped up when she did and slowed when she did, following her as far as Coldwater.
Law officers are checking the hundreds of tips from across the region, but they remain silent when it comes to details of their investigation.
”Court rules prevent us from releasing certain information and also you start releasing the facts of the investigation that we, coming out, you’re not doing anything but hurting your investigation,” said District Attorney John Champion.
But we confirmed, through several sources, the same gun that killed Nebraska grandfather Thomas Schlender last week, also killed 11 year Fitzgerald’s Casino employee Lori Ann Carswell just three days later.
”How much would it hurt to know that the same gun killed both people?” we asked. “I just can’t comment on any piece of evidence” was Champion’s reply.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation says it can neither confirm nor deny any ballistics information in the case, and the release of such information could potentially harm an investigation.
Even so, there’s a free flow of information among the investigating agencies, who won’t talk about the progress of their case, but do say they’re taking extraordinary steps to keep us safe.
Champion says investigators owe it to the victim’s families to play it close, and if there’s information the public needs to know, to release that information, “We’ve been talking this morning, yes, everything is still, investigators are out following leads.”
Meantime, Nancy Ward said she’s become as vigilant as the cops, ”There was no way I was gonna stop. Not way out in the country like that”.
Funeral services for Lori Anne Carswell take place Thursday morning, but the funeral home in charge has explicit instructions that the family does not want to be contacted or to talk about her murder.
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