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DNA sought from 100 men in serial killing probe
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana (CNN) -- Authorities Monday said they will soon begin taking DNA samples of 50 to 100 men in this area to eliminate or include them as suspects in the serial killings of four women in southern Louisiana since September 2001. Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mike Neustrom also would not rule out that a member of law enforcement could be behind the slayings that have gripped this community. He said the individuals whose DNA is wanted for testing are people "we're interested in right now" as a result of information and evidence investigators have obtained from the most recent killing last month. Authorities want the men, all in the Lafayette area, to provide their DNA voluntarily, but law enforcement is prepared to compel them. "If there's probable cause to obtain a court order, we will," Neustrom said. "We're committed to apprehending this person and we're working very hard to do so." Neustrom made the announcement at a news conference in which investigators released a new profile of the killer. He was described as a man who likely lives somewhere between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, knows the area well, and likely lives a "fairly normal life." A synopsis of the killer's behavior and the crime scenes is "indicative of a person who needs to engage in impulsive and high-risk behavior," Neustrom said. "Because of this behavior, this person has made mistakes," the sheriff said. Among the mistakes were that he has been too focused on "abducting the victim and completing the attack," leaving behind valuable evidence, Neustrom said. Neustrom said the man has been seen by witnesses -- "probably even recognized by someone." Asked whether a uniformed officer could be behind the killings, Neustrom said, "I think anybody is a suspect who fits that profile." He urged the public to come forward with information, stressing "there's nothing to indicate he [will] stop committing these crimes." "We encourage people to call. That's the way the case will be solved," he said. "We would like to have more calls. The more, the better." The most recent slaying was of Trineisha Colomb, 23, of Lafayette. Her beaten body was found in a wooded area by a hunter two days after she was reported missing and about 20 miles from where her abandoned car was discovered.
Authorities said DNA evidence linked Colomb's killing with those of three Baton Rouge residents. Police said they are searching for a white GMC pickup truck with a fish sticker on the tailgate. A truck of that description was seen near where Colomb's vehicle was abandoned. A similar truck description was reported near the scene of one of the other slayings. The killings began in Baton Rouge when Gina Wilson Green was found strangled in her home in September 2001. Then in May of this year, Charlotte Murray Pace was found stabbed to death in her home. Pam Kinamore was abducted in July and her throat slit. All three slayings have all been linked through DNA evidence, according to police. Authorities in Baton Rouge have taken the DNA of about 800 people, 600 of whom have been cleared in the case. They are awaiting the results on the others.
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