Serial Killer Has South Carolina Community on Alert

Residents of a small Upstate South Carolina community were cancelling weekend plans, locking their doors and arming themselves as they learned that a serial killer shot five of their neighbors and killed four in six days. The victims near Gaffney, South Carolina seemed to be random, ranging from a 15-year-old girl to an 83-year-old woman.

"Yes, we have a serial killer," Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton told a news conference Friday.

Blanton said there is evidence from the crime scenes that definitely links the deaths to one suspect, but he would not reveal the nature of that evidence. Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect (above) and a description of a suspect vehicle, but would not say who provided that information.

Four Deaths in Six Days

The killings began June 27 with the death of a peach farmer, shot in his own living room. The most recent shooting occurred July 2 at a local business:

• June 27: Peach farmer Cline Cash, 63, was found shot to death inside his home on Battleground Road.

• July 2: Hazel Linder, 83, and her daughter, Gena Parker, 50, were found bound and shot to death in Linder's home on Buck Shoals Road.

• July 3: Stephen Tyler, 45, and his 15-year-old daughter were shot in his small furniture and appliance store near downtown Gaffney. The teenager survived the shooting, but her father did not.

UPDATE: On Sunday, June 5, 15-year-old Abby Tyler died from the gunshot wounds she received two days earlier, becoming the fifth victim of the Gaffney serial killer.

'People Are Locking Their Doors

All of the shootings were 10 miles from each other in mostly rural Cherokee County, population 54,000, about 50 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.

"There is no greater fear than the fear of the unknown and nobody knows. You can cut the tension with a knife," state Sen. Harvey Peeler said. "People are locking their doors, even in broad daylight. They have their guard up and their gun handy."

Sheriff Blanton said the has salt and pepper hair, stands about 6 feet 2 inches tall, and could be driving a silver 1991-1994 Ford Explorer.

See Also:
Serial Killer has South Carolina Residents on Edge
Police Refine Sketch Of Serial Killer

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^{Photo: Police Sketch}