Suspected Serial Killer Roams Mississippi's Highways (UPDATED)

UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST


The road hummed underneath the tires of the Crown Vic as the night wrapped around him like an old lover, but he was still anxious, still on the hunt. Only one thing would take away that feeling and it couldn’t come soon enough.

As if God had him on his mind, red tail lights appeared in the distance ahead. Prayers answered.

The Crown Vic leaped like a stallion from the gate as he pressed the accelerator to the floor. The red tail lights grew, at first from two dots then to what could be considered eyes, and in no time the outline of the trunk

He hugged close to the bumper of the car ahead of him, grabbed from the floor the rotating light he bought from the flee market not long ago. The light wiggled back and forth from it’s perch on the dashboard. And he started flashing his high beems on and off in unison. The car ahead braked, it’s turn singled began flashing and the car pulled over onto the soft gravel of the road’s shoulder.

He took a deep breath as he put the Crown Vic in park, steadying his nerves. He didn’t want to be to quick, but he didn’t want to linger either. He could see through the back window as the faint dome light popped on and the figure behind the wheel lean over and reach for something out of view. His pulse quicken at the sight. What was he reaching for? Only time would tell him and that time was now.

The Crown Vic’s door clicked quietly as he pulled the lever. But unlike the vehicle before him his dome light did not go on, for having been yanked out not long after purchase. The gravel crunched lightly under his feet as he walked up the other car’s door, and before the man inside could react he snapped on the flashlight he was carrying. The man in the car shielded his eyes from the intensity of it.

“Good evening officer. I didn…”

POP!

The pistol jerked in his other hand as he pulled the trigger; louder than he thought it would be outside the range where he practice for this moment.

Blood exploded as the bullet struck the driver in the arm, spinning him tightly around in his seat. The action so sift that he thought he had missed the driver completely and was now going for a weapon of his own. But he wouldn’t let him get the chance to use it. He took a deep set backward onto the road itself and began firing rapidly through the door and the window until the gun was empty.

Stillness regained the night when he was done firing. He stepped closer to peer inside and was satisfied with the result. The man lay bloodied upon the front seat. Not quite dead, but nearly so. It would just be a matter of time.

This is a fictionalized account of what is now really going on in Mississippi. Authorities in Mississippi are urging drivers to be wary when being pulled over by a police officer after two people were shot and killed by someone they think could be posing as an officer and getting people to stop. "We urge everyone to be cautious while driving, especially at night," the Tate County Sheriff's Office posted on their Facebook page.

Two drivers were killed on northern Mississippi highways within days of each other and investigators in multiple counties and federal officials are working to find out who may be behind the killings.

One driver, Tom Schlender, 74, from Nebraska (on his way to pick up his grandson from college), was found in his car on Interstate 55 in Panola County on May 8 about 1:30 a.m. Three days later, Lori Carswell, 48, from Mississippi (on her way home from work at a local casino) was found near her car on Mississippi Highway 713 in nearby Tunica County about 2:15 a.m..

The shootings appear to be random and there is no known connection between the victims. Police are analyzing shell casings discovered at both scenes and have launched a dragnet, saturating the area, looking for clues and a possible suspect. "We do not have any witnesses at this point," DeSoto County District Attorney John Champion told the Associated Press. "We're asking the community for help." Authorities suspect the shooter may be pretending to be a cop because the perpetrator may have been driving a white or gold unmarked Crown Victoria sedan, which can resemble a police car. "There's been instances where a vehicle described as a white unmarked Crown Victoria attempting to pull people over," Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance said. "If someone attempts to pull you over with flashing lights and you feel unsure of stopping, DON'T PULL OVER. Use your cell phone and dial 911 and if it's a real officer then the dispatcher will confirm it for you and if it's not a real officer they will send help to you. Our deputies have been told not to overreact if someone does not immediately pull over," the sheriff's office wrote. "Your safety is our primary concern."


UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE MAY 18 2012

TUNICA, Miss.- Residents are breathing easier as they learn that Mississippi authorities are confirming that a man was in custody in relation to two fatal highway shootings, and they add that he was expected to be charged with two counts of capital murder later.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol's Bureau of Investigation has worked alongside the Tunica Police Department and the Tunica County Sheriff's office to track down the killer of Thomas K. Schlender (74), and Lori Anne Carswell (48).

Officers in Mississippi were called to a scene of a disturbance at 9:00am local time on May 15 and originally arrested -now suspect in the killings along Mississippi Highways- James D. Willie (28) for aggravated assault, kidnapping and rape. Police at the scene of the disturbance said they found Willie with a woman who alleged that he had raped her, according to a statement issued by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety on Friday.

"At the time of his arrest, a Ruger 9mm, semi-automatic handgun was found in Mr. Willie's possession. It was determined after a testing by state Crime Lab scientists, the weapon matched the weapon used in [the] two murders in northwest Mississippi last week," the statement added.

Willie is expected to be officially charged today [May 18^th 2012].