Tests link all three sniper-style killings

Ballistic tests showed all three victims in a series of sniper-style shootings at convenience stores in West Virginia were killed by the same weapon, investigators said.

The victims – all shot in the head or neck last week – were killed by a .22 calibre rifle, Charleston Police Chief Jerry Pauley said yesterday.

“It does positively link the three bullets together. They all three came from the same weapon,” Mr Pauley said. “Now that we know it came from the same weapon, we’ve got a direction to go in.”

Gary Carrier Jr, 44, was killed on August 10 outside a convenience store in Charleston. Four days later, Jeanie Patton, 31, and Okey Meadows Jr, 26, both from Campbells Creek, were killed within 90 minutes of each other at rural convenience stores about 10 miles apart.

Mr Pauley said investigators have not determined whether the three murders are the work of a random sniper. Sheriff’s officials had said earlier that the killings of Mr Meadows and Ms Patton appeared to be drug-related.

Witnesses told police that they saw a man in a pickup truck the night of the August 14 shootings in Campbells Creek and Cedar Grove.

Authorities continue to sift through more than 400 leads, 10 of which have linked two of the shootings in the Campbells Creek area to drugs.

“As the leads come in, the investigators will go out and check it. We’ll continue to do that,” Mr Pauley said. “This may give us a little bit more direction to go in. Hopefully we’ll get some more information from it.”

The shootings reminded many of a series of sniper attacks that terrorised Virginia, Maryland and the Washington DC, area last year. Many were single shots from far distances that felled people as they stopped at petrol stations.

Two men were arrested and accused of a total of 20 shootings, including 13 killings, around the country.