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Clerk murdered by unknown assailant
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| Columbia County Sheriff Bill Gootee gives an update Wednesday afternoon about a murder suspect who shot and killed Linda Raulerson, 56, Tuesday night. Raulerson was a clerk at the Joy American Foods convenience store on U.S. Highway 441 near Interstate 10. The suspect is still at large. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Woman was shot point blank in convenience store.
By MICHAEL MITSEFF
mmitseff@lakecityreporter.com
Columbia County Sheriff Bill Gootee said Wednesday that convenience store clerk and Lake City resident Linda Raulerson, 56, appeared to have bled to death from at least one gunshot wound to her upper chest during a robbery/homicide Tuesday night.
Raulerson was found behind the counter of Joy American Foods convenience store, located on U.S. Highway 441 North near Interstate 10, by three customers who had entered the store shortly after the perpetrator fled in what was believed to be a white, four-door, 1993-95 Buick Regal, with black trim.
Gootee said the suspect may have exited Interstate 10 and “cased” the store for a quick robbery, but deputies and investigators are at a loss as to why Raulerson had been murdered.
Security camera tapes revealed that “Raulerson did nothing but comply with the suspect, and she was shot in cold blood,” Gootee said.
The store’s security tapes show a black male, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches, average build, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt with a baseball-style cap worn under the sweatshirt’s hood, long jean shorts, bright white sneakers, sunglasses and a shirt with horizontal stripes.
The suspect entered the store and walked up to the counter, pulled a handgun from a pouch in his hooded sweatshirt and seconds later shot Raulerson point blank.
The robbery/homicide took less than a minute.
Gootee said Raulerson’s murder is “a tragic, heinous crime,” during a Wednesday morning press conference attended by local media and TV news crews from Jacksonville and Gainesville.
The sheriff also asked for the help of the assembled media in publicizing the facts of the crime in the hopes that anyone with information would come forward.
“This is a shock to our community, it’s unbelievable,” Gootee said. “These are things that happen in the Miamis, Jacksonvilles and Tallahassees. This is not something that happens here in our community.”
Information about the murder is being broadcast through the National Crime Information Center and a statewide southeast broadcast has been issued to all agencies within proximity of Florida, Gootee said.
“We’re not sure which way he went, so we want to make sure that we cover everything.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (386) 754-7099.
Raulerson was found behind the counter of Joy American Foods convenience store, located on U.S. Highway 441 North near Interstate 10, by three customers who had entered the store shortly after the perpetrator fled in what was believed to be a white, four-door, 1993-95 Buick Regal, with black trim.
Gootee said the suspect may have exited Interstate 10 and “cased” the store for a quick robbery, but deputies and investigators are at a loss as to why Raulerson had been murdered.
Security camera tapes revealed that “Raulerson did nothing but comply with the suspect, and she was shot in cold blood,” Gootee said.
The store’s security tapes show a black male, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches, average build, wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt with a baseball-style cap worn under the sweatshirt’s hood, long jean shorts, bright white sneakers, sunglasses and a shirt with horizontal stripes.
The suspect entered the store and walked up to the counter, pulled a handgun from a pouch in his hooded sweatshirt and seconds later shot Raulerson point blank.
The robbery/homicide took less than a minute.
Gootee said Raulerson’s murder is “a tragic, heinous crime,” during a Wednesday morning press conference attended by local media and TV news crews from Jacksonville and Gainesville.
The sheriff also asked for the help of the assembled media in publicizing the facts of the crime in the hopes that anyone with information would come forward.
“This is a shock to our community, it’s unbelievable,” Gootee said. “These are things that happen in the Miamis, Jacksonvilles and Tallahassees. This is not something that happens here in our community.”
Information about the murder is being broadcast through the National Crime Information Center and a statewide southeast broadcast has been issued to all agencies within proximity of Florida, Gootee said.
“We’re not sure which way he went, so we want to make sure that we cover everything.”
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at (386) 754-7099.
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MrPeepers wrote on Jul 24, 2008 6:47 AM: