Posted on 03/23/2009 1:59:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Early Sunday morning, deputies found a man's body in a grassy area next to Riverside Parkway in Lansdowne. A woman was found in critical condition nearby.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office got a call at around 5 a.m. A witness had spotted a white van and people outside of it screaming and reported a suspicious vehicle.
When deputies arrived, they found the body of the man. He had suffered severe head trauma. The woman wasn't discovered until the sun started to rise. She was in a grassy area across the street, over a fence.
"We found the blood on the fence and then we found the female laying over the fence as though she may have been injured and crawled over the fence and was out of sight of the suspects," Loudoun County Sheriff Stephen Simpson said.
The victims were identified as a married couple in their mid-to-late 50s. Their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The big question right now is, was this a random act of violence? Were the two victims simply out for some early morning exercise?
"We get the occasional drunk driver, but someone coming and killing someone, that's something you don't want to think about," said Doug Drake, who lives near the crime scene.
"If this does turn out to be strictly random, that's probably our worst nightmare and for people who live in this community," Simpson said.
Investigators ask anyone who might have seen or heard anything unusual in the area Sunday morning to call the sheriff's office at 703-777-0475. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Loudoun Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.
This is ten minutes from my house. I’ll be getting a gun very soon now.
This is ten minutes from my house. I’ve been planning on getting a gun.
It turns out the man/husband murdered had a concealed carry permit. From articles I’ve read from local papers, I don’t think he was carrying at the time of attack.
UPDATE:
http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2009/mar/25/slain-loudoun-man-did-contract-work-cia/
“Slain Man Had Been Contractor for CIA”
By Jonathan Mummolo (Contact)
Originally published at 1:27 p.m., March 25, 2009
Updated at 12:02 a.m., March 26, 2009
SNIPPET: “A Loudoun County man slain while out for an early morning walk with his wife worked as a contractor at the Central Intelligence Agency for several years until 2000, the CIA confirmed yesterday, and investigators said they want to meet with agency officials to learn more about the nature of his work.
The sheriff said his officers have not determined a motive for Sunday’s attack, in which William Bennett, 57, was killed and his wife, Cynthia, 55, was critically injured. The assault might have been random, but deputies have not ruled out the possibility that they were targeted.”
http://www.loudouni.com/news/breaking-news/2009-03-26/lansdowne-murder-connects-1999-cia-bombing
“Lansdowne Murder Connects to 1999 CIA Bombing”
Home / News / Breaking News
JOHN L. GEDDIE
Tuesday, 31 March 2009 8:00am
Bennett, China, CIA, Lansdowne, Sheriff’s Office, Troxell, Yugoslavia
SNIPPET: “It has been reported by NBC Washington that Bennett was involved in the May 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy bombing in Belgrade during NATO involvement in Yugoslavia.”
SNIPPET: “The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the murder of William Bennett and the assault on his wife, Cynthia Bennett. They are receiving assistance from several organizations in the investigation.”
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/033109_loudoun_co_residents_take_precautions
“Loudoun Co. Homicide, Attack
CIA, FBI Investigating Couple’s Attack”
Loudoun Co. Residents
Take Precautions
Neighbors Taking Action After Brutal
Attack
Last Edited: Tuesday, 31 Mar 2009, 6:44 PM EDT
Created On: Tuesday, 31 Mar 2009, 6:44 PM EDT
Claudia Coffey
SNIPPET: “LANSDOWNE, Va. - Loudoun County residents are taking new precautions to protect themselves after a startling new murder mystery.
On March 22, 57-year-old William Bennett, a former Green Beret, was killed, and his wife Cynthia was left in critical condition when they were brutally attacked while they were out for a pre-dawn stroll. It happened in the Lansdowne community.”
SNIPPET: “Residents who spoke to FOX 5 say they are taking action to protect themselves, whether it’s paying more attention to their surroundings or investing in security systems.
“If you want to do something to keep yourself safe, you can do it and I think you should do it because you should take responsibility for yourself,” said Farzana Amin.
Cynthia Bennett remains in critical condition. Police have not yet interviewed her regarding the attack, and the department says they’re continuing to follow up on leads and tips from across the U.S.
The reward for information in the case has now gone up. Crimestoppers is offering more than $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in the startling attack.”
ping
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