Posted on 01/21/2005 6:43:51 PM PST by Graybeard58
TYLER, Texas (AP) -- A college student whose abduction was captured on a surveillance videotape as she was leaving her clerk's job at a Wal-Mart was found shot to death Friday, and a suspect was arrested, authorities said.
The body of Megan Leann Holden, 19, was discovered in a ditch alongside a highway in western Texas. Police said she was killed at the hands of a man who went on a multistate crime spree before he turned up Friday at an Arizona hospital with a gunshot wound.
Authorities said the suspect, Johnny Lee Williams, 24, was driving the woman's pickup truck, which was parked outside the hospital.
The abduction was captured in chilling detail Wednesday after the student at Tyler Junior College clocked out from the Wal-Mart just before midnight.
The apparent abductor - a man in a long, dark coat - was seen loitering around the front entrance of the store "for a good period of time," Tyler police spokesman Don Martin said. The man was also seen on tape about 90 minutes before the abduction, emerging from a bathroom and walking around inside the store.
The tape later shows Holden getting into her truck and the man "running up behind her and either hitting her or pushing her," Martin said.
Two days later, her body was found near Stanton, about 380 miles west of Tyler.
Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle provided little detail about the killing, but said Holden died of a gunshot wound and added that "we have every indication that she was shot at the location where her body was found."
Swindle says authorities think Megan Holden was killed in Tyler, Texas, before the suspect committed a robbery in Arizona.
Authorities said the suspect kept heading west as he continued his crime spree, attempting a robbery at an Arizona RV park. It was during the robbery attempt that a store worker fired the shot that landed Williams in the hospital, authorities said. His condition was not immediately known.
"He said, 'This is robbery, I want all the money in the cash register,'" store worker Richie Chapman said. "And as he said that, he drew a weapon from underneath his shirt, and I drew and fired."
It was not known if Williams had an attorney.
Police said Williams, who was honorably discharged last year after four years as a Marine, was arrested last month in Tyler on a cocaine possession charge. He was released the same day on $2,000 bond.
Police said Williams also was involved in an armed robbery at a convenience store in Texas on Thursday.
Texas prosecutors said they would seek kidnapping and murder charges, and other counts may follow.
The kidnapping and killing has shocked this town of 86,000 people.
Martin, the police spokesman, said the victim's mother was in a wreck while driving to Tyler. She was shaken and covered with cuts and bruises after flipping her car three times, a relative said.
A makeshift memorial was set up at the Wal-Mart on Friday. More than a dozen flower bouquets, some with notes including "Megan we will miss you," were placed on a bench by passing shoppers.
"While I was here, I just wanted to do that," said a tearful Jill Kitchens, who placed flowers, a red teddy bear and a red candle as she left with a cart of groceries.
Some shoppers said they were still shaken.
"We're such a small town here; it's just a total shock," said Mary Osborn, 24, as she loaded groceries. She said she kept her pepper spray clutched in her hand in the parking lot.
"You always have to be aware of your surroundings," she said.
"You always have to be aware of your surroundings," she said.
^^
Exactly. This is so very sad. I really feel for her parents, and I hope the girl dies quickly. But, lordy, why was she going to her car alone at that hour?
Just too sad. . .work hard. . .love and raise your child. . .
Correction. I meant to say, "I hope the girl died quickly."
What the hell does Wallmart have surveillance cameras for if no security is watching them? Is it just they are worried about theft or vandalism?
Sorry, Wallmart doesn't get off on this one! They obviously had no security proceedures, monitoring, or policies for their employees. If someone fell in their parking lot, they would be responsible.
Responsible companies deal with the security issue for employees and customers. I hope the girl's family does sue them to get them to hire a security company to do an assessment and offer SOME reasonable security precautions.
My point in my earlier post exactly! No security policies or proceedures. I guess I am just so upset, that I am very angry about this horribly needless tragedy for her and her family.
I sure wish I could be on that jury.
That makes two of us. I probably would get thrown off for my look of hate at him.
Wal-Mart is under NO legal obligation to even have security cameras, much less monitor them 24/7.
I knew that somebody would find a justification to make this murderer Wal-Mart's responsibility.
Fine answer - sue Wal-Mart.
The apparent abductor - a man in a long, dark coat - was seen loitering around the front entrance of the store "for a good period of time,"
So why didn't security check him out???
It was a small town, though sad to say no on is immune any more. I went to college in a small town where people left the keys in their cars and stores took checks without ID.
Unfortunately the cultural pollution that has stained our society in recent decades makes it down to places where people once thought they were safe. Sad, very sad.
And you equate that with a willful kidnapping and murder?
Update - look who took the perp down
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1325318/posts
Just in case you want read 600 posts less substantial than the original 3,000 post thread.
I don't know that I blame Walmart. There's a lot of malls and shopping centers all over the country, some of them open late, and normally nobody escorts people out to the car.
This poor girl just had the terrible, bad luck to be starting her truck when a criminal on a spree decided to steal it. I would guess that he just wanted transportation and didn't mind killing someone to get it.
We owe a vote of thanks to the fellow who shot him.
...after the student at Tyler Junior College clocked out from the Wal-Mart just before midnight.
My guess is she was just going to her car to drive home after a hard nights work. I bet she never thought she would be targeted by some crazed asshole who would kill her.
FMCDH(BITS)
Yep some godly soul with a firearm in an RV park.
I just posted an up date. That the body had been found. Didn't mean to be redundant.
ROPE, a nice long wet stretchy rope that would let him bounce barely on his tiptoes until it starts to dry and shrink in length.......give 'im plenty of time to think about what he has done and understand that what he did was cruel and unusual punishment, not the hangman.
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