Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Over several days in August 2003, sniper-style attacks left 3 people dead in the West Virginia area. The shootings were a reminder of the sniper attacks in the fall of 2002 in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana areas in the so-called Beltway sniper attacks. The victims in those shootings were killed by a single bullet from far away distances as they stopped at shops or gas stations. All three victims were killed late at night by the same kind of small-caliber rifle, although police have not determined if all three victims were murdered with the same weapon. Ballistic tests show a .22-caliber rifle was used in on the second and third victim. The first one could not be 100% checked due to damage on the bullet, but it appears to have similar characteristics to the other two bullets. Police have said that they are looking for a dark color, full-size pickup truck. Eyewitnesses believe that the driver is a large white male, but couldn't identify the suspect further due to the darkness. One theory that is circulating currently within the police is that the second two victims had drug connections and this this incident is drug related. The first victim does not have any known drug connections that the police are aware of. In October, a joint task force investigating the shootings announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the killer. Victims Victims: Carrier, Patton and Meadows August 10, 2003: Gary Carrier Jr, 44, of South Charleston, was fatally shot while talking on a pay telephone outside a Charleston, West Virginia Go-Mart. August 14, 2003: Both victims were residents of Campbells Creek, West Virginia. They were slain 90 minutes and 10 miles apart. Jeanie Patton, 31, was killed at a Speedway filling station around 10:30. She was struck by a bullet to the back of her head as she was about to pay for gas she pumped. Okey Meadows Jr, 26, was shot in the head while purchasing milk and paying for it through a security window at the Go-Mart on U.S. 60. External links W. Virginia fears slayings work of serial killer - CNN, August 16, 2003 Investigators question 100 people in sniper-like killings - CNN, August 18, 2003 D.C.-area sniper investigators aid West Virginia police - CNN, August 19, 2003 W.Va. police seek two men as witnesses - MSNBC, August 22, 2003 W. Virginia sniper task force offers $50,000 reward - CNN, October 6, 2003 This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.