Friday, June 6, 2003
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Friday, June 6, 2003 |
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Detectives hope to unearth link to double murder By JOHN
MUNFORD
The hunt for who killed David Mangham and an acquaintance at his north Fayette home a month ago has narrowed to one suspect, police have confirmed. Wednesday, a team of detectives and crime scene technicans sifted through soil dug up from the suspect's former home in Clayton County. A source close to the investigation indicated they were searching for bullets that might be lodged in the ground since the suspect had a habit of shooting into the air to celebrate on New Year's Eve. If any bullets are found, detectives could use ballistics tests that might link the suspect to the murder scene. "He knows we suspect him," said Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Jordan, the lead investigator on the case, declined to name the suspect and wouldn't say whether any evidence was found at the home in the Clayton Ridge subdivision off Flint River Road. The current occupants of the home are not considered suspects in any way, Jordan added. "We'll probably be here a few days," Jordan said. "But it's a good solid lead." Mangham and Francis Michael Fowler of Ellenwood, both 48, were found dead May 5 at Mangham's residence in the Princeton Chase subdivision. Police said both men were shot to death in two different locations of the house. A week after the investigation began, detectives revealed they were looking into acquaintances of Mangham's who may have been involved in illegal activity, which was later confirmed as being drug-related. Jail trustees used pickaxes and shovels to loosen soil, and earth-moving equipment was also used in conjunction with metal detectors on the site. Detectives and members of the department's Crime Scene Unit wore rubber gloves as they sifted through the soil by hand and through a screen that allowed the dirt to sift away, leaving any small objects on the screen. Jordan would not confirm if any evidence was recovered, but detectives were seen placing some items found in the sifter in bags.
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