WAKE COUNTY: Today, Raleigh Police confirmed that Jenna Nielsen had been stabbed. But the investigators involved in the case remain cautious about other details and will not dignify speculation.
Recent media reports have swirled around a 'bloody knife' that was found near the location. At this time, the knife is being processed in the SBI Lab and may or may not be related to this case. "A large number of items have been collected, and the department is in a position to confirm that one of the collected items in this case was a knife that was located in an area near the crime scene," Raleigh police Spokesman Jim Sughrue said in an e-mail news release. "The knife and other items of potential evidence are being examined in an appropriate manner."
On June 14, an officer responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the AmeriKing Food Mart on Lake Wheeler Road found the body of Jennifer Kathleen "Jenna" Nielsen, 22.
Police have described the slaying as a random act. Investigators released a composite photo of a man wanted for questioning who was seen near the convenience store in the pre-dawn hours of June 14.
He is described as being in the late teens or early 20s, standing about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. He had black hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a dark-colored sleeveless shirt and baggy denim shorts.
Anyone with information about the case should contact the Raleigh Police Department's tip line at 919-227-6220.
Jenna Nielsen was eight months pregnant at the time she and her unborn son were murdered. She and her husband Tim had moved to Fuquay-Varina last August. The couple had two children.
Stay tuned this Saturday as NC WANTED goes deeper into the investigation of the murder of Jenna Nielsen. NC WANTED airs Saturday nights at 10:35 p.m., right after WRAL's 10 O'Clock News on FOX50. The host is Gerald Owens.
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