ORANGE COUNTY — Gang connections, Eve Carson's cell phone, laptop and memory cards: these are just a few of the evidence items investigators are examining in the murder case of Eve Carson.
Investigators are also trying to enhance two of the photos taken of the possible suspect.
This past weekend, Chapel Hill Police released surveillance photos a man wearing a Houston Astros baseball hat and a light-colored hooded sweat shirt. The man was using Eve Carson's ATM card and driving an S.U.V. that could be the Toyota Highlander belonging to Carson.
A color photo enhancement expert also created a colorized version of the same black-and-white photo. When that color photo was released, it was pointed out that there may be at least one person in the backseat. Investigators confirmed this assessment on Sunday.
"We have been exploring ways to enhance the quality of this photo in an effort to learn more about this person," police said in a statement.
The photo clearly shows the driver of the SUV, who is wearing what appears to be a Houston Astros hat. Police Chief Brian Curran said Monday the hat could be a sign the still-unidentified suspect is a gang member.
"That's always been a possible scenario," Curran said.
Carson, 22, of Athens, Georgia, was found last week lying on a street about a mile from campus. She had been shot several times, including once in the right temple. Police have said they believe she was the victim of a random act.
Her SUV was found the day after her death, a few blocks from her home, but police said this weekend they have yet to locate her wallet or keys. Police have not said when the surveillance photos were taken or the exact location of the ATM machine, saying only it is in Chapel Hill.
According to search warrants, police found Carson's cell phone about 1 1/2 miles from the scene of her death. Police got help from Sprint Nextel Corp. to find the phone near a shopping center located on the main road between Chapel Hill and Durham. Police also retrieved Carson's laptop and memory cards from her campus office, according to the warrants.
Police said Monday they received a number of tips after releasing the photos on Saturday. The school's Board of Trustees, of which Carson was a member, has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in her death.
In another case involving a female student, Auburn University in Alabama has begun new security measures since 18-year-old Lauren Burk's abduction and shooting death.
Maj. Melvin Owens, Auburn's executive director of security and public safety, said Monday the school has increased the hours of its security shuttles and has implemented an escort service for students leaving the library.
Burk was found about five miles from the university last Tuesday and her car was later found burning in a campus parking lot.
Courtney Lockhart, arrested on capital murder charges, is accused of kidnapping, robbing and attempting to rape Burk. Lockhart, who lived in rural Smiths in Russell County, was arrested in Phenix City on Friday after a chase and was to make a court appearance Monday.
Police have said there was no indication the killings of the two students were related.
Lockhart served with the Army in Iraq from August 2004 to July 2005. At Fort Carson, in 2006, he was convicted on military charges of communicating a threat and use of marijuana as well as assault, said Maj. Nathan Banks, an Army spokesman at the Pentagon. Lockhart was sentenced to seven months' confinement and given a bad conduct discharge.
Banks said the records he has available do not indicate who was assaulted, but the victim would have been in the military since the case was handled by the military rather than civilian police.
If you have information about this case, call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.
