From NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Mar 12, 2008
Updated: Mar 12, 2008

ORANGE COUNTY — ORANGE COUNTY:  Chapel Hill Police investigators need tips to locate the alleged driver of the vehicle seen in the ATM surveillance photos.

The alleged driver, Lawrence Alvin Lovette Jr., 17, has also been charged with 1st Degree Murder in the death of Eve Marie Carson.

Lovette remains at large.  He is described as a black male,  5' 7" tall, and around 150 pounds.  Authorities consider him armed and dangerous.

Authorities tell NC WANTED they are working with a close associate of Lovette to track him down, possibly in the Durham area. 

These sources are also telling NC WANTED they are concerned about a violent confrontation with Lovette and have additional SWAT forces standing as back-up if deadly force is required.

The first suspect currently in custody, Demario James Atwater, is believed to have been the man sitting in the back seat of the vehicle seen in the ATM photos.

Earlier this afternoon, Chapel Hill Police confirmed that Atwater, 21, had been charged in the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson.

Durham officials turned Demario James Atwater, 21, over to police in Chapel Hill, where he was questioned Wednesday. Atwater is believed to be the man seen in convenience store surveillance photos.

Court records indicate that he has an extensive criminal background. He has been charged with assault, common law robbery, breaking and entering, possession of a firearm and resisting a public officer.

He was last arrested February 20, 2008 for violating probation.

The driver of the vehicle, who police identified as Lawrence Lovette, 17, remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. 

Keep reading NC WANTED for more details as the evening progresses.

FROM EARLIER REPORTS:

In the early morning hours of March 5, 2008, shots were heard and a woman was found dead near the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

She had been shot multiple times in the head, according to Chapel Hill Police.

This past weekend, Chapel Hill Police released surveillance photos of 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.

 You can also call NC WANTED toll free at 1.866.43.WANTED or click on "Report a Tip" Your identity can be kept confidential.