Masked man tried to use slain co-ed's ATM six times

06/02/2006

advertisement

by Seamus McGraw

GREENVILLE, S.C. (Crime Library) — Authorities say they have a photograph of a young man, his face partially covered with bandanas, trying to use an ATM card owned by Tiffany Souers, the 20-year-old Clemson University co-ed who was found strangled last week in her off campus apartment.

According to prosecutors, the man, who has yet to be identified, tried to use the stolen card six times and at several locations in the hours after the slaying. Authorities have also said that they recovered the slain woman's driver's license, found on a roadside 30 miles from the place where Souers was killed.

The disclosure of the bank transactions — which prosecutors had alluded to Thursday — came hours after police confirmed that they had arrested a man on Wednesday who lived in Souers' apartment complex on unrelated sexual assault charges. Those charges stem from an April 20 attack on another woman.

Authorities have downplayed any link between the Souers slaying and the earlier case, though they have said they believe it was sexually motivated. Authorities are still awaiting test results to determine whether Souers, a young engineering student who had just returned to campus after a two-week break, was sexually assaulted

In the meantime, prosecutors say they are hoping the photo, and a partial description of the man's vehicle — an older SUV — will help lead to the suspect's identification.

TIFFANY SOUERS FULL COVERAGE & BREAKING NEWS

Contact Seamus McGraw at seamusm@ptd.net

PICTURE2

For more daily crime news