Authorities say Tiffany Souers' accused killer had record of sex crimes in Florida

By Seamus McGraw  

June 6, 2006

GREENVILLE, S. C. (Crime Library) — Now, it's officially a manhunt.

Authorities are searching for a 35-year-old convicted sex offender, identified as Jerry Buck Inman in connection with the slaying ten days ago of Tiffany Souers, a University of Clemson co-ed found strangled in her apartment, apparently with her own bikini top.

Solicitor Bob Ariail told reporters at a Tuesday evening press conference that arrests warrants had been issued charging Inman, a Tennessee native, with Souers' murder. Authorities have also charged the convicted sex offender with kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Authorities say they identified Inman, a sometime construction worker who is also a registered sex offender in Florida, after matching DNA left at the scene of Souers' slaying with Inman's sample recorded on a national data base.

Investigators now believe that the suspect, who is believed to be dangerous, has fled the area around Greenville, perhaps driving a Chevrolet Camaro, a Ford Econoline van for the older, General Motors SUV authorities had originally targeted.

As a result, authorities said, a nationwide alert has been issued for Inman's capture.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sex offender registry (http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/sexual_predators/OffenderFlyer.asp?keys=53230) Inman had been convicted of kidnapping and sexual battery.

He is described as a white male, about 5-feet-10, 159 pounds with brown eyes and hair, although in his FDLE photograph his head is shaved. He sports a number of distinctive tattoos, according to the registry, included a skull tattooed to his back, a bat tattooed to his neck, a tiger on the left side of his chest, a pentagram scrawled on his left hand, and a dagger and a skull on his left leg. His right arm is tattooed with a skull, a dragon and a cross, inscribed in memory to a brother. On his right hand, he has yet another skull tattooed, and across his stomach is a tattoo of a woman and a gun.

TIFFANY SOUERS FULL COVERAGE & BREAKING NEWS

Contact Seamus McGraw at seamusm@ptd.net

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