Mount Olive police seek suspect in June murder
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 7, 2005 1:45 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with the shooting death of a 22-year-old last week.
Richard Lee Swinson, 26, is wanted for questioning in connection with the June 30 murder of Jennifer Louise McArthur of Fairview Circle. Ms. McArthur died from gunshot wounds after the shooting, which occurred at about 2:15 a.m. at a home she was visiting in Mount Olive.
Swinson
Police Chief Emmett Ballree said Swinson, who is wanted on one count of murder and two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, should be considered armed and dangerous.
"We think (Ms. McArthur) may not have been the intended victim," Ballree said. "We've been looking for him since the weekend. We decided to go public."
Ballree said the murder weapon was some kind of high-powered rifle. Shots came from outside, piercing the walls in the apartment and contining into the apartment next door. Five people were inside the first apartment, including an 8-year-old child who was up and moving around, and four people next door, including two sleeping children.
"This crime was so violent, horrendous, that the killer could have injured or killed so many people," Ballree said. "We want to get this guy off the street."
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the suspect should call the police at 658-5031 or Wayne County Crime Stoppers at 735-2255.
Ballree said the Police Department received some Crime Stoppers calls and pursued those leads, and they have come close to apprehending the suspect several times.
Officers have checked several residences in the Mar Mac and Dudley areas of Wayne County.
"But we haven't laid our hands on him yet," Ballree said. "There's probably some people in the Mar Mac area who are tired of us searching their place."