•--'1-4. The ews Journal it haiHx netl, it*s news to No. 5 VoL97 ORD HC: V i 50t Wednesday, April 21,2004 Sheriff starts over on Brittany Locklear case Task force formed, all to be interviewed again, DNA check stepped up By Vicioriana Summi ks Staff writer Slicriff I lubert Pelerkin organized a special task force last week to take an other look at the unsolved murder case of five-year-old Brittany Lynn Ux;klear. She was deliberately drowned on Janu ary 8, IWS in a drainage ditch off Ryan McByrde Road and U.S. 401 South after being sexually molested and abducted. More than 100friends, family, neigh bors, witnesses, school personnel, and possible suspects will be interviewed or “re-interviewed” under the supervision of Chief Deputy Troy McDuftie, ac cording to Peterkin, who will manage the inquiry. “Wearestartingthe investigation from scratch,” Pelerkin said. “We are not just talking to people. We will investigate tlie cold case like it would have just occurred. " 1 ca 1 led a meet i ng last w eek to i n it iate this with my staff." Peterkin .said there are ;i “couple” of concerns re\'ol\ iiig around the new' ho micide inquiry into Brittany's death. “Since there are going to be people who are probably re-interviewed, some of them may get upset." Peterkin said. “We think it is essential that we examine all the facts of this case from the begin ning so we can linallv bring this killer (See BRITl'ANY. page H/\) Pevia again on TV By Victoriana Summers Staff writer A story in the national maga zine Cosmo Girl about South Hoke kidnap victim Dana Pevia titled, “Dangerous Attraction,” led TV talk show host Montel Williams to invite Pevia to be a guest on his show. The episode, wh ich was taped last week in New York City, will be aired during this season, ac cording to Wanda Pevia, mother of Dana, who accompanied her to the show. Dana, 17 and a Native Ameri can, was 11 years old when she disappeared from her South Hoke home while she waited for the school bus. Allegedly lured away by her teen neighbor. Hec tor Mojarro Frausto. he has si nee been captured and is awaiting (See KIDNAPPED, page 8A) Raeford in pictures 35-year-old man among honored freshmen at UNCP {Mgv l).\ Mill Prong annual event is Sunday School Board sets budget Births 2B Calendar 3B Classifieds 7B Deaths 3 A Editorials 2 A Etigagements 2B Legals 5-6B Religion 4B Schools 4-5A Socials 2B Sports 6 A Weddings 2B Hoke’s top stories are on the web; send us stories, subscribe wvvw.thenews-journal.com PV! 3-county rampage kills 1, injures 4 Former Raeford man jailed, accused of stealing van, mnning over victims •. ? A it\ ^3ngerous - Wanda Pevia. mother of kidnap victim Dana Pevia, displays a story published in Cosmo Girl magazine, about Dana’s disappearance and abduction from South Hoke. H'l Vl( lORIANN Si MMI RS Staff writer A former I ioke County resident who rcccntU moved to l•llyettcville allegedly stole a van, went berserk anddrove acros,s three counties, running over people and e\entually killing one. The 25-\ear old Abdullah El-Amin Shareef was apparently suffering from a history of diug use and psychological complications. Authorities say he used the vehicle repeatedly like a battering ram toward pedestrians. Shareef allegedly left one Linden man - his third victim ~ to die under the mangled wreckage of the stolen van after he struck him with it. Lionel Bear! Ba.s.s, a .S4-year-old grandfather, died after apparently being crushed by the van. Authorities say Shareef then stole the victim's pickup truck, wrecking it later in Fuqiiay-Varina after he rear-ended a motorist. Prior to the fatality wreck in Unden. Shareef injured two others further south in l-’a\etteville and one in northern Cumberland County with the va n, wh ich was reported ly stolen from t he City of Fayetteville. In Fui|uay-Varina, Shareef allegedly struck his last victim as he stood in the front yard of his father- in-law''s home on N.C. 217. Shareef's ramiiage letl Irom Cum berland through 1 larnett County to the Wake County line, where he was linallv apprehended in Fuquay-Varina. 1 le ran from authoritiescladonly inaT-shirtand boxer shorts before they seized him. Shareef, of Green Street, Raeford, was charged by the Cumberland County Slieriff's Office w-ith murder and one count of attempted murder. He is being held without bond. No motive is known for the deadly episode. A not her pend i ng charge of attempted murder is being filed against him in I larnett County. He is currently being evaluated at Dorothea Dix llo.spital in Raleigh, a facility for treating mental illnes,ses, where he was hospitalized immediately following the incidents. Shareef had been residing at a half- (Sce RAMPAGE, page 8A) SBI probe of jail complete, DA to review report By Victoriana Summers Staff writer The State Bureau of Investigation has completed its probe into the jailbreak by four inmates from the Hoke County Jail on October 28. 'I'he final report, stemming from a tlve- month investigation and almost 200 hours of interviews, was recently turned over to Di.strict Attorney Kristy M. Newton, ac cording to SBI .supervisor Jerry Weaver. Newton, with the unoflicial blessings of the county commissioners, requested a criminal inquiry be conducted by ttie SBI last November. Conflicting reports of how the escipe actually occurred-either through asmall. Some board members hoped the prol)c w'ould show if human error was involved in the escape, or if other improvements “Right now, we are having to use a tremendous amount of overtime for jailers to work double shifts and deputies to also help staff the jail. 'Chief Delmty Troy MePuffie back window or rear door of the jail annex - and overcrowded conditions at the time of the escape led to the routine request by the DA’s office. Ttie four escapees were recaptured shortly afterward. needed to be made by county oflicials to prevent further jailbreaks. “In the preliminary interviews, it did not appear there was criminal intent on the part of the staff in I loke’sjail,” Weaver said. “It was only up to the SBI to gather the facts surrounding the escape. “It is now totally up to the District At torney todetcrmincifany criminal activity iK’curred based on the information we presented to her," he said. “1 lowever, we can definitely say those inmates did not escape out the narrow window in the jail annex as was originally indicated by local law enforcement. We determined this was not the case after interviews were conducted.” Newton said she is still reviewing the SBI’s report. She declined to comment if (See JAIL, page 7A) .11 >.i » H ^4 t f The Moving Wall, coming here in Sept. Moving Wall to be here for Festival The Moving Wall, which memorial izes the dead of the Vietnam War, iscom- ing to Raeford the week of September 11 to 18, the week of this year’s North Carolina Tlirkey Festival. A half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., the mobile wall is constructed of aluminum panels and has been traveling for 20 years to locations that sponsor it. Hoke County lost seven men in the Vietnam War. Thev are memoria I ized on a plaque located in Raeford City Hall. Since it was first displayed in 1984, the wall has traveled to N.C. only a few times, and usually to large cities. Three Vietnam veterans from Cali fornia, John Devitt, Gerry Haver, and (See MOVING WALL, page 3A) New Food Lion planned for Davis Bridge area Bi Vktoriana Summi.rs Staff writer A new, multi-million dollar Food Lion griK'ery store a)mplex is proposed in the Davis Bridge area east of Rocklish. A rezoning application was submitted to the county yesterday, according to Hoke Planner Linda Revels. “This isa wonderful opportunity for more com mercial development in Hoke,” Revels said. “It will also be a convenience to citizens who reside in that area.” Pioneered by Fayetteville devel oper Joe R iddle, president of R iddlc Commercial Properties in Fayette ville, the future Food Lion will represent the second one Riddle would open in Hoke County. His first venture, the Food Lion shop- pingeenterat Hoke Landing on U.S. 401, opened in March to receptive shoppers from surrounding sub divisions. Located approximately eight miles rrorth of Raefirrd across from East Hoke Middle School, Hoke LandingalstracarmmcxJates a Family Dollar Store and Video Hut in the shopping plaza. Riddle is requesting the Hoke Planning Commission and the board of commissioners rezone the approximate 28 tract at Davis Bridge to highway commercial. Formerly ow tied by Da n Rat Icy, (he toad fionlage aiea of tlie land on Davis Bridge Road isalready zoned neighborhood bu.siness. Riddle wants permission to rezone also a residential-agricultural portion of the tract in the rear to highway commercial. It would pave the way for a consistent zoning for the (See FOOD LION, page 7A)

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