Post by Cassie on Jul 23, 2006 23:04:46 GMT -5
PHOENIX — The serial predator whom police call the "Baseline Killer" shot his victims in the head, sometimes using either medium- or large-caliber weapons, according to examinations of victims in five of the six fatal shootings attributed to him.
The city's other serial killer, dubbed the "Serial Shooter," used small-caliber weapons or a small-gauge shotgun in three of five fatal shootings, the reports said. The five slain victims linked to the gunman were hit in the torso, chest or neck.
The reports released Wednesday by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office provide a glimpse into the massive police investigation of killings that have gripped the Phoenix metro area.
The two serial predators are suspected of randomly attacking at least 41 people between them. The Serial Shooter is thought to have first killed in May 2005 and has also targeted dogs and horses. The Baseline Killer is believed to have begun killing in September.
According to the autopsies, at least one Baseline Killer victim was attacked from close range.
Ronald R. Scott, a Phoenix firearms and ballistics expert who reviewed some of the reports for The Associated Press, said that the Baseline Killer is either an excellent shot, or that his victims had no idea he was about to attack.
"Shooting someone in the head is like aiming at a balloon in the wind," Scott said. "And if I saw someone aiming at me, I would certainly be doing some evasive action."
On Wednesday, Phoenix police continued to check thousands of tips in the case. Silent Witness director Paul Penzone said the number of calls has dropped in recent days, with more than a week since the last attack. The city's Silent Witness hotline received about 1,000 calls per day shortly after Mayor Phil Gordon made a public plea for information last week. The center now gets about 300 to 500 calls per day.
The city's other serial killer, dubbed the "Serial Shooter," used small-caliber weapons or a small-gauge shotgun in three of five fatal shootings, the reports said. The five slain victims linked to the gunman were hit in the torso, chest or neck.
The reports released Wednesday by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office provide a glimpse into the massive police investigation of killings that have gripped the Phoenix metro area.
The two serial predators are suspected of randomly attacking at least 41 people between them. The Serial Shooter is thought to have first killed in May 2005 and has also targeted dogs and horses. The Baseline Killer is believed to have begun killing in September.
According to the autopsies, at least one Baseline Killer victim was attacked from close range.
Ronald R. Scott, a Phoenix firearms and ballistics expert who reviewed some of the reports for The Associated Press, said that the Baseline Killer is either an excellent shot, or that his victims had no idea he was about to attack.
"Shooting someone in the head is like aiming at a balloon in the wind," Scott said. "And if I saw someone aiming at me, I would certainly be doing some evasive action."
On Wednesday, Phoenix police continued to check thousands of tips in the case. Silent Witness director Paul Penzone said the number of calls has dropped in recent days, with more than a week since the last attack. The city's Silent Witness hotline received about 1,000 calls per day shortly after Mayor Phil Gordon made a public plea for information last week. The center now gets about 300 to 500 calls per day.