Mt Vernon Trail – Suspect to have assaulted bicyclists (PIC!)

[PotomacCyclist]

@Fast Friendly Guy 76828 wrote:

Hey! What’s this about ‘older cyclists;’ don’t throw us farts in the same pot! Not that I have a devil-may-care attitude, but, in fact, we can be quite frisky, and some of us are very friendly!

I know. The generalization is that most of the older cyclists tend to be considerate of others on the trails, unlike this Jonathan Mark guy.

I’m not exactly younger myself. Somewhere in the middle.

[PotomacCyclist]

On another note, there is now speculation that yesterday’s shootings could be related to the murder of Ron Kirby last November. He was the transportation planning director for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@PotomacCyclist 76911 wrote:

On another note, there is now speculation that yesterday’s shootings could be related to the murder of Ron Kirby last November. He was the transportation planning director for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Is this “speculation” along the lines of your Jonathan Mark speculation, or an actual police line of inquiry?

[PotomacCyclist]

A police spokesman said that they are looking into the possibility that the crimes were related, as a matter of course. I don’t think there is any evidence to connect the two, just the fact that both took place in Alexandria. Both took place at someone’s home and the victims are unlikely to be members of a gang (a teacher and a transportation planner). No robbery occurred at either home.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/police-look-for-gunman-clues-in-fatal-shooting-in-alexandria/2014/02/07/da370d26-9004-11e3-b46a-5a3d0d2130da_story.html

From today’s W. Post article:

The shooting sparked fear and bewilderment throughout Alexandria, in no small part because police said they were investigating whether it might be connected to the equally mysterious and high-profile slaying of prominent regional transportation planner Ronald Kirby. Authorities have said there were no signs of forced entry at Kirby’s house, and his wife has said nothing was stolen. Police have not made an arrest.

Kirby, 69, lived a little more than a mile from Ridge Road Drive and was killed sometime between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 11. Police said they had no specific evidence linking Lodato’s slaying to any other crime.

One man, who asked that his name not be used to protect his privacy, reached out to police on Twitter after spotting someone roughly matching the suspect’s description in Lodato’s slaying on Washington Street near the Lyceum museum about 9:30 p.m.

The man said in a text message conversation that the man — who was balding, with gray hair and a full, bushy beard — was “speaking to himself loudly” and that after walking south rapidly, he turned suddenly north. The tipster said he typically “would have thought nothing of it,” but in light of the day’s events, he told two people he was talking with that they should leave and later contacted police.

Nosal said she had forwarded the man’s information to detectives, who would follow up on his and other tips. She said it was too early to say if the man spotted was in any way connected to the shooting.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/02/06/alexandria-schools-on-lockdown-after-double-shooting/

The Alexandria police chief was asked about the similarities between the two crimes at a press conference:

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook was asked about any similarities to the unsolved slaying of Ronald Kirby, 69, a well-known transportation planner with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, who was found shot to death in his home back in November. Kirby and Lodato’s homes are a little more than a mile apart.

Cook said that “obviously, that occurred to us” but cautioned that the investigation into Thursday’s shooting is just beginning and “we will have to look to see if we are dealing with a similar homicide.”

[PotomacCyclist]

And there are even questions about any possible connections between the Ron Kirby murder and the still unsolved murder of Nancy Dunning in 2003 in Del Ray. She was married to Jim Dunning, the Alexandria sheriff at the time. (Jim moved out of the area a few years later. He passed away in Hilton Head, S.C. last year at the age of 62.)

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/12/nancy-dunning-murder-case-discussed-by-alexandria-police-97651.html

http://delray.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/police-chief-investigation-into-nancy-dunnings-murder-remains-active

***
Scary stuff if there is indeed a serial killer in Alexandria. But it’s better not to hide from the possibility. The fact remains that these are unusual murders, that don’t appear to be drug or gang related. Maybe the press reports and possible links among the cases will help someone to recall an important fact about an odd or angry person. That’s why I bumped this thread about Jonathan Mark. It may not be anything. Then again, if someone is angry at the world and willing to assault complete strangers, it doesn’t seem much of a stretch for someone like that to escalate to more serious crimes. The physical descriptions are close enough that I think the police should look into it.

[consularrider]

From this article, I think Mr. Mark has moved to Seattle.

[PotomacCyclist]

Alexandria Police are formally investigating the three murders as a “series.”

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Ruthanne-Lodato-Homicide-Shooting-Alexandria-Update-248682091.html

[PotomacCyclist]

Authorities are examining whether Charles Severance is connected to the murders:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Charles-Severance-Alexandria-Murder-Investigation-Lodato-Kirby-Dunning.html

[Author]

Posts