Police: Pink Panther Panties may Point to Predator

[Clouseau]

news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artikkel?NoCache=1&Dato=20080219&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=80219018&Ref=AR&Show=0

Info sought on panties found near Denison

JACLYN O'MALLEY
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 2/19/2008

Reno police are trying to identify the female who owned a pair of Pink Panther thong underwear found with Brianna Denison’s body on Friday.

Lt. Robert McDonald said DNA of an unknown woman and the DNA of the man who abducted and strangled Denison were on the panties. McDonald said the underwear was found with Denison’s body but was not hers. The male DNA found on the panties is from the same man who committed at least two sexually motivated crimes against other young college women recently.

Police want to know if the underwear belonged to another victim who has not reported being assaulted or if they belong to a woman who may have dated someone and later noticed the underwear missing. It’s also possible the underwear were stolen in a burglary.

McDonald said it’s important the woman who owns the underwear come forward because the information she has may lead police to the serial sexual predator who killed Denison.

The thong-style underwear are black with cartoon character Pink Panther’s head and pink hearts on it. They appear worn.

[CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PANTIES IN QUESTION]

Anyone with information is asked to call 745-3521 or Secret Witness at 322-4900. Check RGJ.com later for more details.

[in-the-pink]

Interesting. I hope they catch their predator.

I have a couple different pairs of Pink Panther panties, but no Panther thongs!

[Clouseau]

how...interesting of you to say, in-the-pink...

anyway, yeah... i hope they catch him... murder and serial rape... i'm sure there are a lot of people who wanna make sure justice is served to this guy!

[Dreyfus]

Yeah, lets hope he's caught.
Hopefully someone will come forward...

[pinkadilly]

i hope they catch im soon, too!

Feb 20, 2008 17:14:16 GMT in-the-pink said:

I have a couple different pairs of Pink Panther panties, but no Panther thongs!

i wouldnt even know where to look for some (ive never seen any in the store before) but cool!

[Clouseau]

news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS01/802210336/1016/NEWS

Police still seeking owner of panties found with body

JACLYN O'MALLEY
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 2/21/2008

The owner of pair of Pink Panther thong underwear found Friday with the strangled body of Brianna Denison has not contacted Reno police.

"We strongly believe that that whoever owned the underwear is going to have to recognize the panties," said Lt. Robert McDonald, head of the robbery/homicide unit. "Please come talk to us. Your information can greatly help us."

Police say it's possible the panties belonged to a victim who may not have reported the attack, someone who dated the suspect and has noticed the underwear missing or were taken in an unreported theft or burglary.

Analysts at the Washoe County Crime Laboratory confirmed the sources of DNA on the underwear were from an unknown woman and the man who killed Denison and also attacked two women on the University of Nevada, Reno campus in November and December. An Oct. 22 rape of a woman at gunpoint in a campus parking garage has not been linked to the Denison suspect.

The underwear, size small, did not belong to Denison or the previous victims, police said.

McDonald stressed that the woman who owned the underwear will be treated with sensitivity and discretion.

Investigators say the women were young, mostly petite, had long hair, were alone and in the same area near the University of Nevada, Reno.

"We are confident that we will find him," McDonald said. "The public has to stay vigilant. It will only be a matter of time."

Sales of self-defense products and interest in self-defense classes have soared since the discovery Friday of Denison's body.

Since Denison's disappearance Jan. 20, police have taken many DNA samples that eliminated dozens of men as suspects.

Police said the suspect is likely a local man and may have left the area.

[Clouseau]

the plot thickens...

in great Clouseau form, after even having a police spokesman talk about this case on "America's Most Wanted" this past Saturday, now the police claim that the statement that the suspected killer's DNA was on the panties was a mistake!

Police: Denison killer's DNA not on panties

JACLYN O'MALLEY
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
3/3/2008

Reno police said the male DNA source lifted from a pair of women’s panties found next to Brianna Denison’s body does not belong to the suspected killer.

By error, police had previously reported the DNA suspect link to the media.

Monday, Lt. Robert McDonald said the two DNA sources on a pair of black thong Pink Panther cartoon panties found Feb. 15 with Denison’s body belongs to an unknown male and female.

The owner of the panties has yet to come forward.

DNA has also linked Denison’s killer to the sexually motivated attacks of at least two college women in the area. One occurred in November, and the other in December. An October sexual assault at gunpoint has not been forensically linked, but police believe it is connected.

McDonald also revealed during a Saturday night broadcast about the Denison case on “America’s Most Wanted” that investigators believe the suspect collects underwear from his victims. He said the suspect kept a pair of underwear belonging to one of the victims. McDonald would not disclose which victim, or describe the missing underwear.

Police are hoping that tipsters will call about men who are known to collect underwear or victims of burglaries were underwear was stolen.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call 745-3521 or Secret Witness at 322-4900.

[Clouseau]

now things are being clarified a little better, i guess...
www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=7976258&nav=9qrx

Two pair of panties focus in Reno's serial rapist case

Associated Press - March 6, 2008 2:54 PM ET

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Reno police disclosed for the first time today that a second pair of women's panties found with Brianna Denison's body had DNA belonging to her, the man who killed her and a woman who lived at the house from where she was abducted.

The second pair, described as pink, was intertwined with the previously disclosed thong-style underwear that is black with Pink Panther emblems.

Reno police Commander Leigha Struffert says investigators believe both pairs may have been taken from the home where Denison last was seen when she was abducted Jan. 20 on the edge of the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Her body was found Feb. 15 in a vacant lot in southeast Reno.

Denison was a student at Santa Barbara City College in California. She was visiting her hometown over winter break and was last seen sleeping on a couch at a friend's rental house just off campus.

Police say two women and two men lived at the house. All have been interviewed and none is considered a suspect.

Struffert says information about the second pair of underwear wasn't disclosed earlier because it was considered "hold back" evidence - something that would be known only to investigators, the victim, and the perpetrator.

She says police decided to publicize their existence to clear up confusion about the presence of DNA on the Pink Panther pair - which tests have shown belong to an unknown male and female.

Police say DNA evidence links Denison's kidnapping to two other attacks on women near the university late last year, and that an earlier on-campus attack also could be related.

seems to me, it would have made more sense for the Panther panties to be the "hold back" evidence... don't you agree? then, i guess i don't know the whole situation, either... who knows...

[pinkadilly]

i saw something about this on americas most wanted again tonight. hope they solve it soon!

[Clouseau]

www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/NEWS/803220332/1321

Refined description of Denison suspect released

By Jaclyn O'Malley • [e-mail] • March 22, 2008

Reno police are hoping a more detailed description of a serial rapist who targeted college students and is suspected of abducting and strangling Brianna Denison will encourage people to call them with tips.

Some of the new details are that the suspect is 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-3 inches tall; had a large build; had a mustache and goatee with a hairless gap between the ends of the mustache and top of the goatee; and had large hands with "meaty" fingers.

Police said the suspect also has a fetish with underwear and collects women's panties.

Sgt. Chuck Lovitt said police refined description after re-

interviewing the suspect's December assault victim.

"We want to keep this in the public eye and let (the public) know to keep looking," Lovitt said.

Lovitt said the description is what the man looked like when the University of Nevada, Reno college student was abducted Dec. 16. He said it's possible the man could have changed his appearance.

Police are interested in people who fit the description who also moved, changed their appearance, sold a truck, withdrew from friends and family and was absent from work.

Detectives also want to know about men who collect underwear. Lovitt said police already have received tips about underwear collectors but none has led them to the suspect.

Lovitt said detectives will not consider a tip to be a high priority if it is based solely on a man's appearance or that he drives a truck.

Calls to the tip lines have decreased, police said.

Police say that DNA has linked Denison's killer to the man who sexually attacked two other college students near the University of Nevada, Reno.

Detectives said DNA evidence is their strongest physical evidence, which is why many men interviewed during the investigation have been asked to submit their DNA.

Lovitt said people named in tips won't automatically have their DNA taken or be interviewed. Those who submit their DNA can specify that their sample be used strictly to eliminate them from this specific case.

The woman who owned a pair of black Pink Panther thong panties found Feb. 15 with Denison's body still has not come forward.

"I would love for that person to come forward," Lovitt said.

A second pair of underwear found with Denison's body belonged to one of her friends who lived at the home where Denison was abducted. DNA from both girls and the killer is on that pair of underwear, police said.

DNA from an unknown man and woman are on the Pink Panther pair.

Police also ask citizens to be conscious of the dates of the attacks, and think of any man they know who was unaccounted for during those times or acted strangely following the incidents.