2008 Woodie Awards
Still no suspects for employee's shooting
Investigators reach out to Ball State for information on victim
Daniel Human
Investigators are close to finding suspects for the slaying of a Ball State University Dining employee, Lt. Robert Pyle of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department said Friday.
"We're narrowing in on some people and have several prominent leads," Pyle said.
Police found Garth Rector shot to death in his home in Farmland soon after arriving home from work on March 21, Pyle said. Rector died immediately, he said.
Investigators have a lead for the suspect's motive, Pyle said, but he would not comment about what it was.
The sheriff's department has been questioning several of Rector's co-workers at Ball State, Pyle said.
"A lot of this investigation is going back to the Ball State area to examine where he works," he said. "There's a wealth of information out there that we need to know about him. ... Every piece of the puzzle counts."
Investigators are tracking down the owners of two vehicles seen outside Rector's home soon before the incident, Pyle said. No one in the vehicles is a suspect, but they could be witnesses, he said.
Neighbors reported seeing Rector speaking to someone inside a blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Impala outside his home the night before the incident, Pyle said. Witnesses also reported seeing a small-sized silver vehicle back out of Rector or a neighbor's driveway the afternoon of the incident, he said.
Gene Burton, director of public safety, said the Ball State Police Department has served as a liaison for the sheriff's department during its investigation.
"We haven't been actively involved, we've just helped them out with finding people to talk to," Burton said.
Kevin Burke, director of University Communications, said Ball State has offered counseling to employees.
"In these situations, as part of the Employee Assistance Program, and part of the Counseling Center, it routinely makes services available to employees and faculty," Burke said.
The university offers employees individual and group counseling, and employees can request to have a counselor visit them in the workplace, Burke said.
Investigation
Anyone with information about the investigation can contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Department at 765-747-7881.
"We're narrowing in on some people and have several prominent leads," Pyle said.
Police found Garth Rector shot to death in his home in Farmland soon after arriving home from work on March 21, Pyle said. Rector died immediately, he said.
Investigators have a lead for the suspect's motive, Pyle said, but he would not comment about what it was.
The sheriff's department has been questioning several of Rector's co-workers at Ball State, Pyle said.
"A lot of this investigation is going back to the Ball State area to examine where he works," he said. "There's a wealth of information out there that we need to know about him. ... Every piece of the puzzle counts."
Investigators are tracking down the owners of two vehicles seen outside Rector's home soon before the incident, Pyle said. No one in the vehicles is a suspect, but they could be witnesses, he said.
Neighbors reported seeing Rector speaking to someone inside a blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Impala outside his home the night before the incident, Pyle said. Witnesses also reported seeing a small-sized silver vehicle back out of Rector or a neighbor's driveway the afternoon of the incident, he said.
Gene Burton, director of public safety, said the Ball State Police Department has served as a liaison for the sheriff's department during its investigation.
"We haven't been actively involved, we've just helped them out with finding people to talk to," Burton said.
Kevin Burke, director of University Communications, said Ball State has offered counseling to employees.
"In these situations, as part of the Employee Assistance Program, and part of the Counseling Center, it routinely makes services available to employees and faculty," Burke said.
The university offers employees individual and group counseling, and employees can request to have a counselor visit them in the workplace, Burke said.
Investigation
Anyone with information about the investigation can contact the Delaware County Sheriff's Department at 765-747-7881.
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