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Culberson – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, with Lt. Tiffany Holland guiding a team of 15 officers, has been working in shifts around the clock to offer Shirley McClure’s family justice for her death.
McClure’s body was transported to Wake Forest to be examined by Dr. Patrick Lantz, a veteran medical examiner who specializes as a forensic pathologist. Lantz has experience in working with bodies that have experienced a significant degree of decomposition. But even with highly regarded experts working on the case, it remains open.
The District Attorney’s Office has charged a man for being in possession of her sky blue Nissan Rogue, but Chief Deputy Joe Wood said, “The investigation is ongoing,” adding that her car “has been forensically investigated and remains in police evidence.” He added that several items have been sent to forensic lab, but McClure’s house has been cleared and released back to her family.
The authorities are reaching out to the communities of Culberson and Bellview to assist them in their pursuit of the killer.
“We are looking for anyone who may have seen a man riding a bicycle in either community Friday, Jan. 7, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The cyclist was wearing a dark jacket with a blue hoodie underneath,” law enforcement officials said in a countywide bulletin. This person of interest was also wearing a cap and dark trousers.
Additionally, they are creating a timeline of McClure’s movements on that Friday and are asking anyone who saw her on that day to contact the police. Wood believes “the community is safe, but should report anyone they saw acting suspicious in the Culberson area to the police.”
Emergency Services Director Robin Caldwell organized a blanket communication reaching more than 3,000 text messages, 1,138 emails, 15 apps and 1,265 voicemails tasking for assistance. Anyone with information can reach the sheriff at 828-837-2589 or non-emergency dispatch at 828-835-3144.