Police show sketch of teen wanted for questioning

Web posted September 1, 2000

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By Greg Rickabaugh
South Carolina Bureau

AIKEN - Detectives investigating the slaying of 17-year-old Jessica Carpenter have released a sketch of a young man who was seen loitering at a store near the victim's home Aug. 4.

The young man is wanted for questioning, according to Capt. Tom Galardi with the Aiken Department of Public Safety. He was hanging around Starvin Marvin on York Street for nearly two hours Aug. 4, carrying a large ledger or notebook, the captain said.

This sketch combines video camera and witness images.

Jessica was found dead inside her home on Brentwood Place in Crosland Park subdivision just before 6 p.m. that day. Because her home is just two blocks from the store, Starvin Marvin employees alerted police about the suspicious man, who was seen at the store from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

``They just thought it was odd, so we just want to see what he has to say,'' Capt. Galardi said. ``But at this point, we're not considering him a suspect. We're considering it an interview.''

The sketch portrays the same man who is pictured on the store's video surveillance camera, an image that was shown last week on television and in newspapers.

``We had eight to 10 people call in, and none of the names they gave us panned out,'' Capt. Galardi said. ``So we wanted to try something different.''

An expert from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division created the sketch after looking at the video surveillance camera and talking to store employees. The man is described as white, 18 or 19 years old, 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds and having dark hair.

Anyone with information on the identity of the person should call Aiken's detective division at (803) 642-7620.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (803) 279-6895.