LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock police said Monday they are seeking a suspect in the deadly attack on a local television anchorwoman, but warned city residents to maintain a "sense of discipline" to ensure that they wouldn't become victims, too.
Anne Pressley, 26, died Saturday from injuries suffered during a brutal beating in her home in what police believe was a random robbery.
Little Rock police said they haven’t yet identified the suspect by name and don’t have the person in custody.
"The suspect has not been arrested," said Little Rock police spokeswoman Sgt. Cassandra Davis.
Pressly's mother found her bleeding and severely wounded in bed Oct. 20 a half-hour before the popular anchor was due on the air.
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Police continued to say they still believe Pressly was attacked at random rather than because of her high-profile job on the city's ABC affiliate.
"We have not discovered anything that would lead us to believe she was a targeted individual," Davis said.
She suggested residents take the usual safety precautions rather than panic that the robber was still on the loose.
"Crime occurs throughout the city, and we are advising the citizens to maintain the same sense of discipline to keep themselves safe as we do all the year around," she said.
Pressly's purse was missing the morning of the attack.
Reports last week said one of the anchor's credit cards was used Oct. 20 at a service station near downtown Little Rock. Police won't comment on evidence obtained so far.
"We hope that we will be able to make an arrest from the information that we have received," she said.
Chief Stuart Thomas said Monday that his officers had been in contact with the FBI, the state police and the U.S. Marshals Service.
In a statement, he said his department has withheld specific information in an effort to keep the investigation focused but will release details if it's believed they will help detectives or keep the community safe.
Previously, police said there was no sign of forced entry at Pressly's home, a small wood-frame house near the Little Rock Country Club. Yellow police tape outlined the property and Davis said officers were returning to the scene as needed in a search for more evidence.
On the sidewalk outside the home stood a small shrine with flowers, stuffed animals and a Jesus figurine.
The station for which Pressly worked, KATV, established a reward fund for information. The station said the fund exceeds $30,000 and that Pressly's family has asked that contributions be made to it in lieu of flowers.
Pressly was born in South Carolina and moved with her family to Little Rock while she was in high school. She attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.
She had a small role as a conservative commentator in the new Oliver Stone movie "W."
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