BATON ROUGE, La. – Refusing to rely solely on the police and FBI, relatives and friends of three women murdered by the same man are sharing information and hoping to find a link that will lead them to the serial killer.
The family of the latest victim, Pam Kinamore, is offering a $75,000 reward in exchange for information leading to the conviction of the man who slashed Kinamore's throat, strangled Gina Wilson Green and stabbed Charlotte Murray Pace.
Two billboards offering the reward went up Wednesday, one near Kinamore's home and another near her antique store, both emblazoned with a huge picture of Kinamore and the words "Justice for Pam. Justice for All."
Women in Louisiana's capital were on edge after police confirmed on Monday the three unsolved slayings were the work of a serial killer.
Many walkers and joggers were staying away from a Louisiana State University path near where two of the slain women had lived at one point, although only one of the victims was attacked in her home near the path.
"There's normally a lot of cars, but we were the only ones here," said Donna Pfefferle, 45, as she walked on the lakeside path with friend Debra Sorel.
Police on Monday said DNA evidence shows that the man who killed Kinamore July 12 also was responsible for the Sept. 24 strangling of Green and the May 31 stabbing death of Pace. Police had linked the Pace and Green cases two weeks earlier.
Police set up a hot line for information about the cases and offered safety seminars in the city of 230,000. Some residents said they are taking precautions.
"I now pay attention to who's around my neighborhood at different times so I know a safe haven to go to if I need one," Sorel said.
Karli Smith, a 19-year-old senior at LSU, said she has grown a little nervous about walking in the dark or alone. "I try not to be too paranoid about things like that," she said. "I do try to stay aware of my surroundings."
Green, a 41-year-old nurse, was found strangled in her home. Pace, 22, lived three doors away at the time of Green's death. Pace was stabbed to death two days after she moved into a townhouse that she had rented for the summer. It is not known whether the two women knew each other.
Kinamore, a 44-year-old decorator and owner of an antiques store, was abducted from her home. Her throat was cut and her body was left about 30 miles away from Baton Rouge.
Police would not comment on the details of the investigation but said they are examining nearly three dozen other unsolved murders of women over the last decade to see if any of those cases are connected. The FBI is helping.