No Motive, Suspect in Tenn. Slayings
S M Y R N A, Tenn., July 13 -- The motive behind the triple slaying at aCaptain D’s restaurant remained under investigation today aspolice questioned several possible suspects and witnesses.
“There is no particular suspect they are focusing on,” saidSgt. Scott Byers of the Smyrna Police Department. “They are peoplewho may know something or who may have seen something, or who werebrought to investigators’ attention.”
Police today also identified the third victim as BryanSpeight, 29, an assistant manager who recently moved to Nashvillefrom the Washington D.C.-area.
Dead Bodies Found in Cooler
Speight and manager Scott Myers, 42, of Memphis were found deadin the restaurant’s cooler Wednesday. Police discovered them afterfinding the body of another worker, Troy Snell, 18, in a car parkedbehind a Big Kmart discount store, a quarter-mile behindCaptain D’s.
Snell was found about 2:30 a.m. in the driver’s seat. Policewouldn’t discuss why he was in the car, the significance of wherehe was parked, or who placed the 911 call to report the body.
Autopsies completed today showed the men died from gunshotwounds, but Byers would not say where on the body or how many timesthe men were shot.
“That’s considered confidential information at this time,” hesaid.
No Clear Motive
Initially, police said the men were shot in an apparent robbery.Byers said robbery is still a possible motive, but others are underinvestigation.
“We are not ruling out anything or anyone,” he said.
Byers said the department has received about 100 calls frompeople offering potentially helpful information. Officers also setup a roadblock outside the restaurant Wednesday night to askmotorists if they recalled seeing anything unusual the previousnight. From that, investigators gained several leads.
But Byers said to his knowledge, there was no one who actuallywitnessed the killings.
Police also have interviewed current and former workers of theCaptain D’s and people who are acquaintances of store workers.