thedrifter
01-09-06, 07:54 AM
Article published Jan 9, 2006
Search on for SFCC students' killers
By TIFFANY PAKKALA
Sun staff writer
In a photo on her Web site, Amber Peck can be seen grinning with one hand on her hip, looking as if she's ready to take on the world.
"This is me! Just as I am!" wrote the Santa Fe Community College student whose passions were wildlife and dancing, according to her self-written profile on MySpace.com.
Meanwhile, snapshots of her classmate John Parker show a young Marine standing somewhere overseas during a break from his service in Afghanistan. A later photo shows the young father after his days in the military, standing shirtless with his long hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Both Gainesville residents dreamed of careers that would bring them closer to their love of nature. The two were close friends. They went camping together Tuesday night with plans to return Wednesday morning. But instead no one heard a word from them, and on Saturday family members found the two shot to death in Ocala National Forest.
Their bodies were found near Hidden Pond, just off the Florida Trail. Marion sheriff's Maj. Chris Blair said the bodies were found laying down near the edge of the pond, which was in an open area of the rough terrain.
The pair would have reached the spot only by wading through knee- and waist-high water several times, said Marion Sheriff's Capt. Dennis Strow.
Sheriff's deputies spent the day Sunday investigating in Marion and Alachua counties, declining to speculate whether the killer of the two 26-year-olds was a random passerby or someone they knew. But authorities said the deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide.
"We're making some headway," Alachua County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Keith Faulk said Sunday morning, noting "a lot of physical evidence" was collected in the forest. Deputies also impounded both victims' vehicles.
"We feel pretty strongly that the crime occurred where the bodies were found," he added, calling it a "brutal homicide" and adding that, while autopsy results are pending, the murders likely occurred Tuesday or Wednesday judging from the pair's plans for a single night of camping.
Marion County investigators spent the day at the scene, then left three sheriff's deputies to guard it overnight so investigators could continue their work this morning. The victims' families also were expected to meet with deputies today to find out any new developments in the investigation.
In Alachua County Sunday, two Marion County detectives joined local detectives in the Gainesville area. "We're talking to people of interest, people (the victims) last saw, trying to find out more about them and what type of lifestyles they led," Faulk said. He said it appeared the pair had camped at the same site before.
John Parker's sister, Bethany Parker, recalled a man with an adventurous streak who was easygoing and friendly. He had an 8-year-old daughter and worked in Veterans' Affairs in Gainesville, though it was unclear Sunday what his specific job was.
Bethany Parker said her brother lived in Massachusetts until age 15, then he moved to Interlachen and attended high school there. He moved to Gainesville more recently to attend SFCC, where he's been a student since spring 2004. He was interested in a career in forestry or conservation.
"He was just a great, all-around guy," the sister said. She last saw him on his 26th birthday, which was Dec. 29.
Peck moved to Gainesville from Mason, Mich., two years ago, starting classes in spring 2005 with plans to complete an associate's degree and then continue to study biology or zoology in Australia.
Attempts to reach Peck's friends and family members were unsuccessful Sunday, however one of Peck's neighbors at Pine Tree Gardens Apartments off SW 20th Avenue recalled that she was friendly and sporty.
"The first time I spoke to her, she was riding a bike," said Brand Gonzalez, who lived in an apartment above hers. "She told me she liked to ride on the Hawthorne Trail."
He said there were never noises or disturbances coming from Peck's apartment, and he rarely saw her with anyone other than her roommate.
The lights were out in Peck's apartment Sunday, which she shared with the roommate who reported her missing Friday. Neighbors said the home was cordoned off with about seven police vehicles parked in front of it Saturday, but on Sunday the home was vacant. On the patio, there was a bicycle, two garden gnomes and an upside-down plastic pail with a shovel.
SFCC lowered its flag to half-mast Sunday, and the college plans to host information and counseling sessions throughout the day today.
School President Jackson Sasser contacted both students' families to express his sympathies and offer any assistance the college could give. "We're considering some kind of memorial, but we want to wait and see what the families' wishes are," said college spokesman Larry Keen.
He said Peck was recently elected president of the college's Environmental Harmony group, a club that works to clean up the environment. He said the group often participated in "activities" together, but said there was no indication Peck and Parker's trip was school-related.
Marion sheriff's Maj. Blair said Sunday evening investigators had questioned 25 to 30 campers and hunters. Among them were Tom Holton and three companions. Wearing orange vests, they were hunting for deer when they they ran into the sheriff's deputies. "We didn't know anything about it until officials approached us about it," Holton said.
Deer season in the forest ended Sunday. It was unclear Sunday how far out of the areas designated for shooting or hunting the two victims were found, but Blair said investigators don't believe any accidental hunting-related gunshots were to blame. Nor were the deaths a case of murder-suicide. "It was some scum with a gun," said Bill Harrell, one of the officials for the nearby Shanty Pond Recreational Area. "But it's sad whatever happened."
Blair said the Sheriff's Office could not speculate what happened to the two. Autopsies are expected to be completed today.
Anyone with information can call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP. Strow announced Sunday the Sheriff's Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed the two students.
Millard K. Ives of the Ocala Star-Banner contributed to this report.
Ellie
Search on for SFCC students' killers
By TIFFANY PAKKALA
Sun staff writer
In a photo on her Web site, Amber Peck can be seen grinning with one hand on her hip, looking as if she's ready to take on the world.
"This is me! Just as I am!" wrote the Santa Fe Community College student whose passions were wildlife and dancing, according to her self-written profile on MySpace.com.
Meanwhile, snapshots of her classmate John Parker show a young Marine standing somewhere overseas during a break from his service in Afghanistan. A later photo shows the young father after his days in the military, standing shirtless with his long hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Both Gainesville residents dreamed of careers that would bring them closer to their love of nature. The two were close friends. They went camping together Tuesday night with plans to return Wednesday morning. But instead no one heard a word from them, and on Saturday family members found the two shot to death in Ocala National Forest.
Their bodies were found near Hidden Pond, just off the Florida Trail. Marion sheriff's Maj. Chris Blair said the bodies were found laying down near the edge of the pond, which was in an open area of the rough terrain.
The pair would have reached the spot only by wading through knee- and waist-high water several times, said Marion Sheriff's Capt. Dennis Strow.
Sheriff's deputies spent the day Sunday investigating in Marion and Alachua counties, declining to speculate whether the killer of the two 26-year-olds was a random passerby or someone they knew. But authorities said the deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide.
"We're making some headway," Alachua County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Keith Faulk said Sunday morning, noting "a lot of physical evidence" was collected in the forest. Deputies also impounded both victims' vehicles.
"We feel pretty strongly that the crime occurred where the bodies were found," he added, calling it a "brutal homicide" and adding that, while autopsy results are pending, the murders likely occurred Tuesday or Wednesday judging from the pair's plans for a single night of camping.
Marion County investigators spent the day at the scene, then left three sheriff's deputies to guard it overnight so investigators could continue their work this morning. The victims' families also were expected to meet with deputies today to find out any new developments in the investigation.
In Alachua County Sunday, two Marion County detectives joined local detectives in the Gainesville area. "We're talking to people of interest, people (the victims) last saw, trying to find out more about them and what type of lifestyles they led," Faulk said. He said it appeared the pair had camped at the same site before.
John Parker's sister, Bethany Parker, recalled a man with an adventurous streak who was easygoing and friendly. He had an 8-year-old daughter and worked in Veterans' Affairs in Gainesville, though it was unclear Sunday what his specific job was.
Bethany Parker said her brother lived in Massachusetts until age 15, then he moved to Interlachen and attended high school there. He moved to Gainesville more recently to attend SFCC, where he's been a student since spring 2004. He was interested in a career in forestry or conservation.
"He was just a great, all-around guy," the sister said. She last saw him on his 26th birthday, which was Dec. 29.
Peck moved to Gainesville from Mason, Mich., two years ago, starting classes in spring 2005 with plans to complete an associate's degree and then continue to study biology or zoology in Australia.
Attempts to reach Peck's friends and family members were unsuccessful Sunday, however one of Peck's neighbors at Pine Tree Gardens Apartments off SW 20th Avenue recalled that she was friendly and sporty.
"The first time I spoke to her, she was riding a bike," said Brand Gonzalez, who lived in an apartment above hers. "She told me she liked to ride on the Hawthorne Trail."
He said there were never noises or disturbances coming from Peck's apartment, and he rarely saw her with anyone other than her roommate.
The lights were out in Peck's apartment Sunday, which she shared with the roommate who reported her missing Friday. Neighbors said the home was cordoned off with about seven police vehicles parked in front of it Saturday, but on Sunday the home was vacant. On the patio, there was a bicycle, two garden gnomes and an upside-down plastic pail with a shovel.
SFCC lowered its flag to half-mast Sunday, and the college plans to host information and counseling sessions throughout the day today.
School President Jackson Sasser contacted both students' families to express his sympathies and offer any assistance the college could give. "We're considering some kind of memorial, but we want to wait and see what the families' wishes are," said college spokesman Larry Keen.
He said Peck was recently elected president of the college's Environmental Harmony group, a club that works to clean up the environment. He said the group often participated in "activities" together, but said there was no indication Peck and Parker's trip was school-related.
Marion sheriff's Maj. Blair said Sunday evening investigators had questioned 25 to 30 campers and hunters. Among them were Tom Holton and three companions. Wearing orange vests, they were hunting for deer when they they ran into the sheriff's deputies. "We didn't know anything about it until officials approached us about it," Holton said.
Deer season in the forest ended Sunday. It was unclear Sunday how far out of the areas designated for shooting or hunting the two victims were found, but Blair said investigators don't believe any accidental hunting-related gunshots were to blame. Nor were the deaths a case of murder-suicide. "It was some scum with a gun," said Bill Harrell, one of the officials for the nearby Shanty Pond Recreational Area. "But it's sad whatever happened."
Blair said the Sheriff's Office could not speculate what happened to the two. Autopsies are expected to be completed today.
Anyone with information can call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP. Strow announced Sunday the Sheriff's Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed the two students.
Millard K. Ives of the Ocala Star-Banner contributed to this report.
Ellie