2/17/08 Brianna Denison..Police: Killer is Local, Familiar With Area

Reno Gazette Journal

Someone reading this sentence might know Brianna Denison's killer.

They don't want to believe that he -- a boyfriend, husband, son, brother or friend -- is capable of such violence. But in their hearts, they suspect it's him, police said.

And investigators said they hope someone will come forward with their suspicions before the serial rapist who graduated to killer, assaults another woman.

"We're entering a phase of the investigation now that is going to continue to need the assistance (of the public)," said Reno Police Deputy Chief Jim Johns.

"I want to re-encourage members of our community to focus on the suspect's description and on the suspect's vehicle description.

Police said the killer might not necessarily have a violent criminal history. He might be a resident of the neighborhood immediately west of the UNR campus and/or might have intimate knowledge of the area. He might have lived or worked near the area of Prototype Drive and Sandhill Road because that choice of a location to leave the body indicates he had a sense of familiarity with the area.

Police describe the suspect as white man, between the ages of 28 and 40, with light brown/dirty blonde hair. He is 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet tall, with a slender to medium build.

"He has a long face and a square chin, and at the time of the disappearance of Brianna he had a short beard that was soft to the touch. He has a normal speech pattern. He doesn't have an identifiable accent," Johns said.

He said he wants people to remember someone who "has given a hint or gives them an odd feeling.

"Does he have a shaved pubic area? Has he changed his local address recently?" Johns asked. He said the man may have recently changed his place of business, shaved his beard or otherwise unexpectedly altered his appearance.

And Johns said the death of Denison must have affected the man's behavior. He might have begun acting strangely in the days following the woman's disappearance.

Even if the killer has left town, he probably still has ties, police said. They said the man's truck is a major clue.

"Do you know somebody who had access to the suspect vehicle or who has recently gotten rid of a vehicle that matches that description?" Johns said. "We need to know who that person is. Contact us. Give us that information so we can run those leads down."

Police are looking for an extended cab pickup or SUV with an interior dome light above the windshield. The vehicle is tall enough that it requires a step up to gain entry, but that step is not an added "aftermarket" step.

A floor-mounted console is described as "fairly skinny" that opens in front, and the radio has a blue and red LED display. The vehicle also has cloth seats and an automatic transmission. A baby shoe was on the front seat floor board, and 8½-by-11-inch white pieces of paper with typing on the floor board of the front seat.

It is believed that the killer entered the home where Denison slept on a couch some time after 4:30 a.m. Because the killer was out at such a late hour, he may have made up a story about his activities during the early morning of Jan. 20.

Please check the right side column here...list of numbers to call if you have any information at all. We all want to find this killer before he may kill again...