Jul 22, 2008 12:28 pm US/Eastern
Woman Murdered At W. Balt. Dollar Store
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A female employee was found dead inside a West Baltimore store.
CBS
Baltimore City Police are investigating an apparent robbery and a stabbing inside a store in West Baltimore.
Derek Valcourt reports it happened at a Family Dollar store located on 1200-block of W. Pratt Street in the Mount Clare Shopping Center.
The victim is identified as 51-year-old Elizabeth Queensbury. Police say she was stabbed multiple times.
Disbelieving friends tried rushing to the crime scene after learning the identity of the victim. They then rushed off to Shock Trauma while homicide detectives searched for evidence in the murder of an assistant manager who was supposed to open the store for business Monday morning.
Police talked to employees as they tried to figure out how this could have happened.
"I come everyday, and I know they open at nine o'clock. That's how I knew something was wrong," said Michelle Wroten.
Wroten says the doors to the store were still locked when she showed up after nine. Other employees showed up for their shift and realized the store wasn't open.
The victim's body was discovered by those co-workers.
"When they arrived they were expecting the front door to already be open or at least for her to be there to let them in. And when that did not happen, they contacted another assistant manager who let them into the store," said Baltimore City Police spokesperson Donny Moses.
Police found the victim in a pool of blood, but they say it wasn't immediately obvious how she died.
Police suspect robbery as a motive.
"She was a kind person man. I wouldn't wish this on no one," said Troy Williams.
Outside the store, a small crowd of regular customers gathered in shock by the crime.
"I believe this city ain't safe no more man. You see what's going on in our neighborhoods now? We got little kids around here man," said Williams.
"Every time you turn around, there's something going on in the neighborhood around here. This is just getting crazy," said Jim Bareiss.
"They just killed the lady for nothing, you know, and it's just sad that things happen like this," said Daniel Long.
Investigators are now going to examine the store videotapes, hoping that will give them some clues. Police are also going to be looking at some of the information from the alarm company that protects the Family Dollar store.
In the meantime, the victim's body has to be taken to the medical examiner offices for an autopsy.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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