It looks like there’s been a break in the murder case of Auburn student Lauren Burk. An arrest was made yesterday. Here’s the story from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution...
By KAREN ROSEN, TIM EBERLY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday evening, WSB-TV reported that there had been an arrest in connection with Burk's death following a high-speed chase. While officials would not confirm the connection, Curt Lewis, a Phenix City police lieutenant, said a 22-year-old from the Smith Station community near Phenix City, was arrested following a high-speed chase late Friday morning.
After his arrest, the man confessed to robbing an elderly woman last week outside a Wal-mart in Phenix City, as well as four other robberies in the area. Lewis said police found evidence in the man's car that linked him to at least one of the robberies, but would neither confirm nor deny that they found evidence in his car that also linked him to Burk. But he did say they would attend a Saturday morning press conference in Auburn related to the Burk case.
Shortly before 10 p.m. officers walked the robber out of the police department and to a patrol car to take him to the Russell County jail in Phenix City. The man didn't respond to a reporter's question about Burk's murder.
Auburn Assistant Police Chief Thomas Dawson said earlier in the day Friday that authorities had "strong leads" in Burk's murder investigation.
Burk, 18, from east Cobb County, was shot Tuesday night and later died at a hospital. Her 2001 Honda Civic was discovered on fire in a parking lot near a dormitory about 20 minutes after the shooting was reported to police.
In other developments in the case Friday police also said a gas can found in downtown Auburn is being tested for possible DNA evidence or fingerprints.
Police distributed two photos of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's car. They asked anyone who saw a vehicle matching that description Tuesday to contact the task force at 334-501-3140 or the tip line at 334-501-7337.
At a news conference in Marietta, Burk's family established a public reward fund to help catch her killer in addition to the $10,000 offered by Alabama's governor.