Texas will punish those responsible for prosecutor slayings, governor vows; $200K reward offered
The governor of Texas vowed at a press conference today that the state would hunt down and punish those responsible for slaying two prosecutors within a two-month period and announced that the state is adding $100,000 in reward money to the $100,000 already put up by Kaufman County.
“We’re going to hunt you down. We’re going to punish you,” said Gov. Rick Perry at a Thursday news conference. “We will not let this cower us. Texas is a law-and-order state, and we will track down and punish those who have committed this crime,” ABC News reports.
He and other officials urged the public to come forward with any information that might be of use, no matter how minor, the Associated Press reports.
A CNN article details what is being done to investigate the killings.
Officials have not publicly announced any motive for the assassinations of Mark Hasse, who was shot to death in January in a parking lot near the Kaufman County courthouse; and District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, who were found shot to death at their home less than a week ago.
However, investigators are looking at possible links to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a prison gang, and Mexican drug cartels, the ABC article notes.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Probe of Colo. prisons chief murder focuses on other slayings, possible gang involvement”
ABAJournal.com: “Texas DA and his wife are killed, two months after slaying of another prosecutor in his office”
ABAJournal.com: “Courthouse locked after county sheriff is shot to death outside; ‘nobody’s safe,’ magistrate says”
Nation Now (Los Angeles Times, reg. req.): “W. Virginia sheriff’s slaying continues deadly year for officials”