I am shocked and saddened that this kind of random violence has come to our community. My sympathies to the victims and their family. I pray that those who perpetrated such a heinous crime will be located and brought to justice quickly. There is no place in this world for this kind of senseless killing. Regardless, God will judge those who apparently have no regard for human life. Thank goodness Virginia does still have the death penalty.

Posted by va0101 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What could have been the motive (assuming it was random)? Petty Theft? Rape? ...

The possibilities are all pretty grim.

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by lgiglio (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:26 p.m.

I don't know what frightens me more: the thought of random violence, or xenophobes like Igiglio. The Internet Tough Guy act is all well and good, but it doesn't address this tragedy. If the killer(s) turn out to be Americans or even legal aliens, I'm sure you'll be the first to issue a public apology.

Posted by rdr652 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What is wrong with you people (the ones like lgiglio)? Someone is dead and another person is hanging on by a thread and all you can do is reply with that kind of rubbish?

My prayers are with the family.

Posted by amyhobbit (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To the last poster: you could use an anger management class and a course in logic 101. Please reserve your vitriol and spare the rest of us from reading it. The possibility exists that the perpetrators are "illegals" from the land YOU came from.

Posted by tonyromo (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sorry you feel that way, Tonyromo. And, I think that "vitriol" was demonstrated by the poster who called out and threatened a group of people, suggesting that he would be carrying out some sort of retribution. As for the land I come from: it's the United States (not that it's relevant in this discussion, but you brought it up).

I'll concur with amyhobbit. The tragedy here is that a person died, and his wife was critically injured. My thoughts are with their family and my hopes are that Sheriff Simpson and his extremely capable team are able to resolve this tragedy quickly.

Posted by rdr652 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I only wish the husband had been carrying his gun, concealed or not, and perhaps we would be talking about an attempted attack.

My thoughts are with the family.

Posted by cheekymonkey (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Monkey, I couldn't agree with you more.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

That indeed appears to be the ironic thing - that he had a permit for a concealed weapon but chose not to carry it during his jog. I will bet there are many people in that area who are now wondering if they, too should purchase a weapon for protection.

Posted by va0101 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"that he had a permit for a concealed weapon"

Where did you read this? And besides, nobody goes jogging with a gun.

Posted by dingus3 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My prayers go out to the family.

Posted by tyaisha (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dingus3: Didn't you read the story that you're commenting on? It clearly says "authorities learned their identities by the man's fingerprints, which were on file because he owned a concealed weapon".

cheekymonkey: are we allowed to carry concealed weapons in VA? My husband has been thinking about getting a handgun and I've been against it, but this horrific crime has me re-thinking.

Posted by nazimansoor (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I also feel a great concern that this is happening "in our community", but frankly is it really that much of a surprise to anyone?

Ashburn, literally across the street on Route 7 and immediately to the West in Leesburg, attacks have happened far too often to suit anyone. This is "our community" as well. These locations are what, less than 5 minutes away by car?

With all due respect to "va0101", How about instead of being shocked and saddened, we do something about it: Are you involved in your neighborhood watch? Are you involved in "your community" in any way? And by involved I don't just mean going to church on Sundays.

We'll all be at our best when we're helping each other, and not ignoring what goes on around us, hoping or praying it doesn't happen in "your community."

Posted by JFirestone (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Nazimansoor, you need a permit first. However, Virginia currently does not have any law criminalizing "open carry". Until you get your concealed carry permit, you can openly carry your gun on your side, in your waistband, in a visible shoulder holster. Just don't carry it in your hand, since that is against the law and considered brandishing a firearm.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So sad, more the reason to have a concealed weapons permit. I mean it's not a good thing to have to shoot anybody but we can't take our safety for granted.

Posted by edward.humphrey (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

@JFirestone
You don't know me and if you did you'd realize you are probably so far off base with that comment that you'd be embarrassed. Realize that no one believes that the citizens as a whole can rectify this better than me.

But this is a time to show the victims respect and focus on catching the perpetrators.

Posted by va0101 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My thoughts and prayers are with the surviving victim and her family. May you receive the comfort and support you need at such an awful time.

Posted by momof2 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"God will judge those who apparently have no regard for human life. Thank goodness Virginia does still have the death penalty."

Delicious irony.

Posted by Corn_Laden (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The WP needs to get a handle on their comment sections- perhaps hide the comments so we can read the article without the attached bile, or do away with comments entirely.
.
I much prefer to live under the illusion that LoCo is populated with intelligent, thoughtful, cultured people.

Posted by AFF3 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

" .... you need a permit first. " Oh really ?

Posted by mitlen (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As a resident of Potomac Station I have walked and jogged on that same path countless times, at virtually every time of the day, and have never felt a need to arm myself. However, in light of whats happened here, I will be rethinking all options. A concealed carry permit is definitely one of them. Earlier posts about community involvement are spot on; we need to all be vigilant to keep this sort of thing from recurring. Alas, it appears that Sterling Park is spreading westward.

Posted by Randall_Flagg (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Scary. Really scary. Especially since as a female you always get it drilled into your head that you're safer in pairs or with a man than alone. What is this world coming to that a nice couple not bothering anyone can have this happen to them???

Posted by sickofit1 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 2:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is such a sad story. Senseless killing has decimated and destroyed a family. I really wish the man had been carrying his weapon for personal protection, and maybe the world would have one less criminal instead of a law-abiding citizen today.

Posted by Chuckled (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I couldn't agree more with Chuckled. If the victim had been armed, he and his wife could well have escaped and the world might be rid of one or more violent criminals. Who would have ever guessed it would be unsafe to jog along Riverside Parkway at 5:00 AM on Sunday?

Posted by Randall_Flagg (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

AFF3 - LoCo is populated with intelligent, thoughtful, cultured people. I live in that neighborhood and used to frequent the access to Goose Creek in that area with my children. Anyone who lives in the area now knows that the wonderful immigrants who clean our homes and bus our tables, have decided that this creek is a great place to catch fish for dinner, and to wash their clothes. They do this all weekend long all spring, summer and fall. They also leave all of their trash, light campfires in the woods, and destroy the area for everyone else.
I am not racist, but I have become prejudiced. This is a normal reaction to watching my community becoming destroyed by one group.
If it is 'racist' to observe that the majority of the violent crimes in Loudoun have been committed by Spanish speaking people (63% according to FBI Reports 2001-2004)then I am happily a racist.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The definition of xenophobic is "A person unduly fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or foreign peoples."

Of course, note the "unduly". Considering the original poster's reference to FBI crime statistics, it may possibly be that the poster's fear is not "unduly" aimed at one group and therefore is not xenophobic.

Stop judging everyone else for expressing their fears. The poster did not say anything hateful but rather described his/her observations and perceptions.

God Bless the poor man who died, and his wife who is fighting for life. I wish he had been carrying and unloaded some rounds into the animals who committed this crime.

Posted by fighterDC (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Lansdowner is right. I hike the path along Goose Creek and see their trash littering the area - fish bait, beer bottles, fast food packaging, etc etc. Not once have I seen any of those people pack out their garbage. Also, it is not "racist" to quote the statistics and identify groups who commit the majority of violent crimes in an area. Natually, they are the most likely perpetrators of new crimes. That does not mean that they committed the crime, just that its more likely than not that they did. It's time we stopped with the fluffy-headed PC nonsense of the sort that requires 80-year old grandmothers and 18 to 45 year old moslem men be treated as equally suspect when boarding an aircraft.

enough said --

Posted by Randall_Flagg (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

People fish and wash their clothes in Goose Creek? ICE needs to be alerted.

Posted by dpunty (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Fighterdc, perhaps you should have read the post in its original context before it was removed. The OP wasn't quoting statistics nor engaging in thoughtful debate. Rather, he posted an inflammatory message promising violence against "illegals", whom he (or she) had deemed guilty of this heinous crime. Also, let me note that the OP to whom I responded didn't quote a single statistic. Again, my response to a post that was removed, so there's no longer a way to parse the OP's words.

All of the rhetoric aside, I'm a Loudoun County resident who's horrified by this crime, and will feel much better when the suspects are captured and brought to justice.

Posted by rdr652 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Quote: If it is 'racist' to observe that the majority of the violent crimes in Loudoun have been committed by Spanish speaking people (63% according to FBI Reports 2001-2004)then I am happily a racist.

For proper statistics, you need to look at the numbers in whole, not just from a select group. Making such a general correlation is not indicative of intelligence, thoughtfulness, or culture.

Ask other questions, such as What percentage of the population is hispanic? What percentage of violence based on per-capita income? etc.

If after actually researching the subject completely you still come to the same conclusion, then great, you're not a racist; rather you're a stater of facts. On the other hand, to draw an entire population persecuting conclusion from a single unwarranted figure not only makes you a racist; it makes you an inducer of paranoia and a extreme detriment to the society in whole. May as well start screaming FIRE in movie theaters.

Jeez - haven't any of you taken basic college level courses?? You should know better!!

Posted by swu69 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Anyone wonder if they went for an early walk or run and ran across a drug transaction by accident?

Posted by GenuineRisk (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 3:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)

swu69 - That is the data, do we need per-capita income so we can differentiate the ultra poor from the poor? The FBI stats for violent crimes in LoCo 2001-2004 63% Latino, 27% Afro American, 10% White. There is no need to differentiate socioeconomic standings when 90% are listed below the median income range for the county.

I know that I am not racist, as I stand on facts. Should people be paranoid? They are paranoid that if they speak out about any group that is not white, they will be labeled as a racist. 99% of the illegals who come here take jobs that no one else wants and work incredibly hard, but that 1% ruins the majority of the honest hard work, with criminal behavior.

BTW - I have not completed an basic college courses, I am only living in the neighborhood due to lax mortgage lenders handing out no doc jumbo loans. Thanks for filling me in.

GenuineRisk - Not too often that people sell drugs in a van on a 4 lane road in a residential area that is heavily policed for speeders.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

@swu69:
Enough with the semantic PC BS already. Maybe it makes you feel less guilty for thinking what others have the fortitude to say. Namely that the influx of Spanish-speaking individuals and illegals into Loudoun has directly contributed to the increase in crime and deterioration of local communities.
Yes, it may make you feel uncomfortable to say it, but that doesn't make it any less true.

Now I do not know if this crime was perpetrated by members of the Hispanic community or not, and neither do you. But based on past events it is not a stretch nor racist to at least wonder whether the same may be true here.

Posted by SavedByZero (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Dingus, from the article.

"They were not carrying identification, but authorities learned their identities by the man's fingerprints, which were on file because he owned a concealed weapon, Simpson said."

I know people that jog with their gun, they aren't carrying it in a waistband like Plaxico.

Posted by cheekymonkey (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

We should have a 8pm curfew for non-whites so this does not happen again.

The circumstances around this incident certainly seem to give us reason to think that is was probably a group of Latinos, or one giant Latino with superhuman strength and a van of course.

Posted by AWaidner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Landsdowne is a Johnny-come-lately development that has nothing to do with Loudoun County. My family left Loudoun after generations there because of cookie cutter development. I would say the coming of hordes of credit and mini-van-equipped whites did as much damage or more than the influx of Latinos to Loudoun. Who has had a worse effect on the aesthetics of Loudoun? the ones camping by the river out of sight?
And nobody even knows what the nationality is of the alleged perpetrators of this awful crime.

Posted by jason_leeford (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'd like to urge everyone to contact their Supervisor in Loudoun and ask them NOT to cut the public safety budget. For anyone that is following the budget debates, they are asking for 5% cuts across all departments except the school budget. The school budget currently encompasses 75% ($787 million) of the total budget and at this point Hatrick is only willing to make a 1.5% cut, 11.8 million dollars. All remaining departments are expected to take large cuts despite their already unequal portion of the budget.

While you and I are typing on this horrible story, it will be repeated and repeated again only because our Supervisors do not take our safety seriously. Did anyone read about the 75 year old rape victim that had to testify at the trial of her attacker? Does anyone remember the shootings and stabbings in Sterling last summer? Don't think this violence is staying in the east, you western loudouners better watch out.

We are building a brand new LCSO Substation in Sterling and the budget will not allow the Sheriff to staff that substation. It is insanity.

If you are as tired as I am about what is happening in Loudoun County you must educate yourself. Please go to www.loudountaxpayer.com and read the numbers for yourself. Our kids deserve good schools, but they also deserve to live in a safe community. We already have the good schools, let's concentrate on Public Safety.

Posted by cheekymonkey (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

SavedByZero: Why don't you first figure out what PC means. Now, until someone puts some real solid facts behind their arguments labeling nearly ALL hispanics as violent and immoral, you're all just ignorant. Asking for that isn't PC - its called THINKING. Here's some more mass hysteria from the eighties - You should all stop shaking hands with black people because they all have AIDS.

Posted by swu69 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

HeyCheeky: you should also ask yourself how a county that grew at such a frenetic pace for two decades (bringing in all that tax income) and was home to one of the largest and most prosperous companies in the world (AOL) can't scrape together money to staff a little police station a few years later? Selling your soul is never a good thing.

Posted by jason_leeford (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

as stated yesterday, an educated guess would be a hispanic male, in his 30's, travels the road frequently, works close by (probably at the town center), drives a construction vehicle, etc. call me whatever you want, but life is about making educated decisions, and in this case, it points in one direction especially since you just don't happen upon the parkway. the area under the bridge is frequented by white, high school age kids, but none that would be driving a white panel van at 530 am. i assume since 90% of the construction industry is hispanic, that this is down the right path... i am in construction, and most folks i deal with are very hard working people who want to better their lives, but there is the 10% who are bad and prey upon society. i hope the repsonsible party is hung from the adjacent bridge.

Posted by mallratz90210 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Facts from the internet:

Between 2000 and 2006, Loudoun County's population increased by 64% (110k persons).

Reported crimes in 2000: 3752
Reported crimes in 2007: 3962
% increase: 6%

Now, this was from a quick internet search, and the numbers may be off. Please correct any figures that may be inaccurate. But at least I took the minute to research, before automatically assuming that due to a local murder with zero suspects that Loudoun County is a cesspool of illegal hispanic immigrants that do nothing but fornicate and kill people.

Posted by swu69 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you notice, I posted facts to which swu69 had nothing to say, but the ad hominem attacks used by posters like swu69 are normal for people with nothing but "We Are the World" rhetoric.

Also cheekymonkey, your argument to use a single horrific incident to increase government spending is regrettable. Your assertion that our county supervisors are willfully ignoring our safety is reactionary and ridiculous. Our crime rates are incredibly low, and one crime does not warrant massive changes to the status quo. Lets try more personal responsibility and a little less reliance on the government to solve your irrational fears.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

swu69, your figures would be fantastic other than 2 glaring over sites.
#1 That population increase only accounts for tracked legal residents, no illegals calculated into that.
#2 This would be tracked as a violent crime. Your assertion would be that it was an increase in crime of 6% is wrong. What is the increase in violent crime during the same period?
Man this lack of college education is killing me......

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

#3 That "facts form the internet" are always right, please quote your sources.
Your arguments are formed in a manor that does not show the whole picture since you only want to expose the portion that makes your ridiculous beliefs palatable.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

What Lansdowner fails to "get" is that the Fed government (including the FBI) would not publish the population break down of crimes, b/c it would not be PC to do so. Unless s/he can provide us w/ a link to his "stats" s/he most likely made them up to "illustrate" her/his racism.

Posted by llm (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For all you armchair investigators out there, drop all your uninformed theories of the crime and let the sheriff's department do their job.

If you will recall, the DC Sniper Task Force spent an inordinate amount of time and effort on a "white van" that had nothing to do with Muhammad and Malvo. Similarly, the police in the Virginia Tech shooting rampage wasted two hours looking for Emily Hilscher's boyfriend instead of locking down the campus and searching for a gunman, all because of a "theory" that her boyfriend might have shot her and the resident dorm assistant.

Your speculation contributes absolutely nothing to the discussion and represents counter-productive pressure on law enforcement to not explore all leads.

Posted by hisroc (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Landsdowner- how long have you lived in Loudoun? Who is the "newcomer"?
As I said, the hordes of McMansion-dwellers did more to screw up Loudoun (or LOCO pleasssse) than immigrants ever will.

Posted by jason_leeford (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I originally moved here in '87, I have watched this town go from one McDonalds to two, to three, and back to two.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"What Lansdowner fails to "get" is that the Fed government (including the FBI) would not publish the population break down of crimes, b/c it would not be PC to do so."

Also it is against the law to do so. It is called "racial profiling" It is against the fed law to use race (and often nationality or religion) to identify a person as a suspect or potential suspect. Racial profiling is one of the ways that racism is manifested and perpetuated. Which is what "Landsdowner" is doing...

Posted by llm (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by wangbang747 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:26 p.m.

not trying to attack you specifically- I would just wait to learn more here before assuming it was a Latino.

Posted by jason_leeford (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

From a Loudoun County supervisor: Note that there is no mention of deporting Lopez, an illegal alien invader - -

">>> ILLEGAL ALIEN MS 13 MEMBER PLEADS GUILTY

ASSOCIATED GANG MEMBER ALSO IN COUNTRY ILLEGALLY

On Monday, March 16, Jhonny Lopez, 21, entered pleas of guilt in Loudoun County Circuit Court to Malicious Wounding (Felony) and Identity Theft (Misdemeanor) resulting from an incident at the Dulles Town Center Mall on March 1, 2008.

Lopez, and an employee working at one of the kiosks, became involved in a verbal dispute, the specifics of which are still unclear. Following the dispute, Lopez proceeded to the second level of the mall and entered the Disney Store where he stole a decorative porcelain statue attached to a snow globe (see attached photo for similar in-tact item).

Lopez proceeded to the railing where he dropped the item onto the victim, striking him in the head and causing a laceration requiring stitches. Witnesses were able to identify Lopez who was stopped in the parking lot shortly thereafter by Sheriff's Deputies.

"These guilty pleas will put us in a strong position to advocate for a lengthy sentence that should help keep this repeat criminal off the street for several years," said Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Plowman.

Lopez has an extensive record of violence from 2006 to the present which includes Assault & Battery by Mob, Simple Assault (x2), Trespassing on School Property, Possession of Marijuana, Destruction of Property, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Petit Larceny (x3), all misdemeanors. Lopez has been convicted in the Courts of Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington."

Posted by segeny (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LLM - the FBI produces UCR's, you will have to read them and do some calculations, but the reports and the breakouts are not difficult to understand.
This will require some work on your part, no straight link for you, but www.fbi.gov would be a good starting point.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

In general, deportation would occur after he completes his prison sentance.

Posted by rdr652 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

There is no pop breakdown in those reports, Lasdowner just types of crime. Like I said earlier it is illegal to publish something like that b/c it just perpetuates racial profiling which is what you are doing. Look, as a Fed, I know how it works. Please find a different place to proliferate your hatred. This story about two victims does not need it nor will it help the community heal after such a tragic incident. You really are bringing the whole thread down. Crime happens everywhere and can be committed by anyone. You and I are not the "experts" on the crime, nor do we know about any of the evidence so let the cops do their job and stop trying to perpetuate your hate. It is disgusting!!!

Posted by llm (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Lansdowner - Sorry, I'm at work and spent all of 2 minutes "digging." I just didn't want to sound like a hypocrite by telling people state facts without some of my own. Sort of brings me to the same level as everyone else, if you know what I mean! Maybe if I'm bored enough tonight, I'll do some real research.

I've read through some more comments. You folks are hilarious!! "Illegal Immigrant Invader"??? I don't know if I should laugh or be truly scared of the white folk in Loudoun County. After all, I'm not hispanic, but neither am I Caucazoid. Maybe the hispanic folks are not the only ethnicity we should be afraid of - sounds like you all are on the dangerous brink of bringing back the lynch mob...

Posted by swu69 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

LLM - Amazing that you managed to read 5 50 page reports and break them out in 8 minutes. Rather than give the overview of a report a 5 minute glance and then attempt to discredit a rational argument about violent crime statistics in our area by associating facts with hate, you should actually do some research yourself.
Racial Profiling is not illegal, and has only been cited as an possible issue with traffic stops, not violent crime. I know that we should all learn to get along, but unfortunately there are people who do commit crimes, and tracking them by ethnicity is not racist, it is simply a tool used to predict current and future patterns.

Posted by Lansdowner (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The best of luck to LOCO Sheriffs office as I know the odds are against them.
These savages live in their own little world of anonymity which makes it easier to prey on innocent citizens.
When we watch our neighbors get slaughtered
and we are no longer outraged, no longer demand answers and are no longer surprised, God help us.

Posted by menopausequeen (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 5:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have been through those reports before Lansdowner and know what they are organized by. Also, I found there is no need to waste more time on a troll like you- who will use any "excuse" (e.g. you gave: "research") to perpetuate your racism. What I hate is that YOUR actions and words ARE racist, yet you try and assert you aren't, which is pathetic and a bit ignorant of your own actions!

BTW, as is stated under the Equal Protection Clause to the Constitution, as well as federal and state civil rights laws, the police may not consider race in their enforcement activity, except when they seek a particular person described in part by race.
Racial profiling is NOT legal. The Fourth Amendment in United States Constitution protects our rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, meaning that the police must have reasonable suspicion that a crime is occurring before they stop a suspect. REASONABLE does not mean race, mr Lansdowner.

Racial profiling violates the democratic ideals of the United States. It does not abide by this country’s commitment to equal protection under the law for all persons. It is also an ineffective law enforcement strategy. Studies have demonstrated that the more an officer engages in racial profiling, the less chance he or she has of finding suspect.

Posted by llm (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

this was a race attack and should be investigated as a hate crime

Posted by dac04 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 6:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

***** NEWS 4 just reported that the van drove "around the neighborhood" a few times before the incident occurred. Does anybody have a surveilance camera in Lansdowne or Potomac Station that may have captured this on tape?

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

How tragic. Its too bad the victim didn't have his weapon on him at the time. He'd likely be alive and his wife would be safe as well. It might also make the people who attack innocents think twice about doing so out of fear for their own lives.

Posted by dbc007 (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 8:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

@Lansdowner: You claim to not be a racist, but "Anyone who lives in the area now knows that the wonderful immigrants who clean our homes and bus our tables" sounds pretty racist to me. There's a fine line between stating facts and being racist - and you've crossed it. You also claim to be a man of the facts, citing a single statistic. However, statistics can be very misleading if interpreted incorrectly. I can claim that the majority of car crashes occur during the day, therefore it's safer to drive at night. This is because there are far more cars driving during the day, so naturally there would be more crashes. While perhaps not immediately relevant to the argument at hand, I'm just trying to point out how statistics can be misleading. As such, please refrain from posting "facts" until you've done enough thorough, comprehensive research to make a valid point.

Some more tidbits:
"It's time we stopped with the fluffy-headed PC nonsense of the sort that requires 80-year old grandmothers and 18 to 45 year old moslem men be treated as equally suspect when boarding an aircraft."

"We should have a 8pm curfew for non-whites so this does not happen again."

Seriously, the amount of racism exhibited by the comments here is sickening and makes me ashamed to be a member of this community. Grow up, people.

Posted by knmorgan (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Lansdowner- you're as naive as the day is long. You can bet your bottom dollar, that the LCS is looking at this as a possible gang initiation; in fact, its probably their #1 suspicion. I'm not going to condone some of the comments on here, but it is, what it is, when it comes to who most likely is responsible for this. You might want to wake up to this reality, and quit putting so much faith in the left wing enablers.

Posted by MyBabysOnTheLevel (anonymous) on March 23, 2009 at 9:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To most of you that have posted the comments: Stop arguing. Whatever happened, happened and cannot be changed no matter what.I live in lansdowne and for the past two years I've been walking on that path at night, sometimes after 12am... nothing ever happened... I wish it was me instead of them. I wish, then the whole thing would've ended with about 3 casualties, not me!!! I carry stuff with me like pin-pinted pens or 12" screw drivers that i use at work, a nice experience in fighting and much more....
You know what the problem is?
Let's say, for an example the gangs, alot of people together acting tough, well attacking women and elder people... how much of a man that makes each individual member of the gang???
really, don't people know what respect is anymore? what being a man is? what life or death is???
What do they deserve??? being beaten till theire last breath??? that wouldn't be enough, not at all! they are the basic cowards or p*ss*es....
What's wrong with the whole world??? why is this happening to the people that can't defend themselves???

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What's with all that racist bull???? has nothing to do with it??? I'm a foreigner, European! and??? It's called ethics and people nowadays don't have it!
Pardon all my mistakes, I can barelly keep my eyes open, I'm tired, but this can't wait, the more criminals will be caught, the better the world will be.
From the massacres in Africa to individual killing worldwide, it' happening everywhere.
The law is too soft with the cowards nowadays, gang member nothing but cowards, rapists, abusers...on and on...
It's up to the community to solve this; either WE WORK TOGETHER AS A NATION or GOD forgive us for being dumb and cowards.
If we don't hold eachother up and work as a team to save the world by teaching respect, honor, loyalty and other things that would make us succeed then we will crumble into pieces!!!
Spank your child if necessary (just don't beat them up), don't let him take stuff for granted... help your neighbors... watch your surroundings... stop being a-holes in traffic... and other stuff, pay attention to the crimes that are happening and to the real threat, not the TV shows and dumb stuff and don't ever forget that this case is not a 'one in a million' and those cowards can strike again.......This goes to everyone
any personal comments, then address it to my e-mail viceking@yahoo.com

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Here's a suggestion:
Private citizens living on roads that enter your community could set up a 24-hour video camera on their own property that records vehicles that enter your neighborhood. Members of the community could donate money to help pay for the equipment. If convenience stores like 7-eleven and banks can set up cameras, why not you?
To avoid violating anyones privacy, do not allow viewing of the tape by anyone except a law enforcement officer investigating a serious crime in the area.
Of course the idea could be abused if people began looking at the tape for reasons other than crime.

Posted by thruthemirrordarkley (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 4:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Wow. This terrible incident takes place. People clearly concerned about the victims and themselves turn up to read an it turns into a brawl?

I'm thinking along the lines of viceking101.

Propose it's time to think about what chance we have of improving our situation if folks can't comment without immediately devolving into a string of personal attacks. Think we need to find a way to find common ground. Naive, I know, but don't we? If someone says something you don't like or agree with, it's a big leap to turn then into the devil. Perhaps listen a bit, ask a bit, and try to figure out why they said/think that. Launching counter attacks only splits us apart.

I'm curious about posters mentioning "outsiders" coming in to Loudoun and "ruining" it. Is that mostly a reaction to the perceived racial comments? It's awkward for me. I came to this area as a public servant. This was the least distant (and nice) community I could afford (barely) to live. I'm proud of the work I do and I'm happy to be part of this community. It's uncomfortable to think folks would criticize me for the decision to come here.

With regard to local law enforcement: I've grown up a strong supporter of the police. Where I've been the police were always good and I tend to assume that they are. In Virginia it seems to me law enforcement focuses inordinate attention on speeders, and they're rude about it. In this area what I see (I don't know what I may have missed) is sheriff's office focus on speeders on large roads -- the 65 in 55 and 55 in 45 kind of thing. I don't see them focusing even on 35 in a 25 or running lights and signs in areas with pedestrians. I have not seen them out of their cars interacting with those hanging out in shopping centers and that kind of thing. Police should be engaging them, figuring them out, building a positive relationship with the good, and identifying the bad.

Regarding the bridge -- has anyone seen the police down there checking that place out? If folks are hanging out down there drinking and doing drugs or just lighting illegal fires that sounds pretty easy to solve with some patrols -- engage and sort the trouble makers from the people legitimately using the space. Better use of time than giving tickets on 7, seems to me. Not sure I have the whole picture, but at least seems like a decent suggestion to chase through.

I used to think that actively using areas like that for legitimate activities would tend to keep the bad actors away as they wouldn't want to be seen. After Sunday, I'd say that idea may still have merit, but it needs more support from law enforcement and the rest of the community.

As with y'all my heart goes out to the victims. My best wishes for the wife and their family and my worst for the perpetrators.

Best wishes to my fellow Loudoun residents.

Posted by yelpmac (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I would hope that the residents in the immediate area are receiving extra protection since now everyone knows, including the guys that attacked them, that one of the neighbors saw them. Oops, perhaps I shouldn't have assumed that the attackers were 'guys'. Is that a form of sexism or profiling?

Posted by hunter340 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Bennett's slaying is the first homicide this year in Loudoun, where killings usually register in the low single digits annually. The sheriff's office investigated three homicides last year, up from one in 2007."

Five homicides in the past three years. That's one of the reasons why I live in Loudoun, one of the safest places in the country.

Posted by dingus3 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Loudoun County, wake up. The gang problems were brought here from the Latino culture. Sterling is only 5 miles away. They are angry at us because they have so little. I personally have been glared at while I jog in my own neighborhood, who knows what they are thinking. If this crime doesn't reek of illegals and how difficult they know it is to get caught, nothing does. If you are so willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, go stand out there at 5am and take your chances, invite them into your homes, hire them to do your work instead of doing it yourself. I do my own yard work, and I'm going to learn to jog with a weapon, and I don't plan to miss.

Posted by sunny88 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Landsdowner, Please read the crime reports in Ashburn, it is even cloer to you than Old Sterling. If you feel safe with an understaffed and underfunded Sheriff's Department, good for you. For the better part of 15 years the LCSO has been asking for additional funds but the money goes to the schools. We are on the verge of having a gold plated school system with a large gang and crime problem. Which way do you want to go now?

Violent crime is not just murders, rapes and assaults will be coming to the west as well. I hope you have good enough sense to want to stop it.

Posted by cheekymonkey (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is sad that most of you are blaming the Latino's from Old Sterling. If any of you have lived here for the past 30 years like I have you would have know that there are other gangs here other than MS13. In years past we have had Hell's Angels (White motorcycle Gang), Pagans (White motorcycle gang), Zoo Crew (Black Gang). MS13 is late arriving to the party. They have not been around as long as the others have. If any of you volunteered your time with a Loudoun County agency, you all would understand "how safe" you really are. Crime can and will happen anywhere at anytime to anyone. No one in their right mind would think that they are immune because they have money or live in Lansdowne.

Posted by test006 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Certainly is easy for folks to pick on the "Spanish speaking" folks, and we are freely allowed to do that. But from where I come from, and I am an Anglo, it is not the Spanish folks one should be concerned with. One should take another look at the FBI statistics to see who really commits the violent crimes. It is for some cowardly reason, that it is perfectly PC correct to blame the "Spanish" people, but not PC correct to blame anyone else who really do commit the majority of crimes. You are all cowards just like the media. And to use a little logic, which no one seems to use in these responses, if there are so many "Spanish" folks now, then why is there still so little crime? PC Cowards!

Posted by fly66 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I fear rich people are going be targeted more and more as this country falls apart. Crimes like this will happen everyday as our country falls deeper into recession. Conspicuous consumption will be replaced by iron gates, glass shards, and high walls, like much of the rest of the world. It's not safe out there anymore. Even in Potomac Falls. Maybe especially in Potomac falls, and other areas where the rich live. Very sad. I blame republicans.

Posted by fred_p_harris (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I live in Potomac Falls and I'm far from rich. Those iron gates exist now (Belmont CC), so you obviously don't know what you're talking about. These folks weren't targeted because they were "rich", they were attacked because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the recession is going to be over soon. Haven't you been listening to Obama and Boy Timmy? Happy days are here again.

Posted by dingus3 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This just sucks!

Posted by MUPPET (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This points out the need to make public safety our number one budget priority.

The School budget is incredibly gold plated and bloated. It can be easily cut, but we cannot afford to cut our Sheriff's office, which is understaffed even now. We have scrimped too long on public safety. Already the Board has eliminated funding for one Commonwealth's attorney, and still considering drastic cuts to the Sheriff's office.

We have a crime problem, a gang problem, income disparities which cause resentments, and obvious racial issues, also causing resentments. Anyone who thinks the County is "safe", is living in a bubble world. In the last few weeks, we have had multiple robberies in "safe" Middleburg, assaults in Middleburg, assault in Purcellville, the Hilltop Store robbed at gunpoint twice in the last few weeks...

We need to retain the highest level of professional public safety.

Posted by MANN12 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"income disparities which cause resentments"

Obviously, once we start spreading the wealth around, our problems will go away. I can't wait.

Posted by dingus3 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Please, let's stop with the political bickering. This violent crime cannot be attributed to policies promulgated by Democrats or Republicans. No matter what one's economic situation it is not rational to kill and maim other citizens.

We need to sit back and allow the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office to conduct their investigation and hopefully find the culprits and determine the motive. Despite this horrific assault we should still be thankful that our community has a relatively low rate of violent crime relative to other parts of the D.C. Metro area.

Posted by csdoland (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am suprised that this sort of thing could happen in Landsdowne. The HOA seems to have the State Police (why the State Police?) patrolling the neighborhood on a regular basis. In fact, a couple of years ago, when driving on Riverside Parkway, I was pulled over by a State Trooper who "thought" I was speeding. He looked at my license, asked me where I live (I responded "near Luckett's"), threw my license and registration back in my lap and told me not to drive through Landsdowne anymore. I was so shocked that I neglected to get his name. Shame on me... I didn't realize that Riverside Parkway is a private road for the wealthy elite.

Posted by druvas (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This is very sad. The articles are not saying the nature of the poor wife's critical injuries. Hopefully she will be able to recover and provide the needed answers about what happened to them (maybe even be able to help identify the attackers).

In the meantime, it is really sad that some people have seized this tragedy as another excuse to spew their hate.

Posted by boomerbaby54 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Deeply saddened to hear about this. I reside in Beacon Hill, but am a member of Lansdowne. I've wanted to get some exercise in and purchased a bicycle. I don't like the idea of riding on bike trails and Beacon Hill is much too steep. A friend suggested I put the bike in my SUV, drive to Lansdowne and bike through the area. This story nixes that idea. Is no one safe anywhere, anymore?

I pray Mrs. Bennett fully recovers to identify the bastards who did this and put them away for life.

Posted by gladiatorgal (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

druvas wrote: "threw my license and registration back in my lap and told me not to drive through Landsdowne anymore"
------------------------------------------
That's really sad ... And to think we were feeling sorry for these bludgeoning victims.

Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

gladiatorgal -- I think you would be perfectly fine riding your bike in Lansdowne. I wouldn't do it in the pre-dawn hours (anywhere for that matter) but during the day, I think you'll be okay. There are lots of people out and about in Lansdowne during the day and lots of traffic on the roads. This could have happened anywhere. I don't think it says anything about the safety or not of Lansdowne. There have been several home invasions in Ashburn this year but no one seems to be avoiding Ashburn. I'm not anyway.

Posted by jt12 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I wonder if the couple was targeted by people who they may have employed and who harbored a grudge and who tracked them down to attack them. A lot of people think that this attack was the result of a gang initiation. I hate to think that evil creatures exist who would perform such brutality for an initiation. If so, I hope they are captured and put in cages like the animals they are. I also think that the issue of illegal immigration is something that can’t be ignored. Chandra Levy was murdered by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.

Posted by lisajane (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As a firearms instructor I often suggest to new students that the best time to carry their defensive pistol is when they know they are likely to be attacked. Most nod, in agreement. I then point out that most successful attacks happen, by definition, when least expected, by surprise. I then pause. . .Sometimes another question is required. "How lucky do you feel?" When and where to carry a defensive firearm is an individual decision. I urge my students to decide wisely.
Craig Smith/ Waterford VA

Posted by ThreeCheers (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

jt12 - thanks for the suggestion re: timing. I tend to be paranoid about certain things, but I really want to ride so perhaps I will give it a try.

lisajane - I had the same thought as you re: a former worker/employee.

Posted by gladiatorgal (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What may seem as being random may not have been random. Did anyone find out if this person was being pursued for any particular reason, job related, relatives, debts, if he had a permit to carry a gun maybe he was an investigator of some kind, you just never know who might want to do a thing like this. I still think it was a random act, that might have been gang related but why would anyone be out at 5 in the morning looking for a random victim? Most gang bangers are usually passed out by then??? God Bless the family.

Posted by keithlb28 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Odds are that this was NOT random.

Druggies and hispanic gangs do NOT hang around the street at 5:00am.

A bit of deduction leads to the conclusion that this was a targeted hit. My guess is that the couple kept a regular schedule of jogging in the pre-dawn hours. Whoever hit them knew that, and knew the best place to hit them, in the relatively secluded area near the creek.

There was a motive. The question is what it was? Was their home ransacked? Anything missing from the home? Anything missing from their persons? Did someone owe them money? Did they owe money? Was he involved in a business deal that went bad? What was his business? Did they have household help? Gardeners? Landscapers? Maid? Did they have a dispute with their household help? Had they pissed off anyone else?

Profiling is how your solve a crime. If witnesses saw an 8ft tall green man hitting the victim with a baseball bat, you don't stop every 5ft tall lady out for a stroll from the retirement community.

Instead you go to where 8ft tall green men hang out, and start questioning each 8ft tall green man you find.

Also, if you compile a series of experiences with a certain type of person, you develop a profile of that type of person. That's not called "prejudice" (which means judging someone before you have experience), it is call "post-judice" (or judging based on past experience). Post-judice is also called learning, and is what makes humans a successful species.

Posted by kent (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Despite appearances in Loudoun County, we have the same "haves/have not" situation as many other places in America. Though it is true that it takes longer for the D.C. area and its environs to feel the impact of recession, we are not immune. Many people who were once employed in construction and other jobs related to the housing industry, now find themselves without work, and, without hope for a new job. There is a sense of desperation and fear. It is getting harder for people to live inside a bubble and not see that many are suffering. I fear that the posters who have surmised that this attack may be a byproduct of anger and resentment might be onto something. It is easy to see that crime in general has risen throughout this area. Part of that is a result of increased density, but some of it, I think, is a result of these formidable economic times. There are gangs and drug activity all throughout Loudoun. Perhaps one good thing to come out of this tragedy will be a renewed effort to reduce crime. The police/sheriff's dept. cannot do this on its own, people must actually care enough to get involved and particpate in solving the problems. Join your neighborhood's watch program, be alert to what's happening around you, and teach your children basic safety rules. None of this will save us from random attacks, of course. Until we catch these perpetrators and determine their motive for this horrific crime, we can only speculate what factors motivated them to snuff out the lives of two innocent souls.

Posted by Yocomclan (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

He had a permit to carry a weapon, unfortunately, he didnt have it with him, probably didnt think he needed to carry it in Landsdowne...if only he had that 357, may have been a different story...maybe the police would have come to a scene where the van doors were open, William standing over 3 thugs dead on the ground with smoke coming out of that 357...

Posted by robertsong (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Loudoun County is more like the "haves" and the "have mores".

Posted by dingus3 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I used to go running around here a lot as my parents live in the area. Now I wouldn't even think of it. Thanks to people like this, everyone has fear in the neighborhood especially since these attackers have not been caught yet. I cannot wait until they find these awful people and punish them for what a heinous act they committed. Poor family. My thoughts & prayers go out to them.

Posted by wiggins.kathleen (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm amazed that many have suggested if the victim was carrying his gun, he and his wife would be safe today. Statistics would say otherwise. It is statistically more likely that he and his wife would both have been shot dead.

Posted by KathleenVS (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Kathleen,

What statistics say guns used in defense cause death to the defender?

Try these:

"When sexual assaults started rising in Orlando, Fla., in 1986, police officers noticed women were arming themselves, so they launched a firearms safety course for them. Over the next 12 months, sexual assaults plummeted by 88 percent, burglaries fell by 25 percent and not one of the 2,500 women who took the course fired a gun in a confrontation."

The brief cites a study that discovered, based on interviews with felony prisoners in 11 prisons in 10 states, one third of the felons had been "scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim," and nearly four in 10 had decided against committing a specific crime because they thought the victim might have a gun."

"Seventy-four percent agreed with the statement that 'One reason burglars avoid houses where people are at home is that they fear being shot,'" the study said."

"The brief suggested the nation's crime rate could rocket should more restrictions be placed on guns."

"Numerous surveys show that firearms are used (usually without a shot needing to be fired) for self-defense at least 97,000 times a year, and probably several hundred thousands times a year. The anti-crime effects of citizen handgun ownership provide enormous benefits to law enforcement, because there are fewer home invasion emergencies requiring an immediate police response, and because the substantial reductions in rates of burglary, assault, and other crimes allow the police and district attorneys to concentrate more resources on other cases and on deterrence."

"Guns save lives," the brief said. "In the hands of law-abiding citizens, guns provide very substantial public safety benefits. In all 50 states – but not the District – it is lawful to use firearms for defense against home invaders. The legal ownership of firearms for home defense is an important reason why the American rate of home invasion burglaries is far lower than in countries which prohibit or discourage home handgun defense."

The brief said handgun ownership reduces the number of confrontational home invasions, so "the total U.S. violent crime rate [is reduced] by about 9 percent."

And for good measure, take a look at how using a gun in self defense works. The robbers in Arizona learned that lesson the hard way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnFj9FJ2L...

Posted by kent (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I've noticed that at least one of the comments speculating on the involvement of illegals was deleted. But I think it's a strong theory, and here's why:

The spot where the commotion took place and the body was found is right by the foot trail that leads to Goose Creek. That particular part of Goose Creek has one of the Creek's best fishing holes. (I used to hike down from Rt. 7 before they built that bridge.)

But over the last two years, more often than not, I've encountered Hispanics who are drinking, (illegally) driftnetting, and keeping clearly undersized fish. Why do I think they are illegals? Because my tan fishing clothes closely resemble that of a game warden, and they will cover up their gear and/or take cover when I approach the trail.

Who knows whether or not illegals were involved in this incident? But the early morning hour is prime for fishing. Add in alcohol and group-think, and it's a plausible theory for sure.

Posted by cpnich (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Unfortunately for this couple, Loudoun County Sheriffs office has an abysmal record of solving murders that aren't domestic related or when they don't have a confession. Sad but true...

Posted by qazwsxedcrfv (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Unfortunately for this couple, Loudoun County Sheriffs office has an abysmal record of solving murders that aren't domestic related or when they don't have a confession."

Huh? I'm not sure that Loudoun County even has enough murders to compile a closed-case stat that means anything. Wasn't this the only murder so far this year? Besides,I can only think of one unsolved murder in recent memory.

Posted by cpnich (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Maybe Mr. Bennett WAS carrying his gun. We still don't know if he was shot, just a mention of blunt force trauma. Do hope sheriff's deputies know if the gun is missing.

Also, without any knowledge of the situation whatsoever, just reading the news -- the van might be secondary to all this. The attack (or a hit-and-run?) might have happened sometime before the van stumbled onto the scence. Perhaps the persons in the van did not know what to do about it.

Remember the virtual lock-down during the sniper incident when law enforcement was stopping white panel vans on the Beltway? Certainly that was a red herring.....

Posted by Xlnt (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 1:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Excuse me, but this thread is chaotic – fact mixed with fiction and wild-eyed speculation. To get a grip on reality, you need to read through my website at www.Crime-Safety-Security.com. And please spare me any accusations of plugging my site. I don’t need a traffic boost from the few dozen posters in this thread – I already get many thousands of visitors from all over the world (yes, crime is everywhere – often where you least expect it).

It just galls me to see such confusion in this thread when I’ve already got it all laid out for you for free. Here are but a few examples that touch upon the issues in this thread:

THEY WALK AMONG US - Only a fraction of our 650,000 cops are on the street at any one time. Yet roughly six million paroled violent felons walk among us… continued at the bottom of http://www.crime-safety-security.com/out...

OUTDOOR SAFETY CHECKLIST - Human predators hunt for human prey like lions survey a herd of antelopes to select prey: they look for the most vulnerable – the distracted, the unwary, those too tame, and those who’ve strayed away from the herd. … continued at http://www.crime-safety-security.com/out...

THE NAÏVETÉ OF THE PREY - SLAYINGS OF 3 WOMEN SHATTER SUBURBAN ILLUSION… and …
THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY - Your “safe neighborhood” is actually a mirage – it doesn’t really exist. Even an isolated town has its homegrown lunatics – as well as the occasional visiting monster. They’ve all heard about your “safe neighborhood” where you actually brag about not locking your doors. They’d love to meet you face-to-face. There you are – carefree, trusting, polite, naïve – a dream-come-true for a predator. … continued at http://www.crime-safety-security.com/new...

The fierce political controversy of gun control laws is profoundly complex… continued at http://www.crime-safety-security.com/sec...

I could go on and on and on, but you’ll have to see for yourself. Thank you,

Michael Edward Loftus Sr

Posted by consult (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, whatever it is, it won't be released until they have a lead, a good lead.There is alot that the residents CAN do from this point on. This shouldn't be forgotten. It could happen any time, anywhere. We shouldn't blame 'hispanos' or 'black' or whatever. We are all humans, but the stereotypes still exist...it's our fault for letting this happen. There are all the young individuals that think that they are the strongest when they attack and abuse the weakest.... why don't we teach respect, honor and loyalty???

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The ironic thing is that this does not fit the typical markings of a Hispanic crime. When the facts come to light, you will all see that it was suburban middle class kids from the neighborhood who committed this crime. It has no indication of being a gang crime either. Parents in Lansdowne need to ask their own kids where they were at 5:00am sunday morning. How do I know all this? ESP.

Posted by hogfarmer55 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks
www.Crime-Safety-Security.com.
for not www.Crime-Safety-Security.com.
plugging for
www.Crime-Safety-Security.com.
traffic www.Crime-Safety-Security.com.
boosts
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Posted by OhTheHumanity (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can name you several unsolved murders in Loudoun. There was the older couple killed in their southeast apartment in 2002 that was never solved. Then there is the teenager from Ashburn who was killed near Redskins Park and they never solved that one. This one could go unsolved as well.

Posted by hogfarmer55 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is a horrible tragedy no matter who was involved and I hope they find the animals that did this and punish them SEVERELY.

I am a strong opponent of illegal immigration and have been for years. Considering what has been going on in our area...in our country lately, I would be a liar if I said that one of my earliest thoughts in this tragedy was not that this is yet another crime committed by an illegal or a gang member. Although I wouldn't be so quick to make some of the assumptions I have seen here.

You would have to be living with your head in the sand to not see what is happening in Loudoun County, in our entire country. I moved to Sterling Park in 98’ and watched what illegal immigration can do to a community. I have watched neighbor-after-neighbor move to the newer, "safer" communities to flee the problem. And I knew that unless something is done, the problem will spread to Ashburn, Cascades, Landsdown and all other LC neighborhoods.

When we stand up and fight we are labeled as Racists, Xenophobes, Rednecks and the like. The PC folks have abused those terms so much they have lost all meaning to me. I will continue to fight and continue to submit regular complaints to county zoning.

I live 1/4 mile from the Sterling Park Mall which is close to where much of the violent crime happened last year and just around the corner from the elderly woman who was raped by that worthless animal who was illegal. I have a relative that was nearly killed when an illegal driving a landscaping van hit him head-on. I drive the route every morning where a man was hit and killed in Herndon while walking his dog and I could go on-and-on with similar stories. I see first-hand the reality of what illegal immigration and gangs do to a neighborhood.

In the end it does not matter much whether it was an illegal or a citizen, lives were destroyed on Sunday. But in my eyes it would become an even bigger tragedy if it turns out to have been committed by yet another illegal while too many of our citizens continue to choose PC BS over fighting for what is right.

Posted by JustMeSterling (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Yes, people who have a concealed carry permit can and sometimes do carry for protection, when they are jogging or walking -- and if he HAD been carrying, it is highly likely he could have prevented the attack.

I hope the perps (who probably have a rap sheet or two already) are caught, and NOT released before trial date.

Posted by y_t_k (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 2:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I just saw a big piece on the Ashburn girl case on America's Most Wanted, so they obviously have not ignored that case. Also I found this article on the Leesburg couple that was murdered a few years ago, interesting stuff...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

Posted by truthseekerva (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

@Hogfarmer -

"I can name you several unsolved murders in Loudoun. There was the older couple killed in their southeast apartment in 2002 that was never solved. Then there is the teenager from Ashburn who was killed near Redskins Park and they never solved that one. This one could go unsolved as well."

Erica Smith was the teenager. Sad case. What wasn't known at the time, recently revealed to the public, was that she was living a very high-risk lifestyle at the time of her murder. In no way should that be construed to mean she deserved her end - definitely not. But it contributed to her demise. The Belands were the older couple - the main suspect in that homicide was a relative and killed himself in 2006. That said, I've seen posters up on the case more recently than that. You're right, there are a few other unsolved cases - but only a handful as far back as 1995. Link of interest: http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/b...

Another poster made a point that the Sheriff's office doesn't have a great track record resolving homicides that are not domestic violence. I can't speak to the ratio, but that cuts a couple of ways. They might or might not have a great track record in that regard, but they also don't have many instances of non-domestic homicide to look into. Very few comparatively. So you can look at it and conclude their batting average is poor on those types of cases, or you can be thankful there are very few incidences of those types of cases for them to handle.

Finally, for all those crying "gang initiation" and bemoaning illegals. Maybe. But it could be either of those individually, or neither. What, only illegals are in gangs? Or if it was an illegal it had to be a gang crime? Point is, there are several plausible scenarios. People look at the randomness and conclude it had to be a gang initiation because they've seen that type of thing in the movies. It is a well-known urban legend. See here for a nice departure: http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/pullov...
Not that it never happens, but it's extremely rare. Those folks that are going nuts claiming this happens all over the place are just scared. And that's understandable because it's a scary business going on here.

Posted by michaeltdiehl (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Monday, 23 March 2009 - The Leesburg Police Department has asked for the public's assistance in locating Carlos Felipe Centeno, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant. In August of last year, Centeno was discovered in a residence with a partially clothed 5-year old who later explained to the police that Centeno sexually assaulted her.

Centeno has worked as a painter and may be perating a blue Magna bicycle. Anyone with information regarding Centeno¹s location should contact Detective Doug Shaw at 703-771-4521.

Posted by hunter340 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Careful generalizing "Spanish" speaking people. My family is Spanish speaking but we are educated, professional upstanding Puerto Rican-American citizens born and raised in the United States and living in Loudoun County. The men in our family served our country in the military to protect "YOUR" freedom.

Posted by Potomacstation (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I live really close by and am very familiar with the area where they were found. Such a nice neighborhood. It makes me sick to read about this kind of attack on people.

I will be carrying my weapon while going for walks with my family. It would be nice to never fear going for a walk in my neighborhood, but reality is something different.

I know the sheriff's office is working hard to keep the area safe, but they can't be there to protect individuals from stuff like this.

Posted by sigmanu_187 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

That said, My thoughts and prayers goes out to the Bennett's family. What a tragedy. I hope to God this case gets resolved quickly and the culprits are caught and punished.

Posted by Potomacstation (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Not sure if this has been touched on yet in this blog but the 3rd or 4th thing that crossed my mind was the snipers. What happened to Bennetts is horrible, what the snipers did to this entire region was petrifying. Let's hope this crime is isolated and the perps are caught very quickly.

Posted by ssamson (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

viceking001 wrote,

"We are all humans, but the stereotypes still exist...it's our fault for letting this happen."

Uh-huh. There are no criminals, just victims of social and economic injustice. Ain't it awful! (Wring your hands here.) We need to turn all the prisons into job training centers and let first offenders have parole. We need to learn to accept that the less fortunate among us are not responsible for their behavior! There are no criminals, just victims!

Is that about it, bud?

Posted by hisroc (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So an e-mail I received this afternoon relayed report of an attempted home invasion in the Leesburg area Saturday night. Suspect was discovered and fled in a "white cargo van". Allegedly with FL plates. This was reported to the Sheriff's office by home occupants.

Could be something or nothing, but it's a point of interest. Although this vehicle sighting is a lot more credible than the infamous "white box truck" of DC Sniper case fame, I suspect we'll hear a lot of reports / stories of similar vehicles in the next days and weeks.

Posted by michaeltdiehl (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm amused at the posters who use this incident as an opportunity to promote arming ourselves. Do we want go around armed, even while taking recreation such as jogging? I pity that paranoid, defensive mentality. The image is absurd: joggers, little old ladies, couples pushing baby carriages, all poised for a shootout. Is that what we want? I don't. It's not a solution. It only escalates the paranoia and defensive mentality and gets us on the path of an arms race where last year's pistol has to be replaced by one with higher calibre this year.

As for the crime, their are no oases from crime. Loudoun is part of an evolving world where the population is growing and where those from places with less opportunity will migrate to places with more opportunity, and a percentage of the population, native and immigrant, will commit crimes. The crime is shocking, but it's delusional to think of Landsdowne, or Loudoun, or anywhere else as immune. One poster claimed his family had been in Loudoun for generations but moved because of the change. Where did they go to escape change? Xanadu? Brigadoon? Shangri-la? This "no more development now that I'm here" mentality is unrealistic. Change is a constant on the manifest level of creation.

Posted by aguy7 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 4:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To those who suggest that racial profiling has value, I would ask them to indicate to what good use such an assumption can be put. Wouldn't an investigator be better served following the actual leads in the case (a white van for example) than a race?

There is simply nothing that a real investigator can do with racial statistics. Their issue is not what the statistics are but who actually committed THIS crime.

To those who suggest we should racially profile for terrorists on planes, I would suggest they also are not thinking clearly. Random selection is MORE likely to prevent an attack. If it were known that a particular group were focused on, then the attackers would simply use a member of the group not focused on. You would ENHANCE their ability to succeed in the attack.

It is not a question of PC or not PC. As a conservative, I am rarely accused of being PC. It is simply a matter of effective or not effective. racial profiling is ineffective or even dangerous in the cases you cite. This is not to mention the unintended consequences of racial profiling in community resistance or anger from the target group.

It seems more indicative of your feelings towards people of another race, than any attempt to use facts to some social benefit.

Posted by XXXXYYYY (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 5:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

That's why I always carry my gun while jogging (or anything else) I think people need to look at the regulations Vermont imposes on their fine citizens regarding concealed weapons carry and follow their doctrine. My prayers also go out to the family and my hope is that more responsible people protect themselves since we can not possibly expect law enforcement to protect the individual.

P.S. For those too lazy to check Vermont's laws, they basically say that the state will not govern or impose any restrictions on it's people concerning their God given rights to survival. (I again emphasize that this is not the law word for word!)

Posted by not2bad (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As a man who had a concealed weapons permit, he understood the right to arm himself for protection, however one would like to think you'd not need it where we live. We certainly aren't immune and it highlights the point that we can't live in la-la land completely thinking it could never happen. It is always best to be cautious and conscientious. It'd be tough to convince me to go out after dark or before light even with my large dog on a walk. What we need to remember is that completely changing our habits and thinking we need guns to walk in our neighborhood gives control to the people who committed such a crime. Their intent has played out; we're fearful. With diligence and continued respect for one another and efforts to be mindful of ourselves and our neighbors, we can achieve a state of comfort near to what we had before. Only this time we're less naive about our 'impenetrable' neighborhood. Kudos to the resident who called 911. It's actions such as this that can be seen as the saving grace for this woman.

Posted by ANTE_WORK (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Such a tragedy this is, hope the woman recovers. Before we blame Mexican people or gangs let's stop and think; it could just as easily be people from Central America or locally born black colored people. We should keep an open mind until this is solved.

Posted by im4blueyes (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

to 'potomacstation' user: stereotypes!!!
I know, don't get offended... I'm latin european and i have alot of hispano friends and i also speak spanish as my 6th language... i know that everyone is pointing fingers now, when that shouldn't happen. It's about solving and preventing, not pointing fingers like some of the other commenters do.
I have been in gang fights in Europe (Eastern block), they used to have a little more respect than what's in the U.S., have no idea about now.... have been in gang fights here, gang members have no respect and are real cowards!!! I alway hated gangs, they alway contradict whatever they say or the rules that they have, i disrespect gangs because they always pick on the weakest and that proves that there are no real men in the gangs....
Think about this tho'...why were Mr. and Mrs. Bennett dropped close to the street in plain sight? why didn't the criminals take them somewhere with less traffic??? was this all made to prove a certain point?

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 5:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

XXXXYYYY -

"To those who suggest that racial profiling has value, I would ask them to indicate to what good use such an assumption can be put. Wouldn't an investigator be better served following the actual leads in the case (a white van for example) than a race?"

This is the difference between inductive and deductive investigation types. Most ideal investigations will start with the specific evidence discovered, use that to develop an investigative approach based on that information in hand, and work from there. In other words, they start with what's known and try to figure out new details that lead to a solution. That's deductive reasoning. Then there's the other way - starting with a broad generalization or statistical trend that might or might not apply, and having that influence or guide your investigative strategy. That's inductive reasoning. I'll leave it to you to determine which you think is better, but I'd always prefer the deductive approach as it stands a lot more chance of objectivity and not being too narrowly focused at the start possibly leading to missed opportunities. Getting locked into a pre-conceived notion early on can doom or severely hamper an investigation, especially one such as this where little is known.

Posted by michaeltdiehl (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The poster carries his gun while jogging. If I accidentally bump into him does he interpret that as an attack and blow me away? This is madness, though the extra weight of the gun will intensify the workout.

Posted by aguy7 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Now that I live in Bethesda and left awful Loudoun county....say hi to Hector, Milagro and CHago for me! I love my lily white neighborhood where children can play in the street until dark and white paneled vans don't show up with MS-13 members ready to have s$x with them.....

Posted by knight1977 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 6:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by knight1977 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7 p.m.

knight1977

I will respond and tell you that I could not be happier that you have left Loudoun and the state of Virginia....your comments are disgraceful and I wish you nothing but the worst in the future....the fact that you have kids and will pass on your disgusting view of the world saddens me.

Posted by yetep556 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Knight1977

Your second post outdid the first one...so, you use what happened to these poor people to show that "scummy Northern Virginia is getting what it had coming?".....good thing about this world is that what goes around comes around and I just wish I could be there for when it comes around for you....stay in Maryland you scum of the earth, ignorant, racist coward

Posted by yetep556 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, this is not politically correct, but it's not racist either. Here's a possible scenario that would be consistent on some levels with my experiences in Loudoun County: Mr. & Mrs. Bennett are out for their morning exercise. They assess the presence of a white panel van with working class occupants as suspicious. As the van passes by, perhaps some snide remarks are exchanged, and Mr. Bennett becomes indignant, arrogant, and territorial and provokes the van's occupants. The "intruders" decide to show Mr. Bennett "what's up", and beat him with a bat or a 2x4, or whatever is handy. When they see that they've gone too far, they decide to quiet the only witness, obviously failing. This is nothing short of brutal, contemptible, criminal behavior, and the perpetrators should be punished to the full extent of the law. They are animals.

So much for my simple scenario. The complicating sociological factors in my mind are more interesting: Northern Virginians are the most passive aggressive, materialistic, self-righteous individuals I have ever lived amongst. My opinion is based on 12 years on Long Island, 13 years in metropolitan Detroit, 4 years in Seattle, and even a brief stint in Denver, and now 20 years in VA. Consider the local traffic and the behavior of otherwise normal people (perhaps the Bennetts, for example) on crowded streets. Mr & Mrs Bennett did not deserve what happened to them, but neither does Joe the Plumber deserve the potentially fatal treatment he receives when folks that resemble Mr & Mrs Bennett cut him off on the beltway at 70 mph. Why do otherwise sane folks routinely practice insane behavior behind the wheel of their automobiles, and then react with righteous indignation when others do the same to them?
I am not suggesting that the Bennetts deserved what they got. My roundabout point is that, perhaps for similar reasons, due to self-righteous, passive aggressive, territorial feelings, they provoked a group that should not have been provoked and have paid the ultimate price. Perhaps racism did indeed play a part in this horrific event.

Posted by dotcalm40 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WUSA-TV9 web site reporting this interesting tidbit:

(a neighbor) "says the Bennetts kept to themselves and rarely came outside; they had their food and dry cleaning delivered. She says they only saw Mr. Bennett heading out for his early walks."

Extrapolating ... witness protection program? Ex-law enforcement/intelligence agent of some kind?

A deliberate hit?

Posted by Xlnt (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 7:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

As I said earlier, this was not random.

This was a targeted, clearly deliberate action.

Not much of a trace of either of them online. Which is sort of weird in this day and age.

BENNETT, WILLIAM H 
Age: 57
Associated names:
BENNETT, WILLIAM W

LEESBURG, VA
MANASSAS, VA
PARADISE VALLEY, AZ
OLYMPIA, WA
HAMPTON, VA
BENNETT, J CYNTHIA (Age 55)
BENNETT, SAMANTHA (Age 35)
BENNETT, D JENNIFER (Age 35)
BENNETT, ISABEL F

Posted by kent (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm sure the daughters appreciate you publicizing their names and ages. How about a little respect.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Everyone should stop assuming this, that and the other thing about this crime, based on little or no real knowledge, and support the family and the sheriff's efforts to solve this case. Could be a one-in-a-million incident against this particular couple, could be a random act of depraved violence. No One Knows. Let's act like a community and do something helpful!

Posted by MEinVA1 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

William Bennett was ex-special forces, an armed forces veteran. Most of these guys keep to themselves, I wouldn't say thats out of the ordinary.

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If these guys were "dressed in black" and in a "white panel van", do you think they were possibly burglarizing or casing and the Bennett's may have encountered them?

Also interesting is that I would assume that they would be crossing the street at the location that they were found. There is no sidewalk on the south side of Riverside Pkwy, and I'm assuming they would cross to the north side of Riverside Pkwy there at Rocky Creek Dr. Was there an altercation while they were trying to cross the street?

Could they have been ambushed by someone waiting under the bridge while the van waited out of site?

Who knows. God bless Mr Bennett, and I am praying for Mrs Bennett and her family as well as the LCSO. I hope our community can pull together.

Has everybody checked their home surveilance cameras?

Is LCSO checking all gas station cameras, walmart cameras, toll road cameras... I'm sure they are. Are there any construction cameras along route 7?

How can we raise the reward to $100,000+? With 2400 houses in Lansdowne, we need to do that quickly and give it national coverage. If these are Florida thugs, I'm sure they'll brag to another thug in FL who would gladly turn them in for $100,000.

Raise the reward immediately, and contact national press to put the story and reward on the nightly news. With 3 thugs in the van, somebody is sure to open their mouth.

Can we get the Lansdowne and Potomac Station HOA's to step up to the plate and increase the crimesolvers reward immediately?

Posted by mark.riggins (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

to whomever assumes that they got what they deserved type of thing, think about this: little girls (5 year olds for example) get raped and sometimes killed. what does 'deserve' really mean at that point. Use some brains 'dotcalm40'! no one deserves to die this way, if you really have to think more and deeper about what just happened on Sunday then for your info. there were witnesses to say that Mrs. Bennett was found clotheless.... rape is not an option! that is low life material! they didn't deserve that; and about racism.... shouldn't we all have more respect for eachother. In the end the tan of the skin covers the same red blood!!! THINK ABOUT IT!

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I haven't read all the posts but if a person has a permit to carry a gun there usually is a reason. He must've been afraid someone was after him. Hence, the police should start looking there.

Posted by charlietuna666 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

he didn't carry a gun. he just had a pemit and that's how they got his name through the database.

Posted by viceking001 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 8:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

NBC Washington website: "A man killed while apparently exercising with his wife on a trail in Loudoun County over the weekend had worked for the CIA until 2000, sources said."

Posted by kent (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I would assume that the brutal thugs that did this are such shameful idiots that they will be bragging about their terrible deeds. Let's hope that they blab in the company of civi minded people who will see them brought to justice!

Posted by kalong07 (anonymous) on March 24, 2009 at 10:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Re: - NBC Washington website: "A man killed while apparently exercising with his wife on a trail in Loudoun County over the weekend had worked for the CIA until 2000, sources said."

This is Washington, DC. There are too many current and former CIA employees running around town for this to be very compelling on its own. I know the news reported it, but it almost sounds like a desperate grab to make this even more provocative than it already is.

Posted by michaeltdiehl (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

@ Mark.Riggins -

I was the one that posted the comment about another report of a white van w/ FL plates involved in attempted home invasion Saturday night. I think that report is probably bogus; my point was to show that reports of the "white van" will start cropping up everywhere (and already have).

Re: where they were attacked - I don't think they were crossing the street. If they even were attacked on Riverside Pkwy (i.e., not dumped there), then I think they were attacked near where Mrs. Bennett was found for a couple of reasons:

1) With her injuries and the amount of bleeding, little to no likelihood she hauled herself all the way across the pkwy and thru the fence. Also, there's no blood trail across the road from where Mr. Bennett was found. There would have been, unless she was the one transported.
2) Just about everyone I see walking down there walks on the side she was found on. The path is better and also has direct access from the direction they were heading if they came down PS Drive from their home on a walk.

I keep wondering if they were attacked, she was injured, he was taken in the alleged van to their home, and then brought back to the dump site. Assuming the van sighting is not bogus and the back and forth occurred as reported, this would be a possibility. Lot of ifs though, and even if it pans out this way or close to it, many unanswered questions. Was it random or was it not? The actual facts could invalidate most or all of what the papers and news have reported thus far (which really isn't much).

Finally, the fears of gang involvement are understandable but not entirely consistent with typical incidents where actual weapons are used (firearms, blades, etc). Blunt force trauma is a whole different animal - a lot more personal and harder to severely wound or kill a person that way. If that even is the cause of death on Mr. Bennett - only the medical examiner can state that at this point. Gang involvement's not out of the question unfortunately, but it's not a given either.

Terrible business. Best wishes to Mrs. Bennett and her daughters, and to the Sheriff's office.

Posted by michaeltdiehl (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There is another aspect to the events of the crime that people need to keep in mind. Evidently the Bennett's were out walking at 5:00 am to 5:30 am. It is pitch dark at that time of day due to the Daylight Savings Time change, and on a Sunday morning few people if any are outside. It just seems odd that criminals looking to attack people randomly would choose such an early hour. I believe that the Bennett's were targeted for this awful crime.

Posted by lisajane (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

How do we know that they were actually out walking that day--did anyone actually see them walking? Perhaps they were taken from their home, and dumped there...

I am amazed at the level of hate, racism and intolerance that has been posted in these comments. Hate towards certain races of people, hate towards those who are affluent, hate towards those who moved into Loudoun County...Seriously? Two young women have had their lives turned upsidedown--their father is dead and their mother is hanging on to her dear life in critical condition...Let's focus on two things: Mrs. Bennett's recovery and catching the guys who did this. Everything else is just distracting and pointless...

Posted by hamsgals (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)

hamsgals wrote on March 25, 2009 at 1:03 pm: " I am amazed at the level of hate, racism and intolerance that has been posted in these comments. Hate towards certain races of people, hate towards those who are affluent, hate towards those who moved into Loudoun County...Seriously? Two young women have had their lives turned upsidedown--their father is dead and their mother is hanging on to her dear life in critical condition...Let's focus on two things: Mrs. Bennett's recovery and catching the guys who did this."
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
I'm amazed at your level of hate and bigotry... Just what exactly makes you assume the attackers are "guys"? Its sexist bigots like you that go around profiling based on gender that cause the most harm.

Posted by hunter340 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 1:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hunter340--Your lame joke failed the first time you made it, in an earlier post...bet you've been waiting around all day for someone to use the term "guys" so you could throw it up there again...Get a life.

Posted by hamsgals (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 2:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Ex-CIA, ex-Special Forces. "random" deadly assault. 3 perps, dark clothes, white panel van. Sounds like someone knew too much. "Dead Men tell no Tales."
Yup, gotta be "gangs" or "illegal immigrants", pay no mind. Go back to your normally scheduled broadcast. Pay no attention the the men behind the curtain...

Posted by rbarry531 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Carry a gun ? Sure .. But, at least, learn how to use it .. (NRA) .. More people are killed with their own gun then people killed with a gun brought in. If Mr. Bennett was carrying his gun it was taken from him.

Posted by TEKwan9 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

HamGal, your admission of hypocrisy makes it all worthwhile. Go ahead and selectively profile whoever you want when it fits your agenda, which in this case must be your hatred of men.

Posted by hunter340 (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hunter340...Yes, you've got me: by using the term "guys" I am selectively profiling AND I have a hatred of men. Exactly. It makes total sense. Your insight is certainly refreshing and INCREDIBLY useful...Please, please continue to troll the Post for articles that you can add your commentary to, so that we all may continue to benefit from your wisdom and enlightened point of view.

Posted by hamsgals (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 5:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I received this email today:

Loudoun County, Virginia- The Loudoun Sheriff’s Office responded today to a mass e-mail tying the recent homicide and attack in Lansdowne to a reported suspicious vehicle from Saturday evening. The e-mail’s contents are inaccurate.

The e-mail states that a white panel van with Florida tags was observed Saturday night in the Leesburg area. One of the occupants came to the door of a home and appeared to walk around the home. Loudoun Sheriff’s Deputies did respond to the scene. The e-mail goes on to link the incident to the Lansdowne homicide and attack as well as other homicides in the DC area.

Today the Loudoun Sheriff’s Office informed the community that the suspicious van from the incident was located Saturday evening and involved in a traffic stop. The occupants of the van were college students who are in the area selling magazines. They had obtained solicitors licenses through the agency.

There is no indication the vehicle or its occupants were involved in the homicide and attack that occurred Sunday morning in Lansdowne.

*** IMO Robbery doesn't sound like a viable motive. Why would someone attack people while exercising, when there’s little likelihood of them carrying cash? I would also assume that robbing two people at once would be difficult.

Blunt force trauma, no weapon found, and victims were found apart from each other, personally I think it was a hit and run.

Posted by Schten (anonymous) on March 25, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You know when I was growing up bored kids liked to drive along and smash mailboxes with baseball bats. Later they started shooting pedestrians with paintballs. How do I know? Well I wouldn't except the knuckleheads starting filming themselves in the act. The footage was found and used to convict them. I sure hope this group hasn't kicked it up a notch to whacking people with something harder than paintballs after a night of booze and drugs. Parents, where were your lovely teenagers at 5am sunday? Do you know? I'm especially talking to the parents in Ashburn, VA. I've seen your progeny in action. To do list: 1) Check their cellphones and your video camera. 2) Call a lawyer.

Posted by lissaniska (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 3:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Posted by hogfarmer55 (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 8:29 a.m.

lissaniska,
You wrote "I'm especially talking to the parents in Ashburn, VA. I've seen your progeny in action." Would you care to elaborate a bit on what you mean by this? I find it hard to believe that teenagers out to commit acts of vandalism would brutally murder and maim two people. I would think that they would be more likely to scatter if they were caught in the act.

Posted by csdoland (anonymous) on March 26, 2009 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Upon reading all the comments, reminds me of the mobs in the old westerns. Fighting among themselves and blaming everyone else. Get involved in your government and elect officials who will enforce our laws whether they are legislative or judicial. Start with closing our borders to illegals and clamping down on those who hire them. Yes, illegals take jobs we don't want because they've lowered the wages to where we don't want them. When's the last time you saw anyone other than hispanics in construction labor, drywall, landscaping, etc.? It's o.k. if they're legal, but chances are they aren't.

Posted by rjproskey (anonymous) on March 28, 2009 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)