Knock, Knock... An Update

During the evening of December 9th, Marianne Bourland Wilkinson was shot and killed when she answered the door of her North Richland Hills home. I commented on this seemingly random act of violence in Knock, Knock.... This was not a typical Friday Night Shooting. Mrs. Wilkinson was 68 years old and lived in a very nice neighborhood. Her husband was home at the time, he was watching TV when she answered the door. This was the first of three such shootings, the latter two involved drugs or revenge. This one defied logic.

The Star Telegram has an update on the case:

By Mark Agee

Police name 2 'persons of interest' in NRH slaying

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS -- In the days after 68-year-old Marianne Wilkinson was gunned down on a Sunday night when she answered her doorbell, rumors swirled in her upscale North Richland Hills neighborhood.

There was the one about two mysterious men, seemingly on drugs, who were selling fake mistletoe door-to-door Dec. 9.

Another suggested it was a gang initiation, a random killing by a young gang member proving his mettle.

And an e-mail from a neighbor to the Star-Telegram claimed that Wilkinson was the victim of mistaken identity -- that a hit man went to the wrong address.

Although officers remain tight-lipped, on Thursday they named Dennis Michael Taylor, 45, and Vincent Lane, 44, as "persons of interest." Investigators said they have talked to the men but don't believe they are telling the whole story.

Public records show that Taylor is involved in a nasty divorce. At the time of the shooting, his estranged wife lived in their $400,000 house in the 8400 block of Park Brook Court -- one street to the west of Spence Court, where the shooting took place. The Taylor residence also shares the same house number as the house where Marianne Wilkinson was killed...

...Police released the names in the hope that they might generate more leads, after the reward for information was increased to $25,000 last week.

The men "may have relevant information concerning circumstances or direct knowledge of person(s) responsible for the murder of Mrs. Wilkinson," a North Richland Hills Police Department news release states.

"We want to know if anyone else has any information that could help us with these guys," Irving said. "We can't call them suspects right now. That's important to remember." Irving did not say when either man became of interest to detectives.

That would explain it. $25K is a nice reward, hopefully someone will step forward and help get this case resolved.