New Jersey Nightly News; Kent Manahan The Morris County Murders (Morris Mall)

God the. Police departments within a few miles of where the incidents occurred have beefed up patrols phone calls from concerned local residents are coming in by the hundreds each hour. They want to know if it's illegal to carry a knife they want to know if it's legal to carry mace. Some people said I'm going to get myself a gun well they're going to be on their own. It was here on this back road in Morris Plains which leads to an industrial complex at the latest incident was reported by a witness on his way either to or from work. A man police describe as a concerned citizen reported the abduction around 9:15 last night according to officials the witness claims to have seen a woman probably in her 30s being pulled at knifepoint into a brown car when he went to her assistance he claims he was chased by a white man with brown hair carrying a knife. When police went to investigate the incident they found a pair of women's shoes and some tire marks but so far no one has been reported missing. Rumors in this quiet community abound with the recent abductions

and stabbing murders of 18 year old Amy Hoffman and 25 year old Deirdre O'Brien who was buried today. And this latest incident all occurring within a few miles of each other to help dispel those rumors Mar's County prosecutor Lee Trimble held a news conference today to discuss the murders and last night's abduction. This could have been a hoax a result of the hysteria which was hit by the area. That of course was the first question that came to my mind. However I'm told that those people who have talked to the witness feel that the witness is credible truckle added that the description of the male abductor from last night's incident probably would not fit the type of person or persons authorities believe are involved in the two stabbing deaths. The prosecutor still won't say what leads clues or suspect descriptions are being investigated but he does say that the possibility of a connection among the three incidents is being closely examined and that state county and local police protection has been intensified in the area.

There's a heavy concentration of law enforcement in this county at this time. There's a mammoth effort being made to locate the people responsible for the crimes that are being committed here in this county. Dad. 0. 1 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 all wrong all of a horrible. I am. The owner of the shop says he sold more mace in the past couple of days than has ever been sold in the store before. Three hundred and fifty plus containers yesterday alone this

man bought five today. I have five daughters. One works at Marsh County Mall one is $1 and the other three the other for work and other places will have to walk to get their car tonight and they're scared. Besides the surge in May sales there's been a big increase in the number of people wanting to get instruction in self defense. The perception a police department has responded by offering a course for the general public and safety precautions to prevent attack. All of this in response to the recent stabbing murders of 18 year old Amy Hoffman and 25 year old Deirdre O'Brien both of whom lived in the area and a reported abduction Tuesday in Morris Plains. Although that investigation is still open authorities don't believe it was related to the murders or that in fact it was anything more than a domestic dispute. In addition to the Hoffman and O'Brien murders Morris County authorities are also actively investigating two other recent murders both of which occurred in October. One involved a stabbing at the Madison train station the other a shooting at the Rockaway mall. And although authorities don't believe

there's a connection between the October crimes and the recent stabbings people are concerned this is the mall from which authorities believe Amy Hoffman was abducted on November 23rd. Consequently shoppers at the Morris County Mall didn't seem to mind seeing the Guardian Angels on patrol there today. And even if they were here I'd really make a difference. I hope that they will be here in the evening. The small town has to deal with something extraordinary with with the help that they don't ordinarily. Morris County prosecutor Lee Trumbo questions how effective the angels will be. They would be perceived by some perhaps as a security element and someone could do the copycat dressed similarly. People would put themselves in a position of trust and perhaps it would be inappropriate for them to do so. Was it.

Was the right thing. Like that we have six homicides in three months. It's totally unusual it's not it's not in keeping with past history in Morris County. Like you know we are attempting to piece together information that will lead us to eventually be able to release a composite to the media that is not the situation that we're in right at the present time. We don't necessarily restricted to one person we may be confronted with more than one person here. Yeah.