RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh police are using DNA to check out what could be a lead in the Stephanie Bennett murder case.

Richard Evonitz was wanted for the kidnapping and rape of a girl in Columbia, S.C. Officials in Florida said Evonitz killed himself there last week.

Evonitz is also a leading suspect in the murders of three girls near Fredericksburg, Va.

The location of the cases has Raleigh police checking out a possible connection to the Bennett murder, but said they are not optimistic.

"It could certainly be the same person and that's one reason we have to check, but it's nothing we're hanging too much hope on at this time," said Lt. Chris Morgan of the Raleigh Police Department

DNA analysis comparing samples from the Bennett case and Evonitz should be done in a couple of days.