Log in to WRAL.com with one click using your favorite social network:
OR
Log in using your WRAL.com account:



Wrong email/password combination.

Forgot password?

Register with WRAL.com using your favorite social network:
OR
Register for a WRAL.com account using our web form.

Login Options

11:27 p.m. • 2-10-12

Weather Forecast for Raleigh

  • Sat: Mostly Cloudy.
    • Hi: 52° F
  • Sun: Clear.
    • Hi: 43° F
  • Mon: Mostly Cloudy.
    • Hi: 50° F

Other Locations

> 7 Day Forecast

Doppler Image

Marketplace Links

Social Links

Main Menu

Sketch Producing Tips in Pregnant Mother's Slaying


e-mail print friendly
Police Following Leads in Raleigh Slaying
Police Following Leads in Raleigh Slaying

A sketch of a person wanted for questioning in the slaying of a pregnant mother last week has produced more than two dozen tips since Friday, police said Monday.

An officer responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle early Thursday morning found the body of Jennifer Kathleen "Jenna" Nielsen, 22, of Fuquay-Varina, behind the AmeriKing Food Mart on Lake Wheeler Road, across from the State Farmers Market.

Nielsen, the mother of two boys who was eight months pregnant with her third son, was on her early morning route to restock USA Today newspaper boxes when she was killed, police said. The cause of death hasn't been released.

Police described the slaying as a random act and said they want to identify a man seen near the convenience store in the pre-dawn hours Thursday.

The man is described as being in the late teens or early 20s, standing about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. The man had black hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a dark-colored sleeveless shirt and baggy denim shorts.

Since police released the sketch of the man late Friday, they have received dozens of tips to a special hotline set up to handle leads in the case.

"The detectives upstairs are working the case 24 hours a day. They're following all the leads we're getting, and we are very appreciative of what we're getting from people calling in," said Capt. Chris Bertram of the Raleigh Police Department.

"The focus, like I said, is try to find this person because we believe he may have some information that may assist us in the investigation of the case," Bertram said. "We're not saying this person is a suspect. It is someone who was seen nearby and we would really like to talk to him."

Meanwhile, Nielsen's family waits for answers. Her brother posted a note on his MySpace.com page asking the public to call police if they have any information about the crime or the composite.

Nielsen will be buried later this week in Utah, where she lived before moving to Fuquay-Varina.

RELATED TOPICS: Fuquay-Varina, Lake Wheeler, Raleigh

e-mail print friendly

24 Comments


WRAL.com welcomes your comments on this story. All comments are moderated prior to publication based on our posting guidelines. Please review them prior to posting and if your message is not approved.

View Comments VIEW ALL 24 COMMENTS

This story is closed for comments. Comments on WRAL.com news stories are accepted and moderated between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Latest Comments
Is anyone suspicious of the man who "found" the knife and threw it over the fence?

There's a very special place in Haydes for someone like this person. I hope he gets the express train there!!..And RPD..keep up the good work!!..You folks are the Best!!..

There may not have been eyewitnesses, but there was video security at the front of the store which captured a likeness of the person in the sketch. Get it?

The video also showed a pick up truck pulling a trailer pull into the store lot, around behind the store (where there is no video security) and back around front leaving at about 2:30 am.

It's only a matter of time, and I pray they are swift and harsh with judgement.

Praying for the family.

God bless.

Rev. RB

I'm sure the police are working around the clock and just like everyone else, I want this person caught too. Afterall, this happened less than a mile from my house. However, RPD...@yahoo.com, police are almost purely a reactionary force and respond only AFTER a crime has been committed. This is why I urge my family and friends to procure a concealed carry permit, be extremely proficient with your weapon and be vigilant. Ultimately we cannot rely on the police to protect us.

lastchance

I am so SORRY FOR YOUR LOST ALSO will look at your site Prayers for this family, I sure hope they catch this person.

View Comments VIEW ALL 24 COMMENTS
Report It

Multimedia

Click Here