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July 15th, 2009
06:40 PM ET

Analysts: Military precision of Florida slaying is worrisome

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/CRIME/07/15/florida.couple.slain/art.long.cnn.jpg caption="Pamela Long, also known as Pamela Wiggins and by other names, is a "person of interest" in the Florida case."]

Patrik Jonsson
The Christian Science Monitor

Fast, methodical, deadly. Law-enforcement officers have compared the July 9 murder of a wealthy Florida couple known for their charity toward children with a "military operation," a gripping reminder, experts say, that paramilitary tactics can be turned toward civilian destruction.

Saying the incident described "the worst in man," Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan announced Tuesday that police had apprehended the seven main perpetrators – a group of day laborers and auto detailers.

"A couple of individuals with prior military background" were involved, Sheriff Morgan confirmed. "It was a very well-planned and -executed operation." Robbery was the primary motive, and a safe was stolen from the home, officials said. No further information was available about the suspects' military connections at time of writing.

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Filed under: Crime & Punishment
soundoff (8 Responses)
  1. Sue Dailey

    Remember the Oklahoma bomings? Military training taught them how to make large bombs.

    July 16, 2009 at 12:45 am |
  2. Ann F (IL)

    You never know- the mind is one thing no person can take away from you.

    July 16, 2009 at 12:41 am |
  3. Gary New York

    Sounds like Tim is a closet reader of Soldier Of Fortune magazine.
    I take great offense to his comments about members of the
    US Military being involved in planning a possible race war / and or ethnic cleansing.

    I have one son who served 9 years in the US Navy and another who is currently serving in the US Navy. Sorry Tim neither is a racist nor do they have plans for world domination.

    The murder of this poor Florida couple was carried out by a group of scum bags, Black, White, and Latinos, set on nothing but what appears to be robbery.

    Your "Left Fringe" comments makes you the one who seems more dangerous to our society.

    July 15, 2009 at 10:19 pm |
  4. ash

    it's a sad thing to say, but im glad they stopped at the parents and didn't kill the MANY children in the home.

    July 15, 2009 at 9:13 pm |
  5. Rick

    If it was such a well laid out plan,Fast, methodical, robbery as they say. How come they got caught. I would say the plan wasn't to well thought out.

    July 15, 2009 at 8:58 pm |
  6. Annie Kate

    4 minutes – the victims probably didn't have enough time to realize what was happening. If you look on tv all the channels that have cop shows routinely have SWAT teams in the story – seeing the teams and how they work (at least in the story) is fairly common place. It was probably only a matter of time before the criminals turned the SWAT team tactics back on the public they prey upon. Other teams that are even thinking about carrying out an operation like this now know (thanks to the press) that there was a video surveillance system set up in the house. Next time, a team will look for one of these systems and neutralize it before they leave. I hope the 7 they have arrested so far are all the killers in this incident and will be locked away for a very long time.

    July 15, 2009 at 7:04 pm |
  7. Mike in NYC

    Interesting how Jonsson brings up "White supremacism," when the victims of this crime were Whites, and most of the perps were non-White.

    Get ready for this to be used to justify more infringements on civil liberties, such that they still exist.

    July 15, 2009 at 6:57 pm |
  8. Tim Gibson

    Not only does the criminal element learn from SWAT raids, but it is only logical to assume that ex-military who are involved in hate groups bring any and all military training they acquired into the mix.

    The lastest tidbit that possible members of known hate groups are currently serving and learning in our own US military perhaps all in planning and execution for a possible race war and/or ethnic cleansing.

    July 15, 2009 at 6:51 pm |