ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 8, 1994                   TAG: 9409080096
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG                                LENGTH: Medium


MAN DEAD; EX-GIRLFRIEND STILL MISSING

A Lynchburg man was found dead Wednesday in Bedford County, hours after fleeing from police who had questioned him about the disappearance of his former girlfriend.

The search continued Wednesday night for Pamela Gail Ramey, 25, who police fear is dead. City investigators searched John William Jackson's home for evidence Wednesday.

Jackson led police on a chase through Lynchburg and Bedford County on Tuesday evening, eluding officers and tracking dogs for three hours. He was found hanged with a shoestring from a fence post about 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Thomas E. Hill, owner of Hidden Creek Farm in Boonsboro, called police after finding Jackson's body near some horse stables.

Hill said the police did not tell him the man's name, but that he was a murder suspect wanted for questioning.

City police investigators had talked to Jackson briefly Tuesday about Ramey's disappearance. She has been missing since leaving a friend's Lynchburg home Sunday morning.

Jackson and Ramey had broken up about three weeks ago, according to documents filed in Lynchburg Circuit Court.

As police investigators and Jackson were preparing to leave his house about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday to go to the police station for further questioning, he jumped inside his car and sped off.

Jackson stopped his car about 8 p.m. and ran, triggering a search by Lynchburg police and the city sheriff's K-9 units.

Lynchburg Police Commander Earl Burnette would not confirm whether the man found dead in Bedford County was the man who evaded authorities Tuesday.

Bedford County Sheriff Carl Wells issued a two-sentence press release Wednesday, but gave no details about the apparent suicide.

Staff writer Richard Foster provided information for this story.

Keywords:
FATALITY



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