DATE: Saturday, July 26, 1997               TAG: 9707260473

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS                  LENGTH:   47 lines

REWARD GROWS FOR LEADS IN JOHNSON DEATH

Area citizens are boosting the reward offered for information in the killing of 33-year-old Denise Johnson.

Johnson died of stab wounds on July 13. Firefighters found her body after being sent to a fire at her Norfolk Street home. The fire was intentionally set, officials say.

``She was my girl,'' Corolla restaurant owner Laura Andes said Friday. ``We had known each other since we were 10 years old. I want to do what I can to catch her killer.''

Laura and her husband, Mark, are trying to raise money to go into the Dare County Crime Line reward fund. An account will be established at BB&T, Andes said.

``We're going to be going to restaurants and people on the beach,'' Andes said. ``We can't tolerate things like Denise's murder happening here. My priority is to catch her killer. That's the important thing.''

Andes hopes the increased reward will prompt someone with key information about the case to reveal it.

``Money talks down here,'' she said. ``Hopefully, we can get the reward to a level that someone will come forward.''

Other friends of the victim have started efforts to bolster the reward. An auction will be held Aug. 3 at Quagmire's in Kill Devil Hills. Proceeds will also go to a scholarship fund or to a local charity in Johnson's name. There will be a $5 cover charge. Prizes will be awarded by local businesses.

Also, Denise Johnson Memorial Funds have been established at other local banks, including Southern, Centura, First Union, NationsBank, Wachovia and East Carolina Bank.

Kill Devil Hills Police Chief Ray Davis said investigators are following a number of leads in the case. However, as days pass, the frequency of those tips diminishes.

``They're getting sporadic,'' Davis said. ``But we're still getting several leads, and we're following all of them.''

Johnson was last seen at a convenience store in the Avalon area at about 1:10 a.m. July 13. A witness reported she was with a blond woman about 5 feet 5 inches tall and wearing a flowered shorts set.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Crime Line at 473-3111 or the Kill Devil Hills Police Department at 480-4033. Callers will not be required to give their names or testify in court, police said. Those who provide information may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500. KEYWORDS: MURDER STABBING FIRE REWARD

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