DATE: Saturday, November 15, 1997           TAG: 9711150856

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NAGS HEAD                         LENGTH:   51 lines

POLICE LOOKING AT POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN TWO ATTACKS

A second victim has come forward to say she was attacked by a man who looked like one of the suspects sought in last Saturday's rape of a 35-year-old Kill Devil Hills woman.

But Nags Head Deputy Chief Wayne Byrum said the similar description is the only link between the two crimes.

``We're not sure if they're related,'' Byrum said Friday. ``There's always that possibility. But so far, we're not sure if that's the case. There are some similarities in the description, but that's all we've found so far. We don't have a vehicle match or anything else at this point.''

Nags Head police are working with the National Park Service and the Dare County Sheriff's Office in the investigation.

The latest victim, described by police as being in her mid-30s, was assaulted on Nov. 7. She came to Nags Head authorities after seeing reports about the Saturday morning attack at Bodie Island. Like the other victim, she met her attacker at Kelly's in Nags Head. Only one man was involved in the Friday attack.

``She came to us earlier this week,'' Byrum said. ``She wasn't going to report it, but after she read the story in the paper, she came forward in an effort to help us out.''

Meanwhile, the search for the two men wanted in the attack last Saturday has widened into Virginia.

Dare County Sheriff's Office investigator Leary Sink said flyers have been distributed to Hampton Roads police departments, as well as various off-road vehicle shops in Virginia.

Investigators thought they had a break in the case Wednesday, stopping a dark-colored van in neighboring Currituck County. However, that turned into a dead end.

``A van was stopped that was believed to match the description of the vehicle we're looking for,'' Sink said. ``The passenger in the van also matched the description of the second suspect. But after inspecting the van and questioning the gentleman, we determined that they were not involved.''

A number of leads have been generated since the release of a photograph and descriptions of the suspects, as well as a description of the van released earlier in the week.

``We've received about a dozen calls on the Crime Line,'' Sink said. ``We're following every lead we get.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

Anyone with information is urged to call the National Park

Service at (919) 473-2111, Ext. 138; the Dare County Sheriff's

Office Criminal Investigations Division at (919) 441-1425, or the

Dare County Crime Line at (919) 473-3111 or 1-800-745-CRIME.

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