Investigators Hope 911 Tape Leads to Clues in Murder of Garner Store Clerk

The Wake Sheriff's Office says Colleen Blackburn, a clerk at Ray's Grocery, was found dead behind the counter. From the sound of 911 tapes, it was quite a scene when a customer discovered her body.

Listen toReal AudioCaller:"We just pulled into a convenience store. This lady's been shot. We're at Ray's Grocery on White Oak Road."911:"On White Oak Road. She's been shot?"Caller:"Yes, she's bleeding everywhere."911:"Did you see the person that shot her?"Caller:"Yes, well, I didn't see the person shooting, but he sped off." The customer quickly learned the store clerk had been shot more than once.

Listen toReal Audio911:"OK, can you tell where she's been shot?"Caller:"It looks like she's got a hole coming through the back of her right shoulder plate." Blackburn had little chance of survival.

Listen toReal AudioCaller:"I'm afraid she's gone."911:"OK. Are you still by her?"Caller:"Yes. I'm right here looking at her back, looking for breathing."911:"OK."Caller:"I don't feel anything." Wake County investigators say Blackburn's murder has proven difficult to solve. They have not received any new information on the killing in the past two days.

"I'm sure somebody has seen something and not realized it, and hopefully, as much as this is in the news, it's going to jog their memory. And that's all we can count on at the moment. Everything else is coming to a dead end that we've been working on," says Capt. T.S. Matthews of the Wake County Sheriff's Office.

Right now, investigators have one suspect in mind. They ask anyone who was in the vicinity of Ray's Grocery between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday night to contact the Wake County Sheriff's Office at919-856-6911.

A memorial fund is set up at BB&T in Garner. Memorial services for Colleen Blackburn will be held Saturday morning at the Brian Lee Funeral Home on Highway 50.