A witness told authorities that he spotted two individuals exiting a stolen sport utility vehicle belonging to a slain District middle school principal less than 24 hours after he was found shot to death in his Silver Spring home, Montgomery County police said.
The Nissan Xterra was found abandoned in Southeast on Saturday afternoon, about 14 miles from Brian Betts’ house. The Shaw Middle School principal was found dead in his bedroom Thursday evening.
Police have been tight-lipped about the investigation, but did say it’s progressing Monday as they continue to scour Betts’ home and vehicle for details. On Monday authorities also released pieces of the timeline surrounding Betts’ slaying, including the witness who spotted the “two individuals” abandoning the stolen SUV sometime between noon and 3 p.m. Friday. The vehicle was missing from the house when police arrived Thursday night.
Authorities said Betts was still alive around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday when he placed a phone call. They did not say whom he was calling. Police denied a Washington Examiner request for records of any police calls for service to Betts’ home, saying that the release of the information could hinder the investigation.
Friends and co-workers became concerned when Betts didn’t show up for work Thursday. A co-worker went to check on him Thursday evening and found the door to his Columbia Boulevard home open, and a light on. The co-worker then got out of the house and called the police. When authorities arrived, they found Betts’ body in his bedroom. He had been killed by at least one gunshot.
Friday was a previously scheduled day off from school, so Monday was the first day back since the slaying. School officials said they scheduled a 45-minute grief session in the morning.
A “tribute page” to Betts created on Facebook had garnered nearly 1,000 fans and hundreds of messages from current and former students, and friends and family.
“He always tried to connect to his students on a personal level, and was always brimming with energy,” Will Federman, a former student, wrote on Facebook. “He was never jaded, and he never gave up on people.”
