Fairfax County police are exploring whether a man who forced his way into a Springfield home and attacked a 62-year-old woman on Christmas Eve could be connected to two similar homicides in the area.
“Of course we’re exploring that,” said Officer Camille Neville, a police department spokeswoman. “It’s way too early to tell if there are any connections.”
The man forced his way into the home near Frontier Drive that evening and attacked the victim, whose name is not being released, according to Neville. She was later treated for a puncture wound to her arm. The suspect was gone by the time a family member came home.
The attack, as police describe it, bears some resemblance to the two recent murders in Springfield. Marion Marshall, 72, was found dead by a friend in her North Springfield home on Aug. 14. On Nov. 21, a friend found 74-year-old Marion Newman’s body in her home, which is just a few miles from Marshall’s residence. Police have not released specific details on how the women were killed, saying only that both were killed by “trauma to the upper body.”
Police believe the same suspect committed both murders.
They have released little description of the suspect, but say he stole an unusual ring from Newman, which he may have shown off or sold. The suspect in the Christmas Eve attack was described only as “a man wearing white or gray clothing.”
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS or Fairfax County police at 703-691-2131.
