It's been five years since
two elderly women were killed in their Suitland, Maryland,
flower store and now their friends and family are a step
closer to seeing justice done.
After nearly five long years, the sign beckoning customers
to Suitland Florist faded, but the pain hadn't for Lula
Herring. "I come and I goes. But it still here in my
heart, and I can't take it!"
Beginning Wednesday, the double murder trial gets underway
of 25-year-old Adam Neal of Southeast Washington. He's charged
with fatally stabbing the two elderly women during a robbery
at the store in September of 2003.
The owner, 76-year-old Mary Frances McDonald, had worked
50 years to buy her own shop. Madeline Thompson, 73, was
McDonald's longtime friend and employee. It took a long
time for police to track down a suspect.
In a dumpster near the victim's abandoned car, police found
a blood soaked t-shirt bearing the words "Class of
2003."
Eventually, a DNA match from a federal database led police
to Neal. At the time, he was behind bars in Alexandria (web|news)
for burglary and auto theft. Now he faces murder charges
and people say it's about time.
"They oughta give him the chair, I'd give him the electric
chair. That's what they oughta bring back," said Paul
Colins.
"Death. Point-blank. Death. He's an animal. He should
die," said Lula Herring.
The flower shop has a new owner, but that area has the same
problems. Late Monday night, another shop owner was grazed
in the head by a bullet during an attempted robbery. |
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