Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1953-09-02
Murder OF Whiteville Cab Driver
Remains Mystery To Authorities

~ q my SiSIS toN'SiN dllST dn eStcn-
sive investigation by Whiteville
police officers.
The investigating officers ad-
| mitted that they did not have the
answer TO the question of who
killed Odcll Strickland. 32-year-
old father OF two children. and left
ms body to Swcltcr all day Thurs
day inside his taxi which was a.
bandoned on the dirt road running
from Lebanon Methodist Church
TO the Mollic Section.
| Officers conducting the extcn-
sivc investigation are Supcrin-
tcndcnt Horace l.. Shaw OF the
| Columbus County Bureau for
identification. Chief Floyd Whit
man, Jr.. of the Whitcvillc Police
Department. Sheriff H. Hugh
Nance and agents of the State Blu
rcau of Investigation.
The Officers admitted that more
man one person was known who
had good reasons in their opinion
Tor pumping three shots into
Strlckland's head and leaving him
dead on a rural road.
They refused to say Just who
ana why, or comment on the CUES
ton OF how the cab driver became
such a likely candidate for MUIR
| der.
The body was found Thursday
AFTERNOON about o'clock Slumped
over in the front seat of the 1853
Ford CuStomlinc car. operated by
Strickland for Deluxe Taxi Serv-
Ice and owned by Mrs. Sadie
Hammonds of Whiteville.
1t was not known exactly how
long the vehicle had been parked
on the edge of the road before be-
ing discovered. 4 boy living in
the neighborhood noticed the car
looked through the door glass, and
suspected something amiss. II,
notified S. p. Saunders, former
chief OF police in Chadbourn and
now fee deputy sheriff. who 20,
word TO the VAUDEVILLE authorities.
Strickland was found Slumped
down on the seat covers. his face
and head covered with bluoG.
Blood had Streamcd through the
right front door and some of il
had blown back on the rear wheel.
Leading Officers to theOriZc that
the taxi driver had been shot al
some other point and the car driv-
en- by either the killer OF an ac-
compllcc to the place ii was found
One of the most peculiar diScov-
cries was the killers method of
getting rid of the taxi light atop
the car. Wires to the light had
been ripped out in an obvious
move 10 make the car less con-
SpiciouS.
An autopsy conducted early
Saturday morning revealed that
the victim had been shot three
times. i'll addition to the bullet
holes near the right eye and left
car. 1t was found that Strickland
had been shot in the top of the
head, probably as he lay slumped
over on the seat.
Very little valuable evidence
was found by the investigators
inside the car. Officers would not
| comment OF the value of finger
prints. if any. but they found sew
eral pintS OF whiskcy. bearing a
District of Columbia liquor stamp.
under the drivers seat. There was
also a bottle with South Caro-
lima whiskey stamp.
Robbery was not ruled out en-
! tircly during the preliminary in
| NeSilgation but the rumor that
strickland was carrying as much
as $500 was regarded as unlikely.
| There was the possibility that rob-
berry was the motive since no
money was found on Strickland's
person when his body was found.
The time of the murder was
| placed at some point between
1890 and 80 THURSDAY morning
The cab driver was last seen IN
WhitcvillC when re mo- Il I215
! Gus at Union Bus Station. accord
ing to unofficial reports. but no
! body other than the slayer or
Siaycrs is known to nave seen
MIN after that time
Funeral services for the victim
/ were conducted SATURDAY. mornina
a.; 1890 o'clock from the chapel
OF McarCS Funeral Home in
Whitcvillc The Rev. Robert {
Foster. pastor of the First Baptis
| church. OftiCiatCd.
Surviving arc his wife. the for
mcr Ruby FippS. daughter
Frances: one son, Dale: two sisters
Mrs. 1ncz Turbeville and Mrs.
John Worley both of Tabor CITY.
and three brothers Blcas Strick-
land of Evergreen, @. G. Strick-
Land of Fair Bluff. and Marion Lee
strickland Of Tabor City.
Local V.F.W.
States Meeting