Opinion ID: 786204
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Composite Drawing

Text: 34 In addition to the information Garner provided to the investigators about how the robbery occurred, he was also able to assist a police artist in developing a composite drawing of the lone perpetrator. Along with the composite drawing, on July 30, 1980, police released Garner's description of the perpetrator as a white man between 25 and 30 years of age, 6'2, 160 to 185 pounds with brown to dark brown hair worn combed back in front and over the ears, but not touching the collar. 10 The composite drawing and Garner's description were widely publicized in the newspaper and on the local television news. 11 35 It is apparent that despite the alleged retrogressed amnesia, which the State suggested at Soffar's trial rendered Garner's memory unreliable, detectives relied on the credibility of Garner's statements and composite drawings obtained therefrom throughout their investigation. Police statements to the press included the investigators' firm belief that they were looking for one unknown white male hi-jacker matching the description Garner gave, who talked his way into the bowling alley by feigning car trouble. After initially receiving over 250 calls in regard to publication of the composite drawing, by August 4, 1980, the exhaustive police investigation of the bowling alley murders had few if any promising leads. 36 On August 5, 1980, at approximately 8:00 a.m., a League City, Texas, police officer, Raymond Willoughby, observed Soffar traveling approximately 57 miles per hour on a motorcycle in a 45 mile per hour speed zone on the westbound side of West 518 in League City, Texas. 12 Subsequent investigation disclosed that the motorcycle was stolen in Friendswood, Texas on August 4, and Soffar was arrested for motor theft and placed in jail. 37