Person Of Interest Cleared In Clerk's Slaying

Search Continues For Lake City Clerk's Killer

Detectives with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office announced on Thursday they are no longer looking at Daymon Heard as a suspect in the slaying of Linda Raulerson.

Heard, 20, was arrested at his girlfriend's home in Jacksonville on July 31 and charged in the Lake Park, Ga., shooting death of a convenience store clerk.

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Shortly after his arrest, detectives with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office named Heard a person of interest in the fatal shooting of Raulerson, a Lake City convenience store clerk.

Raulerson, 59, was shot once in the arm as a robber came into the Joy America Grocery on U.S. Highway 441 just off Interstate 10. After handing over the cash from the register, the robber fired again, killing Raulerson.

"There are certainly similarities in the two homicides -- the one is Lake Park, Ga., and the one here in Columbia County -- but further investigation shows it is highly unlikely Daymon Heard is responsible for the shooting death of Mrs. Linda Raulerson on July 22," said Sheriff Bill Gootee. "Our detectives have spent countless hours interviewing family and friends to determine if he might be our suspect, but the pieces are simply not fitting together to complete this puzzle."

The investigation into Raulerson's death continues.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099.