Police release sketches of Athens shooting suspect Zinkhan

By RHONDA COOK

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Two revised sketches of UGA shooting suspect George Zinkhan may make it easier to spot him even if he has shaved off his hair or beard, said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation artist who developed the different looks for Athens police investigators.

"You'd be surprised at how much different people look with head gear or a beard on their face," said Marla Lawson, who has been with the GBI 13 years.

Athens police Wednesday released two new sketches of Zinkhan, one showing him without a beard and the other clean-shaven and bald.

"This is just another tool we're using to get people to think outside the box. That's the only reason we did it," said Athens-Clarke County Police Capt. Clarence Holeman, who is leading the investigation.

Lawson said it took about three hours to do the two color drawings. She had no pictures of Zinkhan without facial hair to guide her .

"The only challenging area [on his face] was his chin," Lawson said. "My gosh. He doesn't have one."

Lawson said she was only asked to provide a sketch of Zinkhan beardless but also provided a drawing of him bald because "if he's got those clippers in his hands, he may just run that buzz saw up his head. There's no telling what he will look like when they find him."

When Zinkhan was last seen on April 25, minutes after he reportedly fatally shot his wife and two others at the Athens Community Theatre near the University of Georgia campus, he had a full beard that was graying.

Police discovered his abandoned red Jeep last Friday but there are still no signs of Zinkhan.

The marketing professor reportedly walked into a festive community theater gathering and opened fire with two handguns, killing his wife, 47-year-old Marie Bruce, and Ben Teague, 63, and Tom Tanner, 40. Zinkhan's two children, ages 10 and 8, waited in his car parked around the corner. He then left the children with a neighbor, saying he had an emergency.