Gwinnett shooting victim's stolen truck found

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Gwinnett County police are searching a murder victim's stolen truck hoping to find evidence that leads to the killer.
 
Ever since the body of Brian Whitfield, 44, was discovered in the driveway leading to his home, police have said finding the truck was a top priority.
 
"It was called in by people who live in the area and noticed the truck back there," said Cpl. Jake Smith with the Gwinnett County Police Department.
 
Investigators said a tipster spotted the truck in west Atlanta Tuesday night.
 
"When the detective located it, it had been partially stripped. The wheels were missing, the radio had been removed," Smith told Channel 2's Tony Thomas.
 
Neighbors near the Flowery Branch Road home reported hearing gunshots early Saturday morning, then someone spotted Whitfield's body.
 
"This was a different gunshot than we normally here over there," one neighbor told Thomas.
 
Police say items were also stolen from Whitfield's house. Even with the truck, investigators say the case remains a mystery.
 
"At this point, we can't say if it was someone he knew or a total stranger, so it's hard for us to say if the people who stripped the vehicle are the same ones who committed this murder," Smith said.
 
Whitfield's family continues to plead for clues, saying they can't figure out who would want to hurt the father of three.
 
"We want to know why someone would do something so senseless, especially if it was just over material things," said Tonya Milton, Whitfield's sister.
 
Police hope to get prints off the truck, but say until they can get a suspect in mind, even that might not help them much.
 
Thomas spoke to Milton on Wednesday, and she says the family can't thank the person who found the missing truck enough.

WSBTV