GARDEN RIDGE, Texas — When Garden Ridge Police released a couple of still photographs of a capital murder suspect last week, they said they got some tips, but not enough information to move forward.
Investigators are hoping that by releasing portions of the video and the audio of the attack, someone might be able to recognize the suspect. (VIDEO WARNING: The video shows only the male suspect and omits the gunshot, but may be disturbing for some viewers.)
The murder happened at the EZ Mart in the 19500 block of FM 3009 around 3 a.m. on July 29.
Police said a man who was carrying a pistol in his left hand and a tote bag in his right hand attacked the lone female clerk and demanded money from the cash register and lottery tickets.
The clerk, 40-year-old Pam Smotherman, complied, but not fast enough for the man, who repeatedly yelled at her, ordering the frightened woman to hurry up.
The video shows that Smotherman did what she was told to do. She gave the man money and then lottery tickets, but when he got what he wanted, the full video shows the suspect shooting Smotherman once at very close range.
In order to show respect for the family of the victim, this video clip has been edited so that Smotherman is not visible. The gunshot that killed her has also been omitted.
The suspect is described as being in his 20s to 30s. He was wearing a black shirt, dark pants and a red bandanna covering his face.
Garden Ridge investigators said there are no exterior cameras on the EZ Mart that show how the man made his escape after he ran from the building.
Comal County Crime Stoppers is offering an increased reward of up to $10,000 for information on the identity of the suspect that leads to an arrest and/or grand jury indictment.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Garden Ridge Police Department at 210-651-6441 or Comal County Crime Stoppers. To remain anonymous and to collect the reward, contact Crime Stoppers at 830-620-TIPS (8477), leave a tip online at http://comalcrimestoppers.org, or send a tip using the "P3 Tips" smartphone app available on iOS and Android devices.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family with expenses.
RELATED: Garden Ridge convenience store clerk killed over cash, lottery tickets; reward offered for suspect