A highly dangerous and "unpredictable" killer has now been linked to multiple murders in Cherokee County and officials fear he's specifically targeting women.

While they wouldn't go into details about the evidence or reasoning, Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton confirmed that the person who murdered an 83-year-old retired school teacher and her 50- year-old daughter inside a Buck Shoals Road home on Wednesday afternoon was likely the same person who killed a prominent peach grower on Battleground Road just a few days before.

With the announcement came details that the full weight of numerous police agencies is being aimed directly at putting the killer behind bars.

A special task force of more than 30 investigators from multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been assembled and was chasing every conceivable lead Thursday.

Hazel Keaton Linder, 83, and her daughter, Gena Linder Parker, 50, were both found shot to death inside Linder's home at 114 Buck Shoals Road on Wednesday afternoon. Local peach grower Kline Cash, 63, was shot to death inside his Battleground Road home just last Saturday.

"We feel it's the same person," Blanton said of the killer, though he declined to reveal what evidence led investigators to that conclusion.

Police set up a command post and were swarming the northwest corner of Cherokee County. A helicopter was flying overhead, directing police to the location of every vehicle that matched witness descriptions of two vehicles that might have been driven by the killer.

While one of the three victims was a male, Blanton said investigators believe the killer is targeting women, since the first person he approached last Saturday was Mr. Cash's wife.

The task force of investigators includes crime scene analysts and forensic scientists, detectives from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, SLED, the FBI, and officials from Greenville County and Rutherford County in North Carolina.

"They're not going to stop until this man is caught," Blanton declared, surrounded by Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright and a bevy of other law enforcement personnel.

Blanton is advising area residents to remain vigilant and cautious, especially since all three killings took place in the middle of the day. Residents are being advised not to let anyone inside their homes if they don't know the person.

Door-to-door salesmen are being warned to stop making calls.

Blanton said even a legitimately stranded motorist is advised to call 9-1-1 by cell phone, or flag down other motorists to call for help for them, rather than knock on doors for help.

Any tips, no matter how "trivial" are being sought.

A unit of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which is heavily involved in the probe, is taking over the Cherokee County Crimestoppers tip line so that it's manned 24 hours a day and tips can be handled immediately.

Blanton and other investigators declined to provide many details of Wednesday afternoon's murders, such as how the crime scene appeared, the locations of the mother and daughter inside the home, or the type of weapon involved in their killings.

The suspect in the death of Mr. Cash was driving a 1991-1994 twodoor Ford Explorer Sport with faded grey or champagne colored paint.

A dark blue van, possibly a mini-van, was seen leaving the driveway of the Linder home at about 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The killer, whose sketch was distributed earlier this week in connection with the Cash killing, is the same person wanted for the deaths of Linder and Parker. Blanton said the man should be considered extremely dangerous.

Blanton reached out during the press conference to the killer's possible friends, family or acquaintances for information, not only for the safety of others but themselves.

"He's unpredictable," the sheriff said of the killer. "He acts on impulse."

The sheriff said Mr. Cash, Linder and Parker were unrelated. But just like the death of Mr. Cash, it appeared the deaths of Linder and Parker might have stemmed from a robbery.

"These were three good people minding their own business," the sheriff said. "They didn't deserve this to happen to them."

The suspect allegedly approached Cash under the pretense of buying hay. While there was a "Hay For Sale" sign near the Linder home, police confirmed it was not Linder's sign and that the Linders were not in the business of selling hay.

Sheriff Wright said his office has at least eight investigators working on the probe. Some of his officers have been involved since the death of Mr. Cash.

All of the police agencies involved are redirecting resources to the hunt for this killer.

Blanton said his deputies' off-duty assignments were being pulled so they could focus on the murders. The state Highway Patrol is chipping in as well to help patrol Cherokee County while deputies focus on the murders.

"This is a matter of priority," said Wright.

All of the killings took place just a few miles from the Spartanburg County line and the North Carolina border, making this important for all involved.

"Bad guys don't like it when good guys talk across county lines," Wright added.

Additional press conferences may be held Friday.

New developments will appear on our Web site as they become available.