Investigation proceeds 'full force ahead' | www.gaffneyledger.com

Some could be seen rubbing their eyes. There was an occasional yawn or two, as well. It's only natural that the long hours can take a physical toll, some said.

But there were no signs at the Cherokee County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday that anyone was even close to stopping for anything longer than a cat nap.

"The mental level is still high," Gaffney Police Chief Rick Turner said during a Saturday afternoon press conference when asked about the energy levels of the investigators. "Our officers are driven. That's everyone out here."

Some investigators from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, SLED and other assisting agencies have been working practically nonstop since the first of the five killings occurred last Saturday.

The Gaffney Police Department had been acting only in a supporting role until Thursday, when city businessman Stephen Tyler and his 15-year-old daughter Abby were found shot inside his East Frederick Street business, Tyler Home Center. The latest killings brought the city investigators into the now massive task force.

While he conceded that some are feeling the physical effects of the round-the-clock efforts, he said the men and the women of the task force remain "full force ahead."

Saturday afternoon's press conference was set to announce that Abby Tyler, who had survived the Thursday night shooting, had died at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center on Saturday morning. Investigators announced no new details about the Thursday night shooting and were mum on any questions that pertained to the evidence they had collected so far.

Turner, like other police officials before him, continued to ask that anyone with any information contact police. "All leads are credible until proven otherwise," he said.

The task force assembled includes at least 100 investigators and crime scene specialists from multiple local, state and federal agencies, including all counties surrounding Cherokee County.

Turner added that law enforcement agencies across South Carolina are volunteering investigative resources as well.

Turner also thanked the public and area businesses for the support all of the law enforcement officers have been receiving throughout the ordeal, from the donations of food and supplies at the command center to the handwritten notes of encouragement and prayers.