(EDITOR'S NOTE: This letter was written during the time authorities were still searching for the serial killer. We received it after the fatal shooting of Patrick Tracy Burris by police officers in North Carolina.)

Dear residents of Gaffney and surrounding areas:

I am Emmanuel V. Perez, a concerned citizen from Orlando, Fla.

I am writing this letter to the citizens of Cherokee County and have chosen The Gaffney Ledger as the most appropriate medium to express my concerns and prayers.

I want the citizens of Gaffney and the surrounding areas to know that others around the nation and the world are praying for your safety and the swift arrest and punishment of the demon that has haunted your humble community as of late.

If the community sticks together and works with each other, the demon shall be exposed. Be fully aware of this assertion I am making now: People everywhere are praying and hoping for this fear to be dispelled from the hearts of Cherokee County residents.

Please do not stop praying and working towards the same goal. If someone as far away as Orlando is praying for your safety, you must do so as well. Try to stay positive in these hard times, for if you do, good things shall come. Emmanuel Perez Orlando, Fla.