2010062404

Three Years Later, Murder Of Pregnant Woman In Raleigh Goes Unsolved

By Olivia Barrow, The Raleigh Telegram

Monday, June 28, 2010

RALEIGH - On the third anniversary of the death of Jennifer Nielsen, the killer remains undiscovered, leaving Raleigh police with little more than an unmatched DNA sample to go on.

Early in the morning on June 14, 2007, 22-year-old Jennifer Nielsen, who was 8 ½ months pregnant, was killed while delivering newspapers at the AmeriKing Food Mart on Lake Wheeler Road in Raleigh.

Although the police confirmed finding the DNA one year ago, no match has been found.

“If the match is found, absolutely it would be a suspect,” said Detective Z. A. Morse. “We don’t know who it belongs to.”

Morse could not comment on what type of DNA was found and whether it indicates rape.

“Here’s the problem with having the DNA,” said Kevin Blaine, Nielsen’s father. “In this state, we do not take DNA samples from anyone until they have been convicted of a felony.”

The autopsy report revealed that the cause of death was a stab wound in the left side of her neck that sliced the carotid artery and the internal jugular vein, but her injuries also indicate that she was strangled prior to death.

“We are still actively working the case,” Raleigh Police Department Public Relations Officer Jim Sughrue said.

According to the autopsy reports, other injuries included several scrapes and bruises on her face, elbows, right knee and left shin. She was found with her pants and underwear pulled down, exposing the buttocks.

The police also collected a single hair from the back of her right hand, which may be the DNA sample collected by police.

During the first year after the murder, Raleigh police reported conducting more than 700 interviews and dealing with more than 1,000 tips related to the case, but no arrests were made.

In the beginning of the investigation, police released a composite sketch of a suspect seen in the area around the time of Nielsen’s death. The sketch was widely distributed in hopes of producing some leads.

Although the sketch generated lots of speculation and tips flowed into the tip line, none of the information related to the case.

The police have since requested the media stop distributing the sketch so as not to discourage anyone with any information from stepping forward.

“I have very high hopes, speaking with the detective on the case,” Blaine said. “They all assure me that it’s not a cold case, that they continually work on it. I actually believe them. I know they’re trying hard.”

Blaine has been very active in promoting the investigation, and also has been an activist for unborn victims of violent crime. He has made many appearances on local and national television asking for help with both solving the case and passing the Unborn Victims of Violence Act in North Carolina.

The act, authored by NC Representative Dale Folwell (R-Forsyth County), would provide that anyone who murders a pregnant woman would be guilty of a separate and equally punishable offense for the resulting death of the unborn child.

Although the bill has been put forth in each of the past 11 sessions, it has been killed in committee each time.

“There’s 36 states in the country that have this law passed,” Blaine said. “We’re the only state in the Southeast that does not have this law.”

Meanwhile, Raleigh Police investigators continue to hunt for Jennifer Nielsen’s killer in the hopes that one day an important clue will lead them to close this haunting case.

ON THE WEB:

Original 2007 Raleigh Telegram Article On Nielsen Murder + 911 Call:

www.raleightelegram.com/2007061601.html

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