Search For Killer Of Couple Pressed

Detectives yesterday continued to run down hundreds of reports from citizens in their search for the psychopathic killer of a young Navy couple in Ocean Beach last Wednesday.

The only clues so far are seven .22-caliber shells found at the scene, Det. Sgt. Edward C. Stevens said.

Johnny R. Swindle, 20, and his bride of three weeks, Joyce Ann, 19, were shot and killed by the sniper as they stood looking out at the ocean below 5116 Narragansett Ave.

SHOTS FROM CLIFF

The seven shells found at the scene indicated the sniper shot five bullets into the couple from a point about 50 feet up on the nearby cliff, then climbed down and fired two more.

Detectives said they have found nothing new to link the murder to the killing last June of another couple in Santa Barbara. Victims in both cases were young couples and both killings occurred on beaches, but no other similarities have been found, detectives said.

CHECK COMPLETED

Santa Barbara detectives compared bullets taken from the first victims with bullets taken from the Swindle couple and found they were fired by the same type of gun, but not the same gun.

Stevens said detectives have completed a thorough house-to-house check for clues in the vicinity of the killing.

Ten detectives now are sifting through stacks of reports taken from citizens who responded to Police Chief Wesley S. Sharp’s appeal to citizens for any information concerning the murder.

The reports range from suspicious persons seen in the area at the approximate time of the killing to unusual happenings Wednesday night. Each will be investigated, Stevens said.