UPDATE: ETSU Names Carjacking Suspect

By Nate Morabito
Reporter / WJHL
Published: November 12, 2008

UPDATED at 5:55 p.m.

The man accused of carjacking an East Tennessee State University student remains at large. 38 year-old David Lee Forney II of Johnson City is wanted on charges of carjacking and aggravated assault stemming from an incident on the campus of ETSU Monday afternoon.

ETSU Public Safety Chief Jack Cotrel said Forney was carrying a nine millimeter handgun when he stole a female ETSU student’s Ford Mustang around 3:40 pm Monday. According to Cotrel, the carjacking occurred in a parking lot behind the Culp Center. Police chased Forney all the way into North Carolina Monday night but lost sight of him near Mars Hill.

“Western North Carolina, there are a lot of places to disappear in that part of the country,” Cotrel said.

Although the student was not injured, Cotrel believes Forney is still traveling in her black Ford Mustang, which has a tan stripe and front end damage on the driver’s side. The car in question has Tennessee tag number 743-CHV.

ETSU alerted students, faculty, and staff about the carjacking shortly after 5:00pm Monday. Still, that wasn’t soon enough for some students.

“I was questioning why we didn’t get a text message alert, because it seems like an important situation that they would have sent it out regardless,” ETSU Sophomore Katie Vines said. “We have haven’t had situations to get the alerts, but it feels like this was one we should have had.”

A year ago today, ETSU unveiled its new Gold Alert text message system. It’s supposed to be used to alert students about weather-related school closings and emergencies. ETSU chose not to send a text message Monday about this carjacking. According to Cotrel, Monday’s carjacking just did not fit the criteria for sending a text alert.

“In that we knew beyond doubt that the suspect was not on campus, we didn’t feel there was an imminent threat to our community,” Cotrel said. “If we felt the subject was at large on campus or he had run and we knew he was armed, that’s a situation where we have an imminent threat to the people on our campus.“

UPDATED at 10:18 a.m.
ETSU Names Carjacking Suspect
BY NICKI MAYO

ETSU officials released a report identifying the suspect in Monday’s carjacking incident.

An arrest warrant has been issued for carjacking and aggravated assault on David Lee Forney II of 11 Brooklawn Court, Johnson City.  The 38-year-old is 5’9” and weighs 178 pounds. http://photolab.etsu.edu/images/Wanted1099.jpg

According to ETSU reports, a student was parking her vehicle in Lot 15A when she was approached by the suspect. The suspect reportedly opened his jacket to display a handgun and told the woman to get out her car.

A struggle reportedly followed. So far there are no reported injuries.

Officials say suspect stole the car and led law enforcement on a chase through Carter County. Officers lost track of the car in North Carolina.

Authorities say the stolen convertible is a black 2004 Ford Mustang convertible with a tan stripe. The car has Tennessee tags with the license number 743-CHV. 

As indicated in an “ETSU Alert” Monday afternoon, ETSU officials urge the entire campus community “to always be very careful in all surroundings, to secure your personal property at all times, and to be ever-vigilant about your safety.”
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UPDATED: (6:15 a.m.) By Yasmeen Elayan:

There is no word yet this morning if a carjacking suspect on the campus of ETSU in Johnson City has been caught. We called ETSU’S Public Safety Office, but they would not comment on the matter this morning.

We’ll bring you more updates as they become available
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Update 10:45pm:  ETSU Public Safety officials tell News Channel 11 that the search for the suspect continues.  Local authorities stopped chasing the suspect shortly after 6:00pm, after they lost track of the suspect in Mars Hill, NC.

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Authorities are searching for a man who carjacked a black mustang from the East Tennessee State University campus in Johnson City.
Police say a man in his 20s, carrying a 9- millimeter handgun, stole the car from an ETSU student near the D.P. Culp Center. 
The carjacker then hit another car on his way out of ETSU’s campus.
The student who’s car was stolen is safe.
The car will have damage on the driver’s side.
At last check,  police were in hot pursuit on Interstate 26,  going into North Carolina.
If you have any information, or see the car, please call Johnson City Police (423) 928-9111.