David Sanchez, 48, was murdered April 12, 2012. (Photo from HCSO)
<I><B>This is the first in a series of stories about four cold case murders under investigation by the Hall County Sheriff's Office.</I></B> <br />
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GAINESVILLE - Investigators describe David Sanchez as an entrepreneur who was just trying to help fellow Latinos make their way in American society. In fact, that's what Sanchez was doing on April 12, 2012, the day he was shot to death by two suspects who followed him into the parking lot at Victory Foods just off Memorial Park Road.<br />
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"Here's David - all he was doing was that he provided [a service]," said Hall County Lt. Scott Wiley at a Monday press conference. "He had a little store...and he was helping some folks that might have trouble cashing their checks."<br />
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In fact, the 48-year-old Sanchez would go specifically to Victory Foods on a regular basis to cash payroll checks for some employees, so he was known to carry large amounts of cash on those days.<br />
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Wiley said Sanchez and a female assistant arrived by car at Victory Foods around 1:45 the afternoon he was killed. Almost immediately after the two arrived, two men approached them from behind and ordered them out of the vehicle. Sanchez tried to run and that's when he was shot, according to Wiley.<br />
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"After he was shot, he gets up and continues running and collapses a short distance away," said Wiley. <br />
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The two suspects took a cell phone and the cash from Sanchez and then left the poultry plant in Sanchez' vehicle, which they abandoned a short distance away in a church parking lot.<br />
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"Witnesses - people who just happened to be around the church - say that David's vehicle was followed by a green Dodge Caravan that pulled into the parking lot," said Wiley.<br />
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Wiley also said a taxi driver told authorities he had dropped off two men at Victory Foods the afternoon Sanchez was murdered, but the driver was unable to provide a good description of the men.<br />
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Wiley acknowledged that members of the Latino community who have information in the case might be afraid to come forward because of their citizenship status. He told reporters he has no interest in the possible immigration statuses of witnesses, and he is interested only in finding the men who murdered Sanchez.<br />
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Anyone who has information on the Sanchez case - or any of the other three cold cases under investigation by Hall County - is encouraged to call Lt. Scott Wiley or Hall County's anonymous tip line at (770)503-3232.<br />
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<B>AccessNorthGa.com will profile three other Hall County cold case murders the remainder of this week.</B><br />
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Wednesday, February 11: Hannah Truelove<br />
Thursday, February 12: Shaun Taylor<br />
Friday, February 13: Holly Strickland<br />
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