Cops: Georgia Professor Shoots Three, Including Wife

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The former UGA professor has been on the run since April 25, 2009.

University of Georgia professor George Zinkhan III is accused of shooting his wife and two others outside of the Athens Community Theatre on Saturday, April 25, 2009.

Cops say Zinkhan had an argument with an unidentified man at the theatre during the Town & Gown Players reunion picnic and then left.

Witnesses tell police that around 12:25 p.m., Zinkhan returned in his red 2005 Jeep Liberty with his son and daughter, ages 8 and 10, inside.

He left the children in the car and approached three people with two handguns as they were leaving the theatre.

Zinkhan allegedly shot his wife, Marie Bruce, 47, and two members of the theater group, Thomas Tanner, 40, and Ben Teague, 63.

Two other people were injured in the shooting, but police have not released their identities.

Cops say Zinkhan drove away in his red Jeep and dropped the children at his friend, Robert Covington's house on Chesterfield Road, in Athens, Ga. before disappearing.

The children are now in the custody of Marie's brother, according to police.

At 1:55 p.m. UGA issued an alert by text messaging the more than 25,000 people in their campus community to tell them that a professor was suspected in an off-campus shooting.

Authorities: Professor's Passport Missing

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Police believe Zinkhan may have shaved his beard

Police and SWAT teams surrounded Zinkhan's home at 372 Chesterfield Road in Athens, Ga. late Saturday afternoon, but he was not inside.

Searches of Zinkhan's home and office turned up the sleeve for his passport, but not the passport itself.

Cops say Zinkhan booked a ticket to the Netherlands for May 2, 2009, and they fear he may leave the country.

They are fairly certain that Zinkhan has left the Athens, Ga. area and "could be anywhere."

So far, police say they are not sure about a motive for the killings and members of Marie's family say if anything was wrong, they didn't know about it.

He was wearing a polo shirt and blue shorts when he was last seen.

On Friday, April 30, 2009 cops found Zinkhan's red Jeep Liberty on Cleveland Road in Bogart, Ga., a suburb of Athens.

Zinkhan was not in the car and a nearby elementary school was placed on lockdown in case Zinkhan, who is considered armed and dangerous, was still in the area.

Cops say the Jeep was positioned to make it look like there had been an accident.

If you have seen Zinkhan or know anything that may help police track him down, call our hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

Cops Release New Images Of UGA Professor

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Cops say Zinkhan was a marketing professor at the University of Georgia.

Cops have released two images created by a sketch artist with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The sketches resemble what Zinkhan may look like today, according to Captain Clarence Holeman of Athens-Clarke County Police Department. 

“We are presenting these sketches in hopes that the public will look out for Zinkhan in a different way, rather than relying on prior pictures that have been released. We wanted to do something different and we ask that the public think ‘outside the box,’” Holeman said.

Cops: Accused Killer George Zinkhan's Body Found

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»More capture photos

A continued search of the area surrounding the location where University of Georgia professor George Zinkhan's jeep was located on May 1, 2009 led to a new break in this case.