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Friday, April 17, 2015
YOLO COUNTY NEWS
99 CENTS
Police establish tip line for clues in South Davis homicides
As the investigation into a double homicide in South Davis entered its fourth day Wednesday, Davis police announced the creation of a tip line exclusively for information they hope could lead to a break in the case.
That number — 530-747-5439 — leads callers to a voicemail system where they can leave any clues they might have about Sunday’s slayings of attorney Oliver “Chip” Northup and his wife, Claudia Maupin.
“This way we can triage the tips, and detectives can run with the ones that show the most urgency first,” Doroshov said. It also expedites the flow of information without tying up the department’s dispatchers.
Anyone with details of an emergency nature should still use the department’s regular emergency line, 530-758-3600. In some parts of the city, 911 calls go to a California Highway Patrol dispatch center in Sacramento.
The only other new development announced Wednesday was the addition of detectives from the UC Davis Police Department to the roughly 50 investigators from half a dozen law-enforcement agencies already participating in the homicide probe, Doroshov said.
Northup, 87, and Maupin, 76, both died of multiple stab wounds in their condominium at 4006 Cowell Blvd., which showed signs of forced entry when police arrived there Sunday night in response to a welfare-check request.
Doroshov said earlier this week the scene was “atypical” of a residential burglary, and there have been no indications the killings were the result of a break-in gone awry. Police continue to keep details of the entry method under wraps.
Northup was the guitarist and lead singer for the Putah Creek Crawdads, a local folk band. Both he and Maupin also were active members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis, which held a vigil for the slain couple Wednesday night.
In addition to UCD, the Davis Police Department is receiving assistance in its investigation from the FBI, state Department of Justice, Yolo County district attorney and coroner’s offices, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The agency also has deployed extra patrol officers to reassure local residents who might be concerned for their safety.
Doroshov said the Police Department continues to urge resident to take precautions such as locking doors, windows and other points of entry — whether they’re home or not — being aware of their surroundings when out and about, and reporting any suspicious or unusual activity to police.
“We don’t want people to panic,” he said. “Just be smart and vigilant.”
— Reach Lauren Keene at [email protected] or 530-747-8048. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
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