Who killed Elijah Wood? Shooting of RaceTrac clerk remains a mystery 2 months later

UPDATE: A suspect was arrested in this case on March 16, 2022. Full story HERE.

The slaying of RaceTrac clerk Elijah Wood remains a compelling mystery two months after he was gunned down at the gas station on the outskirts of Watkinsville.

Wood, described by a family member as a hard-working, deeply religious young man who grew up in a rural area of Oglethorpe County, was killed in a crime that has stymied Oconee County law enforcement.

The 23-year-old’s life ended March 19 while working the night shift at the RaceTrac on U.S. Highway 441.

More: Investigators seek a 'break' in slaying of RaceTrac clerk in Oconee County

Surveillance video showing a person dressed from head to toe in black and carrying a pistol has been viewed by an untold number of people and various law enforcement agencies. But no one has been able to discern the identity of the killer with a slender build and a bouncy step.

“We’re having a hard time understanding how this could happen to somebody like him — someone so nice and friendly to everybody,” Wood’s brother-in-law, Tripp Lemmonds, said last week.

Wood — as did his father, Todd Wood, who for many years worked a night shift at the Golden Pantry at Butler’s Crossing in Watkinsville — was aware of the potential dangers of late-night work in a convenience store, according to Lemmonds.

“They didn’t have fear of it, but they knew the dangers. You meet the regulars who come in and then certain others come in that give you a little bit of a weird feeling,” Lemmonds said.

Surveillance video has not been released that might show how quickly Wood would have sensed something wrong about the masked figure who entered the station.

The video that was released shows the killer entering and leaving the store. Investigators released this portion of the video hoping that the killer’s walk, mannerisms or some other aspect would clue someone as to their identity.

While there's been much conjecture about the killer’s motive, Lemmonds said some investigators now believe his brother-in-law was killed in a “botched robbery.”

“I felt it too because Elijah didn’t have enemies. No one was mad at him and he didn’t mess around with drugs or anything like that,” the Oglethorpe County resident said. “We can speculate anything, but it was a botched robbery. They didn’t get what they wanted and they shot Elijah.”

More: Oconee County sheriff releases new video in RaceTrac killing, ups reward to $25,000

Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said investigators have gone over evidence repeatedly to comb through details, and it appears a robbery attempt could very well be the reason the person came into the store about an hour after midnight when no other customers were about.

“Based on information we’ve got now, if we can’t find anything else that makes sense, we’ll go with (a robbery attempt). That makes the most sense,” Hale said last week.

Leads are still coming into the sheriff’s office, but “most of the leads we’re getting now are repeat leads from things we’ve already cleared or still trying to track down information,” Hale said.

Officers have interviewed more than 10 people as possible suspects based on information from tipsters and other leads, but most had alibis investigators were able to confirm, the sheriff said.

Investigators also lean heavily on the belief that the figure in dark clothing and mask is a male.

“We feel pretty sure it’s a male, but again, without knowing for sure,” Hale said.

Investigators have also delved into Wood’s background and people he knew as they consider other possible motives.

Wood grew up outside Winterville, where he, his two brothers and twin sister were home-schooled in a household where Lemmonds said a belief in God was an important part of their upbringing. The family moved to Oconee County about seven years ago.

At the RaceTrac, Wood would often work double shifts if any were available, Lemmonds said.

“Even the night he was murdered he was working a second shift,” he said. “He was a very hard worker, always doing something as far as working.”

After Lemmonds' marriage to Woods’ twin sister, Mary, he said the young man became “a major part of our lives” and a favorite uncle of their little boy.

More: RaceTrac clerk slain in Oconee County; killer at large

The sheriff’s office had the video of the slaying enhanced and viewed by FBI specialists, along with private companies that can work with videos to pull out details, according to Hale.

Lemmonds has studied the video repeatedly and said he had it slowed down to real time — the original video released moves at a higher speed.

“If you look at the (released) video, it looks like a direct hit on Elijah, but that is truly off and even the sheriff will tell you he doesn’t feel that’s what it is,” Lemmonds said.

Lemmonds, who has acted as a spokesman for the family, said he will personally accept tips about a possible suspect.

“I encourage anyone that doesn’t want to go through the sheriff’s office to contact me through the Facebook page or my e-mail,” he said, adding that he would purvey this information to investigators.

Besides the video showing the masked killer, the sheriff’s office also released a video that shows a car of undetermined make approaching the store that night from U.S. 441, then turning onto Hog Mountain Road, which runs adjacent to the store.

“We believe that is our suspect’s vehicle,” Hale said. “It didn’t pull into the parking lot of the RaceTrac, but it comes by at about the right time and does things that are obvious to us that makes it the suspect’s vehicle.”

Lemmonds believes a second person could be involved — someone who drove the car that brought the killer to the store.

“It’s a great opportunity for that driver to say, ‘I made a mistake and this is what happened,’” he said, adding that law enforcement has told him that if a second person was involved, that person could be charged with murder as well.

The reward in the case is currently set at $25,000. Lemmonds said he has tried to raise additional money on the family’s Facebook page.

The RaceTrac company has placed reward posters at its Athens-area stores, but Lemmonds said someone has been removing the posters at the store off Broad Street in Athens.

“They went back and reviewed the video and they found that nobody that works for RaceTrac was removing the signs,” he said, adding that a copy of this video showing the person was furnished to the sheriff’s office.

RaceTrac has been cooperative with the investigation and with the family, according to Lemmonds.

The Facebook page seeking support for the Wood family can be reached at www.facebook.com/groups/325695822413801.

Anyone with information can contact Investigator Zach Eaton at zeaton@oconeesheriff.org

More: Photos: Candlelight vigil held for slain RaceTrac clerk

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee County deputies continue to search for killer of Racetrac clerk