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Tips in unsolved Alexandria killings lead police to W.Va.

By WTOP Staff

Megan Cloherty and Amanda Iacone, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Alexandria police want to talk to a man arrested in West Virginia Thursday as part of their investigation into three high-profile, unsolved homicides.

Charles Severance, once a candidate for Alexandria mayor, was arrested in Wheeling, W.Va., after Alexandria police tipped off investigators that the man wanted on a warrant out of Loudoun County was in a hotel downtown.

Alexandria police received a tip that led them to Severance, 53, as part of the investigation into the killings of three prominent residents during the last decade: Nancy Dunning in 2003; Ron Kirby in 2013; and Ruthanne Lodato in 2014.

While following up on the tips, investigators determined that Severance is a convicted felon who was wanted out of Loudoun County on a warrant for a weapons violation.

Police say that the investigations into the three homicide cases continue and that Severance has not been charged with any crime in Alexandria.

Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger says Alexandria police wanted his officers to arrest Severance even though the warrant was from a different jurisdiction. Severance was arrested around 2 p.m. at a public library without incident.

Severance ran for mayor of Alexandria in 1996 and in 2000, each time against former Mayor Kerry Donley. Donley says he believes Severance struggled with mental health issues.

“He was sort of an odd fellow. He’d come to these campaign forums and these campaign events totally dressed in black with sun glasses. And when asked a question about something of community interest he would launch on a diatribe about juvenile health issues and the prescription of psychotropic drugs,” Donley says.

Severance registered the website mentaldisorder.com in 1999, according to records on the who.is site.

Written in the third person, the site says Severance has “contempt for american (sic) psychiatry democracy.”

The site also says, “He also adamantly refuses to submit to a complete ‘inexact’ mental health evaluation by secular (demon possessed) human priests, democracy government regulated mad-doctors, agents of psychiatry, and other weak hypocrites.”

Severance is being held in the northern regional jail in Wheeling. He is scheduled for an extradition hearing to Loudoun on Monday.

Beyond a handful of charges out of Maryland over the years, Severance was arrested in 1997 on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon and then he pleaded guilty in 2005 to carrying a concealed weapon, which made him a convicted of a felon in Virginia. Court records show that he was illegally in possession of a firearm on Monday in Loudoun County.

Last week, Alexandria police announced the bullets that killed Lodato in February are similar to bullets that killed Kirby and Dunning. The FBI joined the investigation after Lodato’s death to help comb through hundreds of tips that came in after police released a composite sketch of the man who killed Lodato.

Donley says he sees a resemblance between the sketch and Severance.

“Clearly there’s a tie to Alexandria. And clearly there is at least some semblance of a physical similarity in terms of the description. It’s early in the investigation. We’ll see,” Donley says.

Police are still asking for tips and information related to the three cases. Anyone with information can call the tip line at 703-746-6864 or send an email to crimetips@alexandriava.gov.

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WTOP’s Neal Augenstein contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on WTOP Facebook page.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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