Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department officials continued theirinvestigation into the murder of a Brookhaven businessman byestablishing an “information checkpoint” at the business earlyFriday morning.

“We’re doing everything we can to generate any additionalleads,” said Sheriff’s Department Capt. Lance Falvey.

Authorities believe store owner John Deere was shot between 4:30and 4:45 a.m. on Jan. 16, shortly after he arrived at the AirportPik & Pak for its 5 a.m. opening. Deere’s body was found in thestore parking lot after the sheriff’s department received a 911call placed by a customer about 5 a.m.

Falvey, along with deputies Kevin Cartwright and Johnny HallJr., established a roadblock at the intersection of Industrial ParkRoad and Old Highway 51 from 4 to 6 a.m. Friday to intercepttraffic passing the store.

“It’s an effort to gain any information from someone who mayhave traveled this road last Friday that we haven’t spoken to yet,”he said. “We’re getting new information all the time and doingeverything we can to pursue those leads.”

Sheriff Wiley Calcote said investigators are searching for oneand possibly two suspects.

Several hundred vehicles passed through the busy intersectionjust beyond the city limits during the two-hour roadblock, Falveyestimated.

The intersection is busy early in the morning because it islocated in the industrial park area and is surrounded by theairport, several logging companies and other industries.

“We’ll continue efforts like this to generate more informationuntil we solve this case,” Falvey said.

The roadblock Friday morning was the second conducted at theintersection by sheriff’s deputies, Falvey said, and probably wouldnot be the last. A similar effort was made just a few days afterthe murder.

“We believe there is someone out there who has some informationthat could help this case,” he said.

Friday morning’s roadblock is one of several methods thesheriff’s department is using to generate leads.

Some “quality” leads developed last week, but Falvey declined torelease any information pending their confirmation byinvestigators.

“I don’t want to jeopardize those leads by discussing it at thispoint,” he said.

Law enforcement agencies have been hesitant to utilize”information checkpoints” in the past, Falvey said, because theywere considered questionable under the law. That changedrecently.

“There was a recent Supreme Court decision that ruled in favorof law enforcement on information checkpoints like this,” Falveysaid.

Prior to the ruling, he said, agencies did not want to risk theliability of an illegal search and seizure lawsuit.

Friday morning, deputies were neither searching for illegalcontraband nor checking for traffic violations, such as validdriver’s licenses or proof of insurance. They were simply seekinginformation.

Authorities are encouraging anyone with information about theJan. 16 shooting to contact Crime Stoppers at 823-0150, thesheriff’s department at 833-5231, Brookhaven Police Department at833-2424, or the Mississippi Highway Patrol at 833-7811.Information from anonymous sources is accepted. A cash award isavailable for information that leads to an arrest.