VALLEY CITY (AP) - Police on Monday renewed their plea for public help in finding the killer of a local college student, as Valley City State University held a memorial service for Mindy Morgenstern.

Police Chief Dean Ross said local, state and federal investigators had followed up on more than 200 leads and interviewed "literally dozens" of people, but still had no suspects.

"We are knocking our head against the wall right now," he said, asking anyone to volunteer information that might be "that little glimmer of hope."

Morgenstern, 22, of New Salem, was found dead in her off-campus apartment Wednesday night by a friend. An autopsy showed she died of a knife wound.

Ross said investigators were still awaiting forensic test results on some crime scene evidence that was sent to the state crime lab. He said he hopes to have those results later this week.

Hundreds of people gathered at the university's Vangstad Auditorium on Monday afternoon for a memorial service for Morgenstern. The Rev. Mark Ostgarden described her as a bubbly woman who brightened her corner of the world.

"I don't think anybody could have met her and said hello to her and forgotten her,'' he said. "And I hope they didn't, because if they did they missed out on someone special."

In Bismarck, on Friday afternoon, an employee at Gas Plus at 1309 E. Interstate Ave. reported to Bismarck police that a suspicious man had come into the station and talked about the homicide, said Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin.

He was described as a heavy white man, 5 feet 10 inches tall in his upper 40s with short gray hair, Donlin said. Donlin said police will be reviewing store video from Friday to attempt to identify and contact the man. He said the information will be given to investigators in Valley City.

an observer wrote on September 19, 2006 8:22 PM:"Let us all be reminded to appreciate our loved ones as well as life itself! Mindy loved Jesus and lived her faith in such a way that others were drawn to Him. May her life remined us of what really matters most. She remind us that all our choices effect those we encounter as well as our eternal destiny. May we truly remember Mindy as she points us to salvation. Seek Him while He may be found... "

once again wrote on September 19, 2006 7:30 PM:"Once again, people are assuming it is a sex offender who did this crime! For Pete's sake people- lay off of the sex offenders (provide them jobs, stable housing and food), and maybe they would'nt have to FIGHT for everything we all take for granted! North Dakota better soon realize they either need to work with these people and help them out or things could get real ugly! I have yet to see an employer ready and willing to try a sex offender out for a job OR a landlord offering to give the offender a CHANCE at renting an apartment (God forbid anyone hears they are allowing a sex offender to live in their rental property)! Okay North Dakota, are you ready? If you put 2 and 2 together -- you are leaving that offender no where to live and no income to survive-WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY ARE GOING TO DO??"

Incredulous wrote on September 19, 2006 2:34 PM:"This was not a case that involved a sexual predator, in all liklihood. The police stated earlier there was no evidence of sexual assault, so don't use this forum as a way to muddy the waters of Mindy's death, start rumors of her final moments, and, in general, stir up hysteria about sex offenders. I, too, hope find the person that did this and I'm sorry for the Morgensterns' loss, but let's not get off topic here."

let the police do their job wrote on September 19, 2006 12:06 PM:"Everybody needs to stop asking for information. The less info that is made in the public the better chance there is to catch someone. If someone makes some statement that wasn't made public then red flags are waived. Let us pray and mourn for this tragic loss and do what the mandan employee did, keep your eyes and ears out and if it sounds suspicious report it. If the person has nothing to hide he/she shouldn't make a big deal out of it..if they do have something to hide, well then they probably will make a big deal out of it, which will be ok...we need to squeeze this turd out of hiding."

M. wrote on September 19, 2006 11:23 AM:"it is terrible what happened to this lady, but the police cannot arrest someone or stake it out because some creep asked for directions. now, if this happened more than once or there were other circumstances involved, then yes. but the story not say that."

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