The Luverne Police Department was busy last Friday searching for Brent and Charlotte Springford's 1998 black Jaguar wanted in connection with the couples double homicide that occurred early that morning in Montgomery.

&uot;That’s what we did most of the morning,&uot; Luverne Police Chief Bob Davis said Friday afternoon. &uot;Our second shift is aware of it as well, so they can be on the look out.&uot;

The Montgomery Police Department responded to a call at 1944 South Hull Street early Friday morning and discovered the bodies of the prominent couple. Winston Springford was President of Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Luverne, which is Charlotte’s hometown.

The news of the couple’s deaths shocked Luverne Mayor Joe Rex Sport.

&uot;Pepsi’s been a long-standing business in Luverne,&uot; Sport said. &uot;It goes back to Charlotte’s grandfather, then through her father and it was passed to her hands.&uot;

According to Sport, George Turner and his wife Jetti opened the Pepsi plant in the small southern town in the late 1930’s. The business was later passed down to Turner’s son, George Eugene, and his wife Dee, before their daughter Charlotte and son-in-law Brent took over.

Sport said the couple was always willing to lend a helping hand.

&uot;The Turners have been pillars of this community from way back, shortly after the turn of the century,&uot; Sport said. &uot;They’ve been very community-minded people, they’ve always made contribution to anything that was going on within the community and, of course, Brent just followed that tradition. They’ve been real helpful to the schools, not only Luverne, but throughout the county. They were always there to help with anything that was going on. If you called on them, they were there.&uot;

Longtime businessman John Wise Sr., owner of Hick’s, Inc., mirrored Mayor Sport’s sentiments.

&uot;It’s tragic,&uot; he said. &uot;They were good people and good business people. It’s a tragedy.&uot;

The Montgomery Police Department is asking for anyone who knows anything about this murder case to contact Montgomery CrimeStoppers at 215-STOP, the Montgomery Police Department at 241-2651 or the Secret Witness Line at 262-4000.

Davis said the LPD is willing to assist Montgomery with any part of its investigation.

&uot;We will more than likely assist the Montgomery Police Department only because of the people involved,&uot; Davis said. &uot;To what extent they’ll need our help, I don’t know, if they need our help at all.&uot;

As for the residents of Luverne, they remain in shock.

&uot;It was a shock,&uot; Sport said. &uot;It was unbelievable, you couldn’t have ever imagined it because they were such good people."