Arrest Made in Connection With Book Reviewer's Killing

Dallas police have made an arrest in connection with the murder of a 73-year-old woman, described by her neighbors as a “beacon” of their Oak Cliff community.

The body of Penny Terk, a leader in the DFW literary community, was discovered on Friday inside her ransacked home on Putting Green Drive.

On Sunday, police announced the arrest of Gary Anthony Sanders for burglary. Investigators have also named him as a person of interest in Terk's homicide investigation.

To Lisa Munoz, who lives next door and considered Terk, or “Miss Penny”, a “grandmother” to her daughters, the news of an arrest brought a sense of a relief to a community she describes as “terrorized”.

“I want to see justice done for Penny,” Munoz said. “Whoever did this – took a life from us had that so much value and meaning. Miss Penny was just one of those people – who personified compassion.”

Munoz said Terk was passionate about her business, a fixture in the local literary review community and that she was an advocate for abandoned animals, as well as a passionate gardener and known to everyone in the neighborhood.

Dallas police emphasize that while Sanders has been identified as a person of interest, the investigation continues.

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