The Latest: Robbery likely motive in St. Louis man’s death

NEW ORLEANS – The Latest on the death of a St. Louis man and Tulane University graduate who was found dead shot to death in New Orleans (all times local):

4 p.m.

The New Orleans police chief says investigators believe robbery was a motive in the weekend shooting death of a St. Louis man visiting the city to plan his wedding.

Police Chief Michael Harrison held a news conference Monday to discuss the death of 25-year-old Thomas Rolfes, a Tulane University graduate who was in the city with his fiancee to choose a wedding venue. He said injuries on Rolfes’ hands indicated there may have been a struggle. Rolfes’ body was found about 4:30 a.m. Saturday near a convenience store where surveillance video showed him buying two bottles of water an hour before. He earlier had been with friends at a bar nearly two miles away.

In a Facebook posting, former Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Rolfes, whose fiancee is from Boston, had worked in his 2012 campaign. Romney called the death “a senseless and tragic loss.” ___

8 a.m.

Police say that a man who was found shot to death in New Orleans over the weekend had come to the city to plan his wedding.

News outlets, quoting family members, are reporting that 25-year-old Thomas Rolfes was in New Orleans to find a venue for his wedding next year to Elizabeth Fried when his body was found early Saturday. The New Orleans Police Department said he had been shot in the chest and died at the scene.

The pair met at Tulane University, where both were students.

The victim’s brother, Ron “Tripp” Rolfes, was quoted as saying that the family wants to find his killer and believe Thomas was mugged.

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