The Abbeville Police Department was able to locate the vehicle that is believed to have been used at the homicide that occurred over the weekend.

Kendrick Plowden, a 34-year-old Abbeville native, was found inside a white Jeep Cherokee Sunday morning in Abbeville. At least five bullets sprayed Plowden’s vehicle and one of the five bullets hit Plowden in the back of his neck. He died en route to the hospital.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday to determine what killed Plowden.

The police located a late-model Chevrolet Impala Monday afternoon driving through the streets of Abbeville. The car was a rental vehicle and it may have been the one seen at the crime scene based on a witness.

Inside the rental car when the police stopped it were three teen-agers, who police believe had nothing to do with the killing of Plowden. All three were released and the car is in the custody of the police, said Abbeville Police Chief Rick Coleman. Coleman said because it was a rental car, the car was passed through different hands after the crime.

Based on the bullets on the Jeep, the shooter is believed to have been standing outside of the Impala.

“There was a car there, and it is believed that the shooter was not in the car when he was shooting,” Coleman said. “We do not know how many people were in the shooter’s car. We feel like there was more than just the shooter.”

Coleman is still not sure if Plowden was alone in his Jeep Cherokee at the time of the shooting. “There was no evidence in the car suggesting there was someone in the car with him (Plowden).

The shooter, Coleman said, is to have been no further than 10 feet from Plowden’s vehicle when he or she began shooting.

Based on the spread of the bullets of a 45 caliber pistol, the first bullet is believed to have hit Plowden’s driver’s door, As Plowden began to drive off, the bullets hit the passenger’s door and window.

“The shooter does not move too much based on the angle of the bullets. The last bullet hits the bumper.”

Coleman said early indications are the bullet that went through the passenger’s window struck Plowden in the neck.

Abbeville’s entire detective force is working to solve the case, Coleman added.

The detectives have yet to figure out the motive behind the crime. It is the first homicide in Abbeville in 18 months.