Phone calls have poured into the Mount Holly police department since last week, with people doing everything in their power to help catch the killer of Ira Yarmolenko.

Mount Holly Police Chief David Belk officially labeled Yarmolenko's death as a murder during a press conference on May 8, saying autopsy results showed that she died of asphyxiation. Since asking for help in that press conference, the phones have been ringing off the hook, Belk told the Utimes in an interview Monday afternoon.

"People are sharing anything they can remember," he said, "from the tiniest bit of information. We appreciate it." The chief estimated that several hundred calls had come in and officers had recorded and followed up on the tips from each of them. Chief Belk also dispelled some rumors during Monday's interview, explaining how agents from both the State and Federal Bureau of Investigation got involved in the case.

"It's very typical that a smaller town, like we are, gets in touch with the SBI for assistance," Belk said. He added that it had nothing to do with the location where Yarmolenko's body was found, as some in the University community had speculated in recent days. Some believed that since the body was found near a federally controlled body of water, other agencies would be taking over the investigation. Belk said that it was a simple question of resources and manpower.

"They have more resources than we do,"he said of the SBI. "They also add more agents to track down these leads."

As for the FBI, agents came in to assist on the case after Belk placed a call to the Charlotte regional office.

"I was speaking with some of the crime scene investigators," he said, "and they mentioned that the FBI have more sophisticated technology in regards to evidence." Those FBI agents helped detail what Belk called "strong evidence" from Yarmolenko's Saturn Malibu and will stay active as the case moves forward, helping with forensics.

The 20-yr-old was found by a water skier and her boyfriend just after 1pm on May 5, on the banks of the Catawba River.

Yarmolenko was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, according to Belk, along with a black skirt and athletic shoes. She was found next to her Saturn, which had slammed into a stump at the river's edge. The car was not running when investigators arrived, Belk said, and while the keys were found, they were not in the ignition.

At the press conference on May 8, Chief Belk wouldn't say if Yarmolenko was forced to drive to that Mount Holly location or if she arrived there on her own.

"At some point, somebody had her against her will," Belk said, "because somebody killed her." He wouldn't say anything as to who police believe that person to be, if it was a random attack or someone that she might have known.

On Monday, Belk reiterated his earlier statements, saying that it was too early to identify any persons of interest in the case.

Friends of Ira have created the Irina Memorial Fund, to help the family pay for her funeral. Leftover funds will be used to erect a memorial in her honor. To contribute, people can mail donations to P.O. Box 1108, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Mount Holly Police Department at 704-827-4343 or the UNC Charlotte police at 704-687-2200. Funeral services for Ira Yarmolenko were held last Saturday in Chapel Hill. A second memorial service is scheduled for this Saturday, May 17 at 10:30am at Chapel Hill High School.