RIFLE TIED TO DEATH IN BATON ROUGE.(MAIN)

Byline: MARCIA SLACUM GREENE and CAROL MORELLO Washington Post

BATON ROUGE, La. -- The string of killings attributed to John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo grew even longer Thursday as authorities charged them with first-degree murder, alleging that a Baton Rouge beauty shop manager was slain Sept. 23 with the same rifle used in the Washington area sniper shootings.

Citing ballistics tests, police Chief Pat Englade said the .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle used to shoot at least 11 of the 13 sniper victims in the Washington area also was used to kill Hong Im Ballenger, 45, who was shot in the head outside Beauty Depot. The attack occurred nine days before …