As the search intensifies for a husband wanted on suspicion of murder in Gardner, Massachusetts, police asked the public for help finding him, possibly in the woods of a neighboring town.
Law enforcement were scouring the woods near where a bow hunter came across Aaron Pennington's car on Sunday, saying Tuesday that they're treating the case like he is still alive and armed with a handgun.
"We're asking anyone with trail cams, any hunters, anyone with video cameras at their houses, please, give it to the police … it's incredible how often that these tips help us solve crimes, find people," Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early told reporters Tuesday afternoon.
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Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said that the search team was looking specifically for video from the area near Old County Road nearing Route 101 in Ashburnham.
Gardner had been under a shelter-in-place order Monday evening, when the discovery of Pennington's BMW near Camp Collier led to a code red in the area of Kelton Street. Residents were asked to stay inside their homes for several hours
The order was lifted at about 10 p.m. after an extensive search, when city officials deemed the area around where his car was safe.
The search continued Tuesday in the same wooded, sparsely populated area of Camp Collier where Pennington's car was found on Monday night. Early clarified that the car was found on Sunday by a bow hunter, who immediately reported it to police.
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He said the shelter-in-place order was issued out of an abundance of caution — other authorities said it was lifted after new information came in, though they still urged people in the area to be vigilant. Part of what police were investigating is whether Pennington's military training included skills that would allow him to survive outside.
The Penningtons' children were in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, Early noted.
The search area includes a massive, 585-acre scout camp. The area of Kelton Street was flooded with state police vehicles on Tuesday morning, and around 11 a.m., the state police Special Tactical Operations, or "STOP" team, gathered to deploy into the woods at Camp Collier, armed with tactical gear, including long guns. The state police Airwing was flying low overhead.
Early also arrived at the scene around 11 a.m.
Aaron Pennington, a 33-year-old Air Force veteran and father of four, remains the prime suspect in the murder of his 30-year-old wife Breanne Pennington.
Police said they found Breanne dead in an upstairs bedroom of their Cherry Street home, shot in the face.
The couple, according to investigators, was having marital problems and Aaron had attempted suicide.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson said he understands residents want to hold a candlelight vigil in memory of Breanne and in honor of her children, but he's urging them to wait.
"We're asking people to just hold off on that for a little bit now," said Nicholson. "The suspect is still at-large, we don’t have him in custody, we’re still out looking for him and it’s an active, ongoing investigation. So, just to avoid any safety concerns or anything that could potentially harm the integrity of the investigation, we're asking people to just hold off on all of that for now and we’ll let you know when it's safe to do so."
Anyone with information about Pennington's whereabouts is urged to call Gardner police immediately.
Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington as he is potentially armed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
