Armed psycho on the loose in our mountains- MURDER!

[MamaSheepdog]

Only Colliepup and I are home. Firstpup and Queenpup are both at work, and Hubs is in Los Angeles.

Helicopter is still circling. :x

 

[MaggieJ]

Can you reach FirstPup and QueenPup so they know to be extra careful on the way home? And Hubs, of course, if he is coming home at the end of the day. I know it's only about 1:30 PM your time... and hopefully the crisis will be over before they start for home.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Two helicopters landed on the property just to the north of me- I'm assuming to drop personnel. He must be right here.

Hubs is on the way home now, and the pups have been told to contact us before coming home.

__________ Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:59 pm __________

Update. Truck with 4 camo'd up sheriffs was just at our gate.

They are checking every residence, occupied or not. The copters were dropping fuel tanks in strategic locations.

The officers said that the reason for the concentrated effort is that he is escalating- first kidnapping, then murder, capped by firing on the police. <br /><br /> __________ Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:01 pm __________ <br /><br /> They do not suspect that he is in our area, and have a strong perimeter set up in a wide swathe around their last engagement with him.

 

[Zass]

I don't know if they are using dogs at this point, but they supposedly did have K9s here early on.

It does seem rather odd that there are so many agencies involved in this manhunt... murders happen quite often, especially in urban settings, so why the enormous effort for this guy? :thinking:

Doesn't it seem just a bit odd? Granted, he did fire on police officers, but still... seems like overkill, pardon the pun.

Wow, yeah, that is a lot of manpower for one guy.

 

[WhWRabbitry]

MamaSheepdog,
I am praying for your protection and that he is found and this is all over soon!! I can only imagine what I would be feeling in your place right now!
Please continue to keep us posted!

 

[Miss M]

It does seem rather odd that there are so many agencies involved in this manhunt... murders happen quite often, especially in urban settings, so why the enormous effort for this guy? :thinking:

I know it seems odd, but I believe it has to do with the terrain and the ticking clock. The longer he goes without being found, the less likely they will find him. In an urban setting, this is certainly a challenge, as attested to by all the cold cases out there... but it isn't quite like the challenge of preventing a cold case in a situation like this. It is much easier for him to hole up and hide for an extended period of time, waiting out the authorities, until they start going home. Then he can slip out of the containment area and vanish. In the city, there are too many people to see things. Much harder to just slip through the fingers of the police, though it obviously does happen.

They know he has killed, they know he would have killed three more if they hadn't escaped, and he fired on police. They have to find this guy, and they have to do it as quickly as possible.

In a way, the fact that he has been able to elude capture is oddly comforting. If our government does turn against us, at least there is some hope of disappearing into the hills.

Interesting take... I get what you're saying. Kind-of like the obnoxious people at the entry to our road. It sure would be nice if they'd go be obnoxious somewhere else, but at least if ...say... a more threatening brand of stupidity were to try to come in here, they'd have to get past the obnoxious people first. :?

The officers said that the reason for the concentrated effort is that he is escalating- first kidnapping, then murder, capped by firing on the police.

They do not suspect that he is in our area, and have a strong perimeter set up in a wide swathe around their last engagement with him.

That's somewhat comforting. I guess if he had been in your area, they'd have urged you to go inside and lock your doors and stay there.

__________ Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:55 pm __________

Of course, I suppose it's possible that the large number of involved agencies is also a result of Jade Helm already being in the area... they could be participating in this manhunt as something of an unscripted training thing. :?

__________ Sun Aug 16, 2015 12:47 am __________

Updates from the last couple of days. They identified the man. Saturday 8/15 deputies shot and killed a man they believe to be the murderer. The body hasn't been positively identified yet:

8/11
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/ke ... -ashley-34

8/12
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/mo ... al-history

8/13
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/it ... ern-county

8/14
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/da ... n-new-area

8/15
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/de ... in-manhunt
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/se ... dible-tips
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/as ... he-manhunt
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/kc ... h-to-scene
http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/a- ... -august-15


I so hope this is over!!!

 

[Susie570]

I saw this on MSN news just a few minutes ago and immediately thought of you! It sounds like they've found the man. I hope so!

 

[MaggieJ]

Thanks for posting the updates, Miss M.

What a relief for you and your family, MSD!

Mind you, I'll feel better when they get a positive ID on the man they shot. Details sure were sketchy in those updates.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

From 23ABC News:

Kern County Coroner officially confirms man shot by deputies in Inyokern was in fact suspect, Benjamin Ashley.

Glad it is finally over. He sure made it a long way... I have no idea how he could have gotten so far unless he stole some other vehicles, but he was on foot when they got him.

 

[Miss M]

Great news!