A suspected murderer and kidnapper is dead and the teen girl he “had a crush on” is safe after a dramatic conclusion to a weeklong manhunt and Amber Alert search.
An FBI agent today fatally shot James DiMaggio in the wilds of Idaho near the town of Cascade after he and 16-year-old Hannah Anderson were spied by agents in a helicopter, reports KTLA.
Hannah was flown to a hospital for evaluation but is described as “well,” according to information revealed in a press conference in Valley County, Idaho, led by FBI Special Agent Mary Rook of the bureau’s Salt Lake City division.
Here’s the press conference:
Also speaking to the press were Patti Bolen, sheriff of Valley County, Idaho, and Andrea Dearden, a public information officer for the sheriff’s department. Officials revealed very few details and would not discuss whether DiMaggio fired upon agents before they shot him dead.
DiMaggio, 40, and Anderson dominated headlines this week after the teen’s mom and brother were found dead last weekend in DiMaggio’s burned-down house in Southern California.
Despite a statewide Amber Alert and nationwide press coverage, DiMaggio eluded detection until yesterday, when a horseback rider in Idaho’s River of No Return Wilderness — one of the most remote places in America — reported seeing DiMaggio and Anderson with camping gear. Authorities found DiMaggio’s ditched Nissan Versa nearby and launched a massive search effort.
At a press conference held yesterday, authorities hinted that Anderson may not have been held against her will.
For background see these articles: