Investigators are asking for the public’s help as the search for Aaron Pennington continues near Camp Collier in Gardner. Pennington is wanted in connection with the shooting death of his wife, whose body was found in the couple’s Cherry Street home on Sunday.
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said investigators wanted residents who may have trail cameras or any type of surveillance cameras in the area to contact police.
“It’s incredible how often that these tips help us solve crimes, find people – so, we’re asking the public for all of their help,” Early said Tuesday afternoon.
Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said investigators were specifically interested in any footage recorded between the Old County Road area in Ashburnham and Rt. 101.
“Anybody who hunts these areas, could you check your trail cams to see if anything came across?” McAvene said. He advised anyone with footage to contact Gardner police at 978-632-5600.
Pennington’s car was discovered about 1,500 feet off Kelton Street by a bowhunter on Monday, according to Early.
“Thank God that hunter – I don’t know when or where we might have found that car, but there was a bowhunter going through the area and he found the vehicle and he immediately notified the Gardner police,” Early said, adding that the vehicle was not visible from the road.
He added that investigators were continuing to search the heavily wooded area of about 400 acres on the assumption that the suspect was still alive in the woods and armed with a handgun.
“We ask, please, no one in the public go out and try to look for this guy,” Early said. “If you run into the guy, call the Gardner police, call the state police, call the police department and just back off from anything you might see, but provide us with the information that you might get.”
Gardner and Ashburnham residents told to ‘stay vigilant’
McAvene said that residents in the area should remain vigilant while the search continues.
“Pay attention to your surroundings and report anything immediately to the police,” he said.
What court records show:Breanne Pennington, slain Gardner woman, planned to move to Texas with kids
Early said investigators were in contact with the military to find out what kind of outdoor survival training Pennington, an Air Force veteran, might have undergone while in the service.
“That is part of the equation,” he said.
Who do you call if you see something on a trail camera video
To call the Gardner Police Department at 978-632-5600 or the Massachusetts State Police at 508-829-8326. Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington as he is considered armed and dangerous.
What the police search looked like on Tuesday morning
As the search for Aaron Pennington entered its third day on Tuesday, investigators stepped up their efforts to locate the Gardner man wanted in connection with the shooting death of his wife, Breanne Pennington, at their Cherry Street home on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, investigators were requesting any home surveillance footage from residents in the search area of Kelton Street near Camp Collier, where the suspect’s car was discovered at 5 p.m. Monday. Police conducted a five-hour search of the area while residents of Kelton, Wheeler, Raymond, and Stone streets were advised to shelter in place. The order was lifted at about 9:50 p.m. Monday.
According to Krista Williams, who lives on Kelton Street, troopers from the Massachusetts State Police knocked on her door Tuesday morning and requested footage from her Ring doorbell security camera.
“We didn’t have much, just one video of a very blurry white car driving by on Sunday,” Williams said. “(My husband) emailed it to the officer.”
Information gleaned from surveillance footage in the area could presumably help investigators pinpoint the time Pennington’s vehicle first arrived in the area.
Was the police search in Winchendon Tuesday morning connected to the search for Aaron Pennington
Winchendon Police Department received a call from a resident from Western Avenue at 4:56 a.m. Tuesday reporting a suspicious person walking in the area. Winchendon and State Police officers responded to investigate, according to a statement from the town department on Tuesday morning.
“After conducting a thorough search of the area, the call was determined to be unfounded. At this time there is no information to indicate there is a suspicious person in the area,” reads the Winchendon police department statement.
What law enforcement is saying about the shelter-in-place
Police conducted a nearly five-hour search of a wood area in Gardner near the Ashburnham town line after someone reported finding his car off Camp Collier Road at about 5 p.m. on Monday. The shelter-in-place order ended at about 9:50 p.m.
The shelter-in-place on Monday night was for the residents in the area of Kelton, Wheeler, Raymond and Stone streets.
What happened on Monday night:Gardner Police lift shelter in place near Kelton Street after hours in search for Pennington
After the car was discovered and police created a perimeter around it, the Massachusetts State Police Special Tactical Operations (STOP) Team determined that the car was unoccupied.
Police used a front-end loader to pull the car out of the mud on Monday night at the shelter-in-place end. It was towed away by TJ and Sons in Gardner.
What police say happened to Breanne Pennington
On Sunday, Gardner police received a 911 call from the Penningtons’ Cherry Street neighbor Kerri McDermott, who had requested assistance after the Penningtons’ four children came over to her house scared because they could not find their father, Aaron Pennington, and their mother, Breanne Pennington, was in their bedroom crying, according to the arrest warrant.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m., first responders found Breanne Pennington lying in bed in an upstairs bedroom with “obvious signs of death from an apparent gunshot wound to the face,” according to the arrest warrant.
Investigators learned that the couple has been dealing with “marital issues for quite some time,” according to the arrest warrant.
Worcester District Attorney Joe Early said their four children, ages 2, 5, 7 and 9, were in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families as of Sunday evening. They were safe.
Investigators spent several hours at the address Sunday. The house, decorated for Halloween, is in a residential neighborhood off Elm Street.
What criminal charges are being sought
The arrest warrant was issued out of First District Court of Northern Worcester for Pennington on Monday.
Aaron Pennington is charged with possession of a firearm without a license to carry. The place of the offense, 14 Cherry St., is listed as the same address in the criminal complaint written by state Trooper Benjamin Breton, an investigator assigned to the Worcester District Attorney’s Office.
Breanne Pennington was known to have a firearm at the residence for her protection, according to the arrest warrant.
What court records say:Breanne Pennington, slain Gardner woman, planned to move to Texas with kids
Aaron Pennington suffers from “mental issues and had threatened suicide,” according to the arrest warrant.
Court records show the wife had been planning to move to Texas and leave her husband behind.
What does Aaron Pennington look like
Pennington, 33, of Gardner, is described by the Worcester DA as a white man with blond hair, blue eyes. He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and approximately 175 pounds.
What do we know about Aaron Pennington
According to his LinkedIn page, Pennington is a senior supervisor in manufacturing/operations at Raytheon Missiles & Defense in Andover. His biographer also lists him as serving in the U.S. Air Force starting in 2015.
On his Facebook account, Pennington is listed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 634 Pearl St. in Gardner.
Pennington lists himself as originally being from Fontana, California.
What do we know about Breanne Pennington?
The couple has been married for 10 years, according to Aaron’s Facebook page.
According to Breanne Pennington’s Facebook page, she was going to celebrate her 31st birthday this Friday. Also according to her page, her nickname is “Breezy” and she is from Riverside, Calif.
Who is investigating?
The investigation is ongoing by state police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and the Gardner Police Department.
What should you do if you see Aaron Pennington
Anyone who sees Pennington should call the Gardner Police Department at 978-632-5600 or the Massachusetts State Police at 508-829-8326. Police are warning the public not to approach Pennington as he is considered armed and dangerous.
Will there be a vigil to honor Breanne Pennington in Gardner?
Plans for a vigil in the city for the victim are being placed on hold for the time being, Mayor Michael Nicholson said Monday. He wrote that several individuals had reached out to his office about holding a vigil for Pennington, who was the mother of four young children.
“Due to the fact that the investigation is still ongoing and since the suspect is still at large, at the recommendation of the Police Department, we are asking that no vigils be held at this time,” Nicholson said. “Additionally, the city will not approve or issue any park permit applications for any public spaces for vigils related to this matter until such safety concerns are alleviated and the investigation reaches the appropriate point.”
Vigil will be held after arrest:Gardner officials ask residents to wait to remember Breanne Pennington
Nicholson stressed that Gardner is a community that is always there for its neighbors in times of trouble.