Update: John Daniel Williams, 29, the suspect in the shooting death of Somerset County Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Eugene Cole, has been caught and is alive, ending a four-day manhunt, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said just before 1 p.m. today. For our latest coverage, follow the story here.
The FBI and local law enforcement officers entered their fourth day of searching for John Daniel Williams, 29, suspected in the shooting death of Somerset County Sheriff’s Deputy Cpl. Eugene Cole on Wednesday morning.
Police are expected to update the press on the situation at noon Saturday, said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine State Police.
Through Friday night police centered their search along an old railroad track along Martin Stream Road and the nearby woods in Fairfield and Norridgewock, though they gave no details about why they were focusing on that area.
With the suspect still on the loose, safety concerns are prompting some events to be changed.
Saturday night’s pro-am boxing card, originally scheduled at the Skowhegan Community Center, has been moved to nearby Skowhegan Area High School. The community center is being used as a staging area in the search for Williams.
Watch footage from the Saturday press conference here:
WATCH: Press conference in John Williams manhunt.
WATCH: Press conference in John Williams manhunt.
Posted by WGME CBS 13 News, Portland on Saturday, 28 April 2018
Gov. LePage on Friday issued an emergency proclamation suspending all hunting in parts of Norridgewock, Skowhegan and Fairfield until further notice. That includes youth wild turkey hunting day, which was scheduled to start Saturday, and regular turkey season, to start Monday.
[Slain officer remembered as gentleman and skilled negotiator]
Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to Williams’ arrest. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said that officers have heard Williams might be interested in contacting them.
“Please reach out to us, and let’s start that communication,” Lancaster said during a Friday morning news conference.
BDN reporters Alex Acquisto, Callie Ferguson and Ernie Clark contributed to this report.
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