Hannah Anderson FOUND ALIVE!!!! James Lee DiMaggio Shot And Killed By FBI Tactical Agent ~ Burned Bodies ID’d As 8 Year Old Ethan & Mother Christina Anderson

   

An Amber Alert has been issued for a 16-year old girl and 8 year old boy from the city of Boulevard in San Diego County.

According to state emergency officials, Hannah and Ethan Anderson were kidnapped on Saturday at 5:00 pm.

Hannah is a white female, 5'7" tall, 115 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. She has a belly button ring, nose stud and pierced ears.

Ethan is a white male, 4'11" tall, 65 pounds with blonde hair.

They are believed to be with James Lee DiMaggio, 40. He was last seen driving a blue Nissan Versa four-door, with a California license plate of 6WCU986.

If seen, you are urged to contact your local law enforcement.

August 6, 2013, 11:00 a.m

Monday marked the first time in California that officials notified the public of a statewide Amber Alert through their cellphones, a California Highway Patrol official said.

It differed from phone to phone, but sometime between late Monday and early Tuesday many mobile phones across Southern California received an Amber Alert related to two missing children in San Diego.

James Lee DiMaggio is suspected of killing Christina Anderson, 44, of Lakeside and kidnapping one or both of her children: Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8.

Christina Anderson's body was found Sunday night in the burning rubble of a house in the rural community of Boulevard in eastern San Diego County, authorities said.

The two children were likely abducted about 5 p.m. on Saturday, authorities said.

Amber Alerts sent out overnight described the vehicle DiMaggio is believed to be traveling in: a blue Nissan Versa with California license plate 6WCU986. Authorities believe he may be making his way north to Canada.

Some cellphones received only a text message, others buzzed and beeped. Some people got more than one alert.

It’s all thanks to the Wireless Emergency Alert program, a cellphone version of the Emergency Alert System that gives you the high-pitched test tone on your television.

Cellphone owners receive messages automatically, based on their proximity to the emergency, not based on their phone number.

“If you’re from Texas and that’s where your phone number is based and you’re traveling in California at the time of the Amber Alert, you’ll receive the text message about the Amber Alert in California on your Texas-based phone,” said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader.

The messages go out over a special wireless carrier channel called Cell Broadcast and aren’t affected by regular cellphone traffic that might disrupt calls and text messages during times of heavy usage, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which has teamed with the government in the program.

The signal is transmitted simultaneously to all mobile devices within the range of cell towers in the affected area. There are no texting charges. The system does not track phones' whereabouts.

The system is a second-generation Amber Alert and replaces the Wireless Amber Alert program that sent text alerts only to cellphone users who subscribed to the service. The new system began Jan. 1 and requires cellphone customers to opt out to stop receiving alerts.

Hannah Anderson is described as 5-foot-7, 115 pounds with blond hair, blue eyes, a belly button ring, nose stud and pierced ears.

Ethan Anderson is described as 4-foot-11, 65 pounds with sandy blond hair.

DiMaggio is described as 5-foot-9, 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the homicide detail at (858) 974-2321 or (858) 565-5200, or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The Amber Alert program was created in 1996 in honor of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was abducted and murdered near her home in Arlington, Texas.

To opt-out of the emergency alerts, change your phone's message or alert message settings. They're automatically included on phones that receive the alerts.

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The husband of a woman who was found killed alongside a child feared to be the couple’s son pleaded Tuesday for the family friend suspected of committing the crimes to release his missing daughter.
 “The damage is done. I’m begging you to let my daughter go, you’ve taken everything else,” Brett Anderson said at a press conference.

Anderson’s comments were directed at James DiMaggio, a longtime friend of the family and the prime suspect in the murder of Anderson’s wife, Christina Anderson. The 42-year-old’s charred remains were discovered Sunday in a home about 65 miles east of San Diego. Next to her a child’s body was found so badly burned that authorities have yet to identify it, but acknowledge it may be the couple’s 8-year-old son, Ethan.
Brett Anderson’s pleas on Tuesday were for the release of his 16-year-old daughter, Hannah. Authorities believe DiMaggio kidnapped her.

Anderson did not mention the return of his son, seeming to indicate he believes the boy was killed along with his mother.
“Hanna, we all love you very much. If you have a chance you take it. You run, you’ll be found,” Anderson said in his brief remarks.

DiMaggio, 40, was a close friend of the family’s, with both Ethan and Hanna considering him to have been an uncle, according to San Diego Homicide Lt. Glenn Giannantonio.

DiMaggio owns the log cabin-style house where Christina Anderson’s body was found, and police believe he killed her and the child before burning his home.

Sheriff's officials did not reveal how she died, but they told NBC San Diego that she had a "close platonic relationship" with DiMaggio.

Neighbors told the station had hemoved to the area around five years ago from the city.

Arson investigators later found the remains of the child as they searched through the rubble of the burned buildings.

A statewide amber alert was issued for the children on Monday, alerting motorists to be on the lookout for a 2013 Nissan Versa with the California license plate 6WCU986.

Authorities thought DiMaggio could be heading to Texas or Canada, but Giannantonio on Tuesday said he could be headed anywhere.

“Realistically we don’t know where they’re going, we’re keeping a wide net and hopefully we’ll find them.  We’re looking everywhere,” he said.

He also said police believe Hannah “is in grave danger.”

Hannah is described as white, 5 feet 7 inches, 115 pounds, with blond hair, blue eyes, a belly-button ring, nose stud and pierced ears, while her brother, Ethan, is described as white, 4 feet 11 inches, 65 pounds, with sandy blond hair, according to the Union Tribune.

DiMaggio is described as white, 5 feet 9 inches, 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He may have shaved off a mustache and beard, detectives told the paper.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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Horrible!!

Broke into regular programming on HLN with an amber alert to announce that the car and Hanna Anderson had been seen in Lakeview, Oregon today. Lakeview is in South/Central Oregon.

It was one of those black and white alerts with a sharp buzzing noise and the message scrolled across the screen in big letters while someone was talking in the background. Haven't found anything on the internet about it. I do know some fiddlers that live in Lakeview.

An Amber Alert has been activated in Oregon for two missing children and a suspect out of southern California.
A vehicle related to the investigation was spotted Wednesday in southern Oregon near Lakeview at 2 p.m., according to Oregon State Police.

James DiMaggio, 40, is a suspect in the homicide investigation of Christina Anderson, 42, of San Diego County, CA. Her two children, Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8, were last seen Aug. 3.

His blue 2013 Nissan Versa with California plates 6WCU986 was seen traveling along Highway 395/299 in northern California toward possibly Oregon or Nevada. The southern Oregon sighting of the car was then reported to police Wednesday afternoon.

An Amber Alert in this case has also been issued for Washington.

Dad of missing kids asks suspect to turn self in

The husband of a woman whose body was found in a burned house near the U.S.-Mexico border pleaded Tuesday with his friend who is suspected of killing his wife and abducting one or both of their children to turn himself in.

"Jim, I can't fathom what you were thinking," said Brett Anderson, addressing his short statement at a news conference to his friend James Lee DiMaggio, the subject of a growing manhunt. "The damage is done."

Anderson also pleaded with his missing daughter, 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, who authorities said was in grave danger, to run away from DiMaggio if she got the chance.

Anderson did not make reference to his 8-year-old son Ethan, who was also missing.

The remains of a child were found in the burned house with the children's mother, 42-year-old Christina Anderson.

An autopsy was performed Tuesday, but authorities said it could still take a few days for DNA testing to determine if the child was Ethan.

"It is a possibility that it's Ethan," said sheriff's Lt. Glenn Giannantonio. "Right now we just don't know. And we're praying that it isn't Ethan."

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has said DiMaggio and Christina Anderson had been in a close, platonic relationship.

Sheriff's officials referred to Brett Anderson, who arrived from out of town to talk to investigators Tuesday, as her ex-husband, but he told The Associated Press that the couple had still been married.

On Sunday night, authorities found Christina Anderson's body near a dead dog when they extinguished flames at the rural home of DiMaggio in Boulevard, a remote hamlet 65 miles east of San Diego.

The child's body was found later as they sifted through rubble.

An Amber Alert advised freeway motorists, television viewers and mobile phone subscribers about a blue Nissan Versa with California license plates that DiMaggio was believed to be driving. The California Highway Patrol said the suspect could be headed to Texas or Canada.

The FBI joined the search and the Amber Alert was later extended to Mexico's Baja California state, which borders Boulevard.

Monday marked the first time that mobile phone users were notified of a statewide Amber Alert in California through their phones, CHP spokeswoman Jamie Coffee said. The alert system, which was introduced in December, sends messages automatically, based on the phone's location, not the phone number.

Christina Anderson grew up with her mother and stepfather in the east San Diego suburb of Santee, and she aspired to a career in child psychology, said her ex-husband, James Chatfield of La Grande, Ore. The marriage lasted four years, until 1992, and Chatfield said he lost touch.

"She was a high school sweetheart," he said. "It was a marriage of convenience that just didn't work out."

Chatfield said he helped Anderson's current husband move to The Dalles, Ore., in the early 1990s, but they lost contact.

Information related to this activation, along with photographs of the suspect, children, and vehicle, are available at: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This is just so damned sad. I'm glad the vehicle was spotted but kind of wish it had not gotten to the media even thou' I know it has to. I just don't want that POS to know they saw them.

NG covered this case tonight. Evidently Hannah never told her mom that she felt uncomfortable around "Uncle Jim" - she told her friends. They never told anyone either until after the fire.

I can't believe a mom would let a 40 year old guy take her daughter alone to Hollywood for her 16th birthday! The mom's friend said mom was very trusting and Jim had been a family friend for more than 20 years.

On HLN right now (and CNN) LE released that they think it is possible that Jim has explosive devices connected to the car he is driving in with Hannah.

Oh no!

OMG!

CNN Breaking News
Kidnapping and murder suspect James DiMaggio, sought in a national manhunt, may be armed with improvised explosives or may have rigged his car with them, San Diego County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said.

Authorities made the announcement as they searched for DiMaggio, who is suspected of abducting as many as two children after killing their mother in a fire.

Follow complete coverage of breaking news on CNN TV, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and CNN Mobile.

It's on NG right now. They're warning campers out in Northern Washington and Oregon to not approach them if they see them out in the woods or camping. Call 911. Jim has nothing to lose and may just blow up the car with himself and Hannah inside. That poor girl must be frantic.

The car was spotted going north in northern Calif. and then in Bremerton, Washington. They think he's trying to get into Canada.

August 09, 2013

Investigators believe DiMaggio killed Christina Anderson, 44, of Lakeside, Calif., and possibly her son, Ethan, 8, then kidnapped her daughter Hannah, 16. DiMaggio is suspected of setting fire to his log cabin and detached garage on Sunday night. Anderson’s body and a badly burned child’s body were found there. An autopsy confirmed that the second body was that of a boy about 8 years old, but it has not been identified as Ethan’s.

“It’s possible we may never be able to identify the remains because they were so badly burned,” Giannantonio said.

In addition to police from several states, eight FBI agents were assigned to the case from a command post at San Diego sheriff's headquarters, as the manhunt has expanded to Washington, Nevada, British Columbia and Mexico's Baja California. 8/9/ Idaho joined four others states Friday in issuing an AMBER ALERT. 

A friend of Hannah Anderson claimed the girl was "creeped out" by a crush the suspect had on her.

The friend said DiMaggio explained that he didn't want the girls to think he was weird in an effort to defend himself after noticing he and the teen exchanged glances. She said he spoke while driving them home from a high school gymnastics meet a couple months ago.

Hannah asked the girl to join her from then on whenever DiMaggio drove her to events.

"She was a little creeped out by it," the friend said. "She didn't want to be alone with him."

A neighbor also told Fox5SanDiego.com that Hannah was afraid of DiMaggio and did not want to be around him anymore, but 'she didn't know how to tell anyone.'

"She's strong, she will make it through this," the neighbor said. "She’s smart and I pray to God, she’s just playing into whatever he's doing," she said. “I know she’ll get away. I can feel it – she will come home."

Christina Anderson's father, Christopher Saincome, said Wednesday that his daughter visited DiMaggio's home last weekend to say goodbye before he moved to Texas. DiMaggio, who works as a telecommunications technician at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, was a regular presence at the Anderson family apartment in Lakeside, a suburb of 54,000 people.

"He must have had this planned," Saincome said.

Saincome said nothing seemed amiss when he called his daughter at work Friday to let her know she didn't call on his birthday. Anderson, a medical assistant, said she would call back that night but never did.

DiMaggio's sister, Lora Robinson, told U-T San Diego that the allegations against her brother were "completely out of character." She said he spent four years in the Navy, left the service to care for her after their mother died of cancer, and volunteered rescuing animals.

"He is the kindest person in the world," Robinson said.

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They've been located in Idaho at the "River of No Return Wilderness Area" - they had abandoned the car and were talked to by some horseback riders. The riders said Hannah was acting normally like she was just on a camping trip with him.

So good news is she's alive yet, and she is acting calmly and playing along so he doesn't kill her. I'm trying to find a link online, I just saw a breaking news flash on it on TV.

Hopefully he won't kill her and himself if he realizes cops are closing in on them.

James DiMaggio Manhunt: Car found in rural Idaho; campers may have spotted suspect and missing Calif. teen, sheriff says

(CBS/AP) Officials say they have located the car of suspected kidnapper James Dimaggio in rural Idaho after receiving a tip from a group of campers on horseback that they may have spotted Dimaggio and missing California teen Hannah Anderson.

The search for the teen and the man whom authorities describe as a close friend of her family has stretched across the Western U.S. and into Mexico and Canada.

On Wednesday, the group of campers came into contact with a man and a woman in the area that they later told authorities appeared to be out of place, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said in a news conference Friday afternoon. The campers reported the two were seen with light camping equipment -- backpacks and tents -- outside Cascade, Idaho, about 70 miles northeast of Boise.

The area has rugged terrain and is not passable with vehicles, Gore said.

After the group returned from their trip, they saw news reports about the Amber Alert that's been issued for DiMaggio and the teen, and contacted local authorities, Gore said.

From the reports of the campers, the girl suspected to be Hannah Anderson appeared to be in good health, Gore said.

"As far as we know, it didn't look like she was being held against her will," Gore said.

On Sunday night, authorities found the body of Hannah's mother - 44-year-old Christina Anderson - when they extinguished flames at DiMaggio's rural home in California. A child's body also was discovered as they sifted through rubble in Boulevard, a tiny town 65 miles east of San Diego. The body may be that of Hannah's 8-year-old brother, Ethan, but it could take several days to identify the badly burned remains. Investigators were unable to extract DNA.

In Idaho, there was no sighting of a small boy, Gore said.

After searching the area, officials discovered DiMaggio's car, a blue Nissan Versa, on Friday about six miles from where the pair was spotted, Gore said. The car was covered in brush and the license plates had been removed, but officials were able to confirm it was Dimaggio's using a VIN number, Gore said.

Officials say the report fits in with their theory that Dimaggio planned the abduction. Dimaggio had recently bought camping equipment, Gore said.

Authorities earlier said they believe Dimaggio may have abandoned his car while he was on the run and rigged it with explosives. Arson technicians were set to render the vehicle safe before forensic tests are conducted, Gore said.

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It does sound like a dreary place. I'm not buying she went willingly with him like some news reports are saying. I think she's smart enough to know she has to play along or get killed. If she saw him kill her mom and brother she's probably terrified.

Just saw this on CNN:

Ut oh. There's a shrink on CNN that knew the family and Dimaggio had two family issues. His mother died of cancer and his father (who was an active drug user using meth) disappeared several years ago in the late 90's on the same date that Jim burned his home down. And when his father then committed suicide by taking a bunch of meth and walking out into the desert to die, the date was 2 days from now. So they think he is acting out on these traumatic anniversary dates, and will kill himself in 2 days. That would be why he only took light camping equipment - enough to last a few days. I kinda doubt he'd leave Hannah behind. :-/

A reported sighting of a murder suspect and the teenager believed to have been abducted has narrowed a six-state Amber Alert to a rural community in Idaho known as the River of No Return Wilderness.
San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore announced Friday that officials have recovered the vehicle of James Lee DiMaggio and have focused their search near Cascade, Idaho, approximately 80 miles north of Boise and roughly 400 miles from the Canadian border.
DiMaggio, 40, of Boulevard and Hannah Anderson, 16, of Lakeside are the subjects of an Amber Alert issued Monday. Hannah and her brother Ethan were originally believed to have been abducted after their mother was found dead in a house fire. On Friday, officials positively identified Ethan as the second victim in that fire.
Now, officials say it appears Hannah Anderson may be with DiMaggio willingly.
On Wednesday, a horseback rider ran into a man and a teenager near Morehead Lake. The horseback rider had a brief conversation with the two but saw no reason to be alarmed. He told officials they appeared to be hikers or campers, which are common in the area.
The man and teenager had backpacks and a tent the rider said. They were spotted twice entering and exiting a campground about six to eight miles from where the vehicle was discovered.
When he encountered the suspect and the teenager, the horseback rider was not aware of the Amber Alert.
Andrea Dearden, acting Public Information Officer for Valley County, Idaho, said the man contacted the Amber Alert tip line Wednesday evening. That tip was shared Thursday with investigators.
Officials discovered the vehicle linked to DiMaggio on Friday covered in brush with the license plates removed about 15 miles northeast of Cascade. Officials were able to identify the vehicle through the VIN number.
Authorities believe DiMaggio may have homemade explosives. Sheriff Gore said no explosives have been found in the vehicle so far, however Idaho officials say they have not been able to get inside the car to investigate.
Dearden said the car is still in the wilderness area where it has been secured until experts can arrive to attempt to search the interior.
A search team of 12 people are on the ground using satellite phones, horses or all-terrain vehicles and helicopters from the Idaho Air National Guard Dearden said.
“It is treacherous terrain. It is back country. It is wilderness area,” Dearden said.
When asked to describe the search area, Dearden could only estimate it at dozens of miles.
Teams have been stationed at multiple access points around the wilderness area to monitor anyone coming or going.
Officers with local law enforcement, Idaho State police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have all joined in the search. Some investigators will be sent from San Diego to assist.
Gore was confident Hannah Anderson will be returned safely to San Diego.
“She was alive on Wednesday and we hope that law enforcement will find them up in the mountains there and return them safely,” said Gore.
Gore said as far as they know, Hannah did not look like she was being held against her will.
According to Dearden, the horseback rider told officials the conversation with the pair was odd but not alarming. There was nothing done or said to cause him to think he needed to help the teenager.
Brother's body identified
Hannah's younger brother was also listed in the Amber Alert, but DNA tests revealed the boy died along with his mother.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Friday night confirmed that a second body found in the burned-out home is that of 8-year-old Ethan Anderson.
Initially, investigators believed the boy was also traveling with DiMaggio and Hannah. He was described as 4-foot-11, weighing 65-pounds, with sandy blond hair.
Before Friday night's confirmation, family members – including the children’s father Brett Anderson – had implied that Ethan was found dead in a house fire with his mother Christina Anderson on Monday.
Investigators confirmed a child’s charred body was found inside the burned out home in Boulevard.
Due to the condition of the body, Ethan's identity was determined using DNA analysis of his bone marrow, the sheriff's department said.
Records have confirmed that Anderson has only two children, Ethan and Hannah.
Just as friends and family have been holding vigils and praying for Hannah, they’ve also been praying for Ethan, calling the young boy a great kid with lots of friends who love him.
Friends have also said Ethan and Hannah had a strong sibling bond, with little fighting and lots of love between them.
As a family, friends say the Andersons were very happy and seemingly had a great relationship.
Fiery Boulevard homicide scene
Emergency personnel were called to the 2000-block of Ross Avenue in the unincorporated community of Boulevard east of San Diego around 8 p.m. Sunday for a structure fire.
DiMaggio's log cabin-style home and detached 3-car garage were fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters called in sheriff's deputies when they recovered a body on the property.
Once crews were able to bring in a bulldozer on Monday, they recovered a second body and several weapons burned in the fire. They also recovered the body of a dog.
Officials have not released how Christina Anderson and the unidentified child were killed. They also have not identified a possible motive.
Christina's father, Christopher Saincome, said his daughter went to visit DiMaggio's home to say goodbye before he moved to Texas.
Hannah Anderson attended El Capitan High School in Lakeside where friends said they believed she was abducted against her will. They described DiMaggio as having a crush on the 16-year-old girl.
Close friend of the family
DiMaggio was close friends with Christina Anderson, her ex-husband Brett Anderson and their children for years.
He recently worked at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.
Court records show that he filed for divorce in 2003. His ex-wife told an NBC Station in Seattle that she was shocked to learn the news since DiMaggio has been best friends with the family for such a long time.
She said he served in the Navy but showed no signs of PTSD during their marriage.
Officials say DiMaggio is an experienced outdoorsman with skills to survive in the wild. It's not known what history he may have in the state of Idaho officials said.
He purchased camping supplies shortly before allegedly burning the house investigators said.
As for a motive behind the murder, arson and kidnapping crime spree, Sheriff Gore said they don't have one just yet.
"We all have come up with a theory but really it is speculation and we wont know until we get Hannah and DiMaggio back here for further questions," he said.
After five days, FBI agents and local law enforcement agencies expanded the Amber Alert to include, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho.

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I still think she's just playing along and not there willingly. She's smart enough to know if she fought him or said anything to anyone he'd kill her.

Authorities in San Diego on Friday positively identified the second body found in a burning home in Boulevard as that of 8-year-old Ethan Anderson.

The coroner’s office used DNA harvested from boy’s bone marrow to make the identification, authorities said.

The boy’s body was found Sunday along with the body of his mother, Christina Anderson, who investigators said was murdered.

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So SAD!! We ALL knew this was Ethan.

I Agree. This girl is playing along with this maniac. Just hope the feds snuff him out SOON w/out hurting Hannah!

much MORE at this link:
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This park is 2.3 million acres! No motor vehicles allowed, so I hope they're using drones or infrared helicopters.

Hunt for abducted teen centers on Idaho wilderness
A massive search is underway in the remote Idaho backcountry for California murder suspect James DiMaggio and the 16-year-old he's believed to have kidnapped following the grisly murders of her mother and younger brother.

Some 150 law enforcement officials are descending on a 320-square-mile area of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area, a mostly roadless, rugged, heavily wooded forest in central Idaho about 70 miles north of Boise where motorized vehicles are prohibited. Another 50 were expected by day's end.

Teams from the Valley County and Ada County Sheriff's departments, U.S Marshals Service, Homeland Security, FBI, Idaho Army National Guard and Idaho State Police are part of the search-and-rescue operations. Their efforts are hindered by the area's rough terrain, lack of vehicle access and cellphone coverage, says Andrea Dearden, an Ada County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. She would not say if drones or infrared devices are being used in the search.

DiMaggio's Nissan Versa, covered with brush and missing its California license plates, was found about five miles from a trailhead into the area Friday morning. Authorities had suspected the car may have been booby-trapped, but no explosives were found in or around the vehicle by a Boise Police Department bomb squad.

The discovery came about two days after a horseback rider reported seeing DiMaggio and teen Hannah Anderson hiking with backpacks. Idaho authorities say the rider didn't realize the pair were being sought until he got home and recognized them on news reports.

San Diego Police say they believe DiMaggio, 40, kidnapped Hannah after killing her mother, Christinia Anderson, and her brother, Ethan, last weekend. Their bodies were found in DiMaggio's burning California home near the Mexican border Sunday. On Friday night, San Diego County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the remains found in the home matched the DNA of Ethan, 8.

The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area was named after the late Idaho senator who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 1976. At more than 2.3 million acres, its the second-largest protected wilderness area in the lower 48 states, coursing through mountain ranges, deep canyons and the middle fork of the Salmon River, a popular waterway for rafters and kayakers.

DiMaggio, a friend of the Andersons, is an experienced outdoorsman, according to Hannah's father, Brett Anderson, who was separated from his wife and had moved to Tennessee for work. He and DiMaggio, a Scripps Research Institute telecommunications technician, met about 20 years ago.

Brett Anderson said earlier this week that DiMaggio had promised to watch over his family and that his kids had referred to him as "Uncle Jim."

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A friend of the man police say is in the Idaho wilderness with a teen girl he kidnapped worries that the suspect might kill himself.

In an interview with HuffPost Crime, Andrew Spanswick -- who's known suspect James DiMaggio and his family for seven years -- said that today is the anniversary of the suspect's father's suicide.

Police say DiMaggio was last spotted with his victim, 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, a few days ago by hikers in the Cascade area of Idaho. His car was found on the side of the road Friday.

Spanswick, a social worker who has worked with addicts for 22 years, says DiMaggio's father was heavily addicted to methamphetamine and killed himself in the late 1990s. He worries for the safety of both DiMaggio and Anderson.

"Hopefully he's not repeating mistakes and the trauma his parents brought on," Spanswick said. "I hope he doesn't kill himself today."

He said any discussion about DiMaggio's mindset is pure speculation. He said the kidnapping -- as well as any involvement the man had in the San Diego fire that killed Anderson's mom and brother -- isn't something DiMaggio was capable of.

Despite the drug and mental health problems in DiMaggio's family, Spanswick said his old camping buddy wasn't following the same path.

"All these accusations are out of character. It's the reason why his family is so shocked," Spanswick said.

He said DiMaggio hasn't attempted to contact the family since he and Anderson disappeared on Sunday.

Police have said DiMaggio had an "unusual infatuation" with the teen, but her own father said he never saw strange behavior. Spanswick says DiMaggio lived near the family home. DiMaggio is accused of inviting 8-year-old Ethan and 44-year-old Christina Anderson to his home and then burning it to the ground. The family reportedly trusted him as a friend.

CBS says Ethan's remains were positively identified.

On Friday, police found the car that belonged to DiMaggio while investigating a tip that two horseback riders had spotted the pair on a trail several days ago. DiMaggio and Anderson were said to be in good condition, carrying the camping gear necessary for Idaho's remote wilderness.

Spanswick said he doesn't know why DiMaggio may have gone to Idaho. Though Spanswick and DiMaggio have camped together on several occasions, Spanswick doesn't think the suspect's in it for the long haul.

"He's not a survivalist or anything -- he's not even that great of a camper," Spanswick told HuffPost Crime. "He used to take guides on trails. He's just a guy who liked camping."

He added, "We don't really know any motivations for what's happening right now."
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I almost wonder if she doesnt know about her mom and brother and just thinks its a last trip for the summer

I was wondering if she possibly doesn't know about her mom and brother too, Slys, since they said she was acting calm and normal. Still, she'd have to think it was odd she'd be on a camping trip by herself in the wilderness with such an older guy, wouldn't she? Especially if she wasn't comfortable around him anymore.

I thought maybe she said goodbye to mom and brother, and then before they left, Jim said he had forgot something and went back and torched the house with the mom and brother already dead. But it seems unlikely her mom would let her go off to the woods with this guy, yanno? Maybe if they had taken the brother with I'd buy that.

Twitter feed here from the sheriff with regular updates on how the search is progressing. They did search all night.

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At 2.367 million acres (9,580 km²), it is the second largest protected wilderness in the contiguous United States, after Death Valley. Nicknamed "The Frank," the wilderness protects several mountain ranges, extensive wildlife, and a popular whitewater rafting river: the Salmon River.
Together with the adjacent Gospel Hump Wilderness and surrounding unprotected roadless Forest Service land, it is the core of a 3.3 million acre (13,000 km²) roadless area. It is separated from the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, to the north, by a single dirt road (the Magruder Corridor). The wilderness contains parts of several mountain ranges, including the Salmon River Mountains, the Clearwater Mountains, and the Bighorn Crags. The ranges are split by steep canyons of the Middle and Main forks of the Salmon River.  The Salmon River is a popular destination for whitewater rafting, and is colloquially known as the "River of No Return" for its swift current which makes upstream travel difficult. Most of the area is covered by coniferous forests, with dry, open land along the rivers at lower elevations.
While designation as a Wilderness Area in the United States generally requires the prohibition of any motorized machinery, the use of jetboats (On the Main Fork of the Salmon River) and several airstrips are permitted in this wilderness as grandfathered existing uses before the wilderness was designated.



Frank Church, River of No Return Homepage
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James DiMaggio -- the California murder suspect who abducted 16-year-old Hannah Anderson -- was shot and killed in the Idaho wilderness, authorities said Saturday.

The teenage girl is alive. She was last seen at her cheerleading practice August 3; her mother and brother died in a fire at DiMaggio's home in San Diego County the next day, according to San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore.

Scores of law enforcement personnel have been looking for DiMaggio and his alleged captive in the River of No Return Wilderness, about 15 miles outside Cascade, Idaho.

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(CNN) -- James DiMaggio -- the California murder suspect who allegedly kidnapped 16-year-old Hannah Anderson -- was shot and killed in the Idaho wilderness, authorities said Saturday.
An FBI tactical agent killed DiMaggio around 5 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) near Morehead Lake, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said. The teenage girl was found alive near him.
"She appears well and was rescued and will be transported to a hospital in Idaho," Gore said.
Hannah Anderson was last seen at her cheerleading practice August 3; her mother and brother died in a fire at DiMaggio's home in San Diego County the next day.
About 250 law enforcement personnel -- among them about 150 FBI agents -- had converged on the River of No Return Wilderness, about 15 miles outside Cascade, looking for DiMaggio and his captive.
In addition to guarding all ways out, they tried to cover 300 square miles of rough terrain frequented by nature lovers near where DiMaggio's car was found Friday. Its license plates removed, the vehicle was hidden by brush in the vast River of No Return Wilderness.
"We know that any piece of information, any piece of evidence, any clue that we could find could be what we need to bring Hannah home safely," Andrea Dearden, spokeswoman for the Ada County Sheriff's Office, had told reporters Saturday afternoon.
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Authorities have been hunting for the suspect and Hannah, with a tip earlier this week leading them to focus on the area of Idaho about 1,000 miles north of where the two died.
The discovery of DiMaggio's car there further intensified that search.
Before DiMaggio's death, Dearden had vowed that authorities would "use every single resource possible."
"Whatever they feel is most effective and most useful, that's what they are going to use," the spokeswoman said.
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Witness: DiMaggio had crush
A friend of Hannah Anderson on Saturday provided a clearer picture of the relationship between DiMaggio and the teen.
Marissa Chavez told CNN that she was in a car with Hannah and DiMaggio a few months ago when the 40-year-old told Hannah he had a crush on her.
He followed it up by saying if he was her age, he would date Hannah, Chavez said.
Hannah was unnerved by the comments, but did not tell her mother because she did not want to ruin the close relationship that her parents had with DiMaggio, Chavez said.
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After that, however, Hannah did not want to be alone with DiMaggio, Chavez said.
In an earlier episode, Chavez recalled a trip that DiMaggio and Hannah took to Hollywood. The trip was supposed to be for one week, but Hannah told Chavez that they came back after two days because DiMaggio was upset that she wasn't paying enough attention to him.
"I don't think she would have gone willingly with him at all," she said.
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Focusing the search
The suspect's car was found after a man on horseback reported he had a brief conversation with two campers in the Idaho wilderness on Wednesday. The rider's realization later that he may have been talking to DiMaggio and his alleged teenage captive has been the biggest break in the search yet.
The horseback rider was not aware of the manhunt at the time, but he called the Amber Alert tip line after he saw a news account that night and realized the pair matched the description of DiMaggio and Hannah Anderson, according to Dearden.
The rider's impression was that the pair "seemed odd," though he wasn't alarmed, she said.
"They did speak and exchange pleasantries. I don't think there was a lot of information exchanged," she said. "He left the conversation believing they were camping in the area."
The rider said the man and girl were on foot, hiking with camping gear, Dearden said.
Authorities were trying to talk to everyone leaving the wilderness area. Even given the vast area to cover and some smoke lingering from a nearby wildfire, they will comb the wilderness looking for clues -- using maps, local experts and whatever else to guide them.
"We're going to have to do this strategically," Dearden said. "We're going to have to go to the areas that make the most sense."
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Thank God! I'm glad they took him out so there's not another lengthy trial with a possibility of him sitting on death row forever.

Right...just hearing this now..thanks for the text, Raine!!

WOW, SO HAPPY Hannah is OK!!

Seemed like a very professional group. Hannah will get any help she needs, physical or emotional help. And they will reunite her with her dad as soon as possible. I'm so glad he didn't get a chance to kill her.

God only knows what that poor kid endured!

Amber Alert suspect James DiMaggio slain; girl rescued
James Lee DiMaggio was killed after being found by an FBI search team in a remote area of Idaho. Hannah Anderson, 16, appeared to be in "pretty good shape."

By Kate Mather, Andrew Blankstein and Kurt Streeter
August 10, 2013, 10:09 p.m.
CASCADE, IDAHO — The man suspected of kidnapping 16-year-old Hannah Anderson was shot and killed by an FBI agent at a remote central Idaho campsite Saturday in a dramatic rescue that left the girl unharmed.

James Lee DiMaggio, 40, was killed after he was found by an FBI search team near Morehead Lake, about 75 miles north of Boise and just a few miles from where the two were spotted by a horseback rider Wednesday, officials said. The agent had been alerted to DiMaggio and the teen by searchers scouring the area in a plane.

Law enforcement officials offered few other details on the shooting, and would not divulge whether there was a firefight or even if DiMaggio was armed.

The killing ended a tense, multi-state manhunt that began Aug. 4, when firefighters found the bodies of Hannah's mother and younger brother at DiMaggio's burning home, east of San Diego. Ever since, police have been focused on Hannah, who authorities believed was abducted.

The case prompted officials in several Western states to send missing-children Amber Alert text messages to the public, which became transfixed by the massive manhunt.

"Hannah's safe, and that's the best outcome we were hoping for," Andrea Dearden, a spokeswoman for the Ada County Sheriff's Department, said during a Saturday news briefing.

"I am nervous, excited and saddened for my wife and son and worried what my daughter has been through," said Brett Anderson, Hannah's father, in a text sent to CNN. "It's now healing time. Keep us in your prayers."

After the shooting, Hannah was helicoptered to a hospital for evaluation. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said at a news conference that she appeared to be in "pretty good shape" but gave no further details.

"Obviously, we would have liked Mr. DiMaggio to surrender and face justice in a court of law, but that's not going to be the case," Gore said.

Search crews poured into this mountainous wilderness region late in the week, following two major breaks in the case. First, a man riding horseback on Wednesday spotted hikers believed to be the missing pair.

The witness said the man and teenage girl had a tent and backpacks but looked out of place in the rugged terrain. The rider said nothing else seemed particularly unusual, so he continued on. "They exchanged pleasantries, and he left the area thinking they were hiking and camping," Dearden said.

Once the rider got home, he found out about the Amber Alert, prompting him to contact the Idaho State Police, she said.

Then, on Friday morning, DiMaggio's blue Nissan Versa, featured prominently in the alerts, was found at the edge of a remote trail head. It was "the last place you can go before you hit the wilderness and stop driving," Dearden said. The car's license plates had been removed, but authorities confirmed it was DiMaggio's car by a check of its vehicle identification number. For a time, authorities worried that DiMaggio might have planted explosives in the car, but none were found.

The hunt focused on a roughly 300-square-mile swath of rugged terrain. A haven for wolves, bears and mountain lions, the area is so remote that some searchers had to be flown in, while others engaged in the hunt on horseback. By Saturday afternoon, roughly 200 local and federal law enforcement officers were combing the federally protected hillsides. Eventually, with air crews circling the skies, a pair of U.S. marshals in a surveillance plane spotted DiMaggio and the teen at a campsite.

DiMaggio was said to be an experienced outdoorsman who had joined the family on camping trips. Authorities say he had recently purchased backpacking equipment — a sign, they said, that the abduction may have been planned.

"We believe ... that there was preparation involved," said San Diego County Sheriff's Capt. Duncan Fraser.

The broader search began last Sunday, when firefighters battled a fire at DiMaggio's home and eventually found the bodies of Hannah's mother, Christina, 44, and brother, Ethan, 8. Christina Anderson died of blunt force trauma and may have been hit with a crowbar, a source close to the investigation told The Times.

Once the bodies were found and officials realized that Hannah was missing, state officials began seeking the public's help — using for the first time in California an Amber Alert system sent through cellphones. The search quickly broadened beyond U.S. borders to Mexico and Canada, as well as to Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Idaho.

Meanwhile, Hannah's father, Brett Anderson, had pleaded with DiMaggio in a televised message this week to let his daughter go. He also advised Hannah to run from DiMaggio if she had the chance. Anderson and his wife had separated, and he has been living in Tennessee.

A telecommunications technician at the Scripps Research Institute, DiMaggio has been described as a close friend of the Anderson family — so close that the children called him "Uncle Jim." DiMaggio and Brett Anderson knew each other from their work, according to press reports.

The nature of DiMaggio's relationship with Hannah remains unclear, authorities say. It was not known whether Hannah was abducted or went with DiMaggio willingly.

At least one of Hannah's friends has said that DiMaggio had told the teen he had a crush on her. The friend said Hannah was disturbed by the revelation and did not want to be alone with him.

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