GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS: New details regarding the murder case in central Massachusetts where a man reportedly fatally shot his wife while the couple’s four young children were in another part of the house have emerged.
Aaron Pennington, 33, is still at large following the murder of Breanne Pennington, 30, according to the fourth update on the case from the Massachusetts State Police.
The victim was found with a bullet wound in her face on October 22 at the couple’s home on Cherry Street in Gardner, a medium-sized city located in Worcester County.
In a recently released application for a criminal complaint and arrest warrant, the method of killing seems to replicate the exact plan of the killer. A murder charge was filed in Gardner District Court.
Aaron Pennington's disturbing phone note
The arrest warrant is dated October 25. A day before, investigators were able to conduct a limited search of Aaron Pennington’s cellular phone by way of a previously authorized search warrant.
The authorities were left stunned after finding a disturbing phone note from 7.04 pm on October 21 which read the following.
"Don’t say anything. Be quite [sic] If she wakes up just say you’re getting nasal spray", the note read according to New York Post.
"Get on side of bed — very close proximity to head. Put a hole in her head," it added.
The following morning, shortly after 9 am, the couple’s four children, aged two, five, seven and nine went to a neighbor’s house to say “they could not find their father and that their mother was in her bedroom crying,” according to the criminal complaint. The neighbor then dialled 911.
When did the emergency responders arrive?
“At approximately [9:19 am], first responders arrived at the residence and found Breanne Pennington lying in the bed in an upstairs bedroom with obvious signs of death from an apparent gunshot wound to the head,” the document reads.
“The responding Gardner [Police Department] Officers performed a protective sweep of the residence and were unable to locate anyone else inside the home or any visible weapons," the document adds.
The mother-of-four was tragically declared dead at exactly 9.30 am that Sunday, October 22.
Police said that some 40 minutes before Aaron Pennington left in his white BMW 320, citing a neighbor’s surveillance footage.
On Monday, October 23, at around 5 pm, the suspect’s car was found in a wooded area of Camp Collier in Gardner, police said.
Worcester County District Attorney issues a statement
“We are still treating this like he is alive and would be somewhere in the woods,” Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early said at a press conference on Tuesday, October 24.
“We did find the vehicle, and the vehicle was found by a hunter,” Early added.
Since then, ground and air search operations have spanned “200 heavily wooded acres,” according to the latest update.
“Unit commanders will continue to assess intelligence and investigative developments to determine when and how to resume ground/air search operations,” state police said on Wednesday evening, October 25.
“At this point, barring the development of new information, no widespread ground search is planned for tomorrow. We will update when appropriate," police added.
