This undated photo released by the Shasta County Sheriff's office shows Shane Franklyn Miller. Sheriffs officials say Miller killed his wife and 4-year-old and 8-year-old daughters in Northern California. Shasta County Sheriffs officials released the victims identities and relationship to the suspect on Wednesday, May 8, 2013, a day after the killings six miles west of Shingletown. (AP Photo/Shasta County Sheriff)

Hunt for Northern California family's killer scaled back

ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

PETROLIA - The weeklong search for a Northern California man suspected of killing his wife and two young daughters is being scaled back.

Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey said at a community meeting on Wednesday that Shane Miller has most likely killed himself or left the area. According to the Times-Standard of Eureka (http://bit.ly/19z8Pmo), Downey said the Sheriff's Office and other local agencies will remain in the area for the next week. But outside law enforcement agencies were leaving, and road blocks being lifted.

Investigators were searching for Miller in the Petrolia area of the county. His family was discovered slain on May 7 at their home about 200 miles away, but investigators found Miller's abandoned pickup truck the next day near Petrolia, and say he made contact with a woman he had previously had a relationship with there.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor