BEND, Ore. (AP) - The ex-boyfriend of a missing Oregon woman is believed to have acted alone in causing her disappearance, authorities said.
Authorities are continuing to search for the body of the 24-year-old Bend woman, who was reported missing in late February, The Bulletin reported Tuesday.
Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel has said that he believes Bryan Penner, 31, killed Gomez.
Penner was taken into police custody two days after her disappearance. He killed himself while in jail last month.
“We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Sara’s disappearance,” Hummel said. “I’ve used the term suspect to describe some of the people we’ve focused on. No evidence yet that someone helped Penner kill Sara.”
The Bend Police Department is waiting for crime lab results on if blood found in Penner’s apartment belongs to Gomez. Bloody ropes, blood puddles and smears of blood were found when investigators searched the residence, police said.
Police said they don’t know when to expect the results back.
Searchers have been looking along trails and roads to the east of Bend. Information from Penner’s cellphone placed him heading east out of town the night of his arrest, Police said.
The signal was lost but was located again several hours later as Penner was traveling back into town, police said.
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Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com
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