A Murderer on the Loose?

For two days, neighbors have been anxiously awaiting news of a suspect or arrest, but to no avail. Police blocked off the road leading up to the home, now turned crime scene, and investigators have been spotted searching for evidence as far away as the town of Chestnut, 6 miles away,according tolocal media reports.

The supervisor of the local township, Ken Hutchison, told a TV station that residents who are accustomed to the area's slow pace, are now frightened at the thought of a killer at large. "It's a tiny rural community, and everyone is wondering how it could happen here."

Betty Poston, 76, grew up in Beason and says she never thought she'd live to see something like this in her town. "Everybody always gets along," she told a reporter. "Neighbors helping neighbors. That's just the kind of town we are."

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Nichols said autopsy results had shown that none of the victims had been shot, contrary to previous speculation. But he wouldn't discuss exactly how the victims died.