Authorities say James Lee DiMaggio was shot and killed during an attempted arrest in Idaho Saturday. His alleged hostage, 16-year-old Hannah Anderson, was found safe and "appears to be in good shape."
By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News
The man suspected of kidnapping 16-year-old Hannah Anderson and killing her mother and brother was shot dead in Idaho as the girl was rescued, authorities said Saturday.
James Lee DiMaggio 40, was killed by an FBI tactical agent during an arrest attempt near Morehead Lake in a remote area of Idaho known as the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, authorities said.
Her father was "elated" his daughter was found alive, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said at a news conference. Hannah, who "appears to be in good shape," was removed from the area by helicopter and transported to a hospital in Idaho, Gore noted.
The confrontation between DiMaggio and the FBI happened after a campsite was spotted from the air, Gore said. DiMaggio was killed around 4:22 p.m. PT (7:22 p.m. ET), but it was unclear if he fired at agents. Gore, speaking in San Diego, and FBI agent Mary Rook and Valley County Sheriff Patty Bolen, speaking in Idaho, declined to discuss details of the operation.
Federal and local law enforcement spent Saturday combing the wilderness in search of Hannah and her suspected kidnapper after finding DiMaggio's car the day before. With air support and on horseback, they scoured the isolated area, dotted by only a few scattered cabins and limited cell phone service.
Officials suspect that DiMaggio set fire to his own house Sunday, killing Hannah's 8-year-old brother, Ethan, and their mother, Christina Anderson, 44. They suspect he then kidnapped Hannah, setting off a search that expanded to Canada and Mexico.
Amber Alerts were issued in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday after DiMaggio’s car was believed to have been spotted in Northern California. An alert was also posted in Nevada on Thursday.
A horseback rider told authorities he saw an adult man and teenage girl hiking near Morehead Lake on Wednesday evening. He told police the couple seemed odd, but did not strike him as dangerous.
After the rider's report, authorities found DiMaggio's car, a Nissan Versa, covered with brush and without license plates six to eight miles away from where the two had been spotted. The area is east of the city of Cascade and northeast of Boise.
Sheriff's officials told NBC San Diego that Christina Anderson had a “close platonic relationship” with DiMaggio. Neighbors told the station DiMaggio had he moved to the area five years ago. A neighbor told The Associated Press that Christina and her husband, Brett Anderson, had recently separated.
San Diego sheriff’s officials said DiMaggio had an “unusual infatuation” with Hannah.
Marissa Chavez, 15, a friend of Hannah's, told The Associated Press that a couple of months ago she witnessed DiMaggio tell Hannah he had a crush on her and would date her if they were the same age.
“She was a little creeped out by it. She didn’t want to be alone with him,” Chavez told the AP.
San Diego sheriff Bill Gore says at a news conference that missing 16-year-old Hannah Anderson has been found alive and "is in pretty good shape" after her suspected kidnapper was shot and killed by an FBI agent in Idaho during an arrest attempt.
This story was originally published on Sat Aug 10, 2013 9:48 PM EDT
By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News
The man suspected of kidnapping 16-year-old Hannah Anderson and killing her mother and brother was shot dead in Idaho as the girl was rescued, authorities said Saturday.
James Lee DiMaggio 40, was killed by an FBI tactical agent during an arrest attempt near Morehead Lake in a remote area of Idaho known as the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, authorities said.
Her father was "elated" his daughter was found alive, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore said at a news conference. Hannah, who "appears to be in good shape," was removed from the area by helicopter and transported to a hospital in Idaho, Gore noted.
The confrontation between DiMaggio and the FBI happened after a campsite was spotted from the air, Gore said. DiMaggio was killed around 4:22 p.m. PT (7:22 p.m. ET), but it was unclear if he fired at agents. Gore, speaking in San Diego, and FBI agent Mary Rook and Valley County Sheriff Patty Bolen, speaking in Idaho, declined to discuss details of the operation.
Federal and local law enforcement spent Saturday combing the wilderness in search of Hannah and her suspected kidnapper after finding DiMaggio's car the day before. With air support and on horseback, they scoured the isolated area, dotted by only a few scattered cabins and limited cell phone service.
Officials suspect that DiMaggio set fire to his own house Sunday, killing Hannah's 8-year-old brother, Ethan, and their mother, Christina Anderson, 44. They suspect he then kidnapped Hannah, setting off a search that expanded to Canada and Mexico.
Amber Alerts were issued in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday after DiMaggio’s car was believed to have been spotted in Northern California. An alert was also posted in Nevada on Thursday.
A horseback rider told authorities he saw an adult man and teenage girl hiking near Morehead Lake on Wednesday evening. He told police the couple seemed odd, but did not strike him as dangerous.
After the rider's report, authorities found DiMaggio's car, a Nissan Versa, covered with brush and without license plates six to eight miles away from where the two had been spotted. The area is east of the city of Cascade and northeast of Boise.
Sheriff's officials told NBC San Diego that Christina Anderson had a “close platonic relationship” with DiMaggio. Neighbors told the station DiMaggio had he moved to the area five years ago. A neighbor told The Associated Press that Christina and her husband, Brett Anderson, had recently separated.
San Diego sheriff’s officials said DiMaggio had an “unusual infatuation” with Hannah.
Marissa Chavez, 15, a friend of Hannah's, told The Associated Press that a couple of months ago she witnessed DiMaggio tell Hannah he had a crush on her and would date her if they were the same age.
“She was a little creeped out by it. She didn’t want to be alone with him,” Chavez told the AP.
San Diego sheriff Bill Gore says at a news conference that missing 16-year-old Hannah Anderson has been found alive and "is in pretty good shape" after her suspected kidnapper was shot and killed by an FBI agent in Idaho during an arrest attempt.
This story was originally published on Sat Aug 10, 2013 9:48 PM EDT