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Search intensifies for abducted 68-year-old grandmother

Posted at 12:06 AM, Jan 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-31 00:07:20-05

AMELIA COUNTY, Va. -- The search for 68-year-old Olene Brooks intensified Saturday in Amelia County.

Investigators said Dana William abducted Olene and killed her husband Woodell Brooks more than a week ago.

Police found William in Massachusetts, but he shot himself in the head as officers moved in and later died from his injuries.

Virginia State Police released a surveillance picture Saturday that showed William leaving a retail store on Brook Road in Richmond on Jan. 21 around 7:30 am. hours before the reported murder and abduction in Amelia County.

The Amelia County Sheriff's Office along with two other state agencies converged on the County Volunteer fire department to perform a daylong search centering around the Brooks' home.

"We're working in an area to about a mile radius,” Amelia County Sheriff Ricky Walker said.

While news crews were not allowed access to the because it took place on private property, state police released  photos showing the progress.

There were some concerns last week's snowfall could hamper efforts.

"When it's cold and there's this much moisture in the ground, that tends to really hold the set close to the ground. So for the canines, they're going to have to be almost on top of someone to be able to pick that up,”  Mark Eggeman, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Search and Rescue Coordinator, said.

And investigators continue to ask for the public's help.

Sheriff Walker is asking residents to check the storage sheds on their property for anything suspicious that can help with the investigation.

"It's hard for us to check everywhere, but if they could check especially some place that may be in the weather you don't visit that often, it would be a good place for them to check,” Walker said.

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