Dive team called: Search for Aaron Pennington expands to Lake Wampanoag in Gardner

GARDNER — State and environmental police boats were at Lake Wampanoag Friday in the continuing search for Aaron Pennington.

The accused killer was not found, state police said.

The earlier, four-day search of woods near the lake camp up empty. There is no specific information indicating Pennington is in the lake, according to state police, "but we continue to investigate all possibilities."

Boat crews spent much of the morning at the lake.

Authorities have been searching for Pennington, 33, since his wife was found shot to death in the bedroom of the couple's house at 42 Cherry St. Sunday morning. His BMW was found by a hunter the next day in the area of Camp Collier, off Kelton Street, sparking an extensive search of the area.

Lake Wampanoag, part of a 377-acre wildlife sanctuary, covers about 200 acres. The lake reaches into Ashburnham.

State police, aided by tracking dogs and helicopters, have been cautious in their search for Pennington, who is believed to have the gun he allegedly used to shoot his wife, Breanne Pennington, 30. The public has been told to consider him armed and dangerous.

Aaron Pennington has been sought by authorities since a neighbor called Gardner police Sunday morning. The Penningtons' four children went to the neighbor's house reporting that they could not find their father and that their mother was in her bedroom crying, according to court documents.

In a murder warrant filed by the Worcester District Attorney’s Office in Gardner District Court on Wednesday, officials said a search of Aaron Pennington’s phone turned up a note that had been written on the device Saturday evening, the night before his wife’s body was found in the couple’s Cherry Street home. Breanne Pennington’s death was determined to be a gunshot wound to the head.

According to investigators, the note found on the device read: “Don’t say anything. Be quite (sic) If she wakes up just say you’re getting nasal spray. Get on side of bed – very close proximity to head. Put hole in her head.”

Court records show the couple were having marital problems and that Breanne was planning to move to Texas with the children. The state Department of Family and Children's Services took initial custody of the children, ages 9 and under.

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This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Search for Aaron Pennington expands to Lake Wampanoag in Gardner