Manhunt Underway for N.Y. Cop-Killer; Surrounded House Goes Up in Flames

[Purveyor]

MARGARETVILLE, N.Y., Apr. 25, 2007 - A farm house that authorities had surrounded in a search for man suspected of killing a state trooper went up in flames Wednesday, shortly after sharpshooters began firing and SWAT teams tried to enter.

Within minutes, the left side of the house was engulfed. The SWAT team was driven back by flames, and firefighters responded immediately.

--
The fire broke out roughly nine hours after two troopers were shot, one fatally, searching the home for Travis D. Trim, 23, a suspect in the shooting Tuesday of another trooper.

There was no immediate word on injuries, what caused the fire, or whether Trim was found. State police had no immediate comment.

There hadn't been any sign of activity in the home earlier in the day. Neighbors described the property, which included two red barns, as a weekend residence in Arkville, a hamlet near Margaretville.

---EOE---

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5245277

[shadowknows69]

1. Watching it on local news now.

they think he's in the house and probably started fire. Doesn't look like he would have survived the blaze.

[porphyrian]

3. If he was a survivalist-type, he could've used the fire to escape by tunnel.

We had a guy not too far from here who killed his wife and hid out in a bunch of tunnels the guy had dug around his property. If this guy had something similar, the fire would've been a good distraction.

(I can't remember if the guy near here killed himself or was caught, but he didn't get away.)

[H2O Man]

8. Any more news on it?

I used to work in human services in Delaware County, the largest county in NYS (larger than Rhode Island). I used to like driving from Delhi down towards that area. There was Halcottsville, Hanley Corner and Kelly Corners, and a handful of other tiny hamlets around Margaretville. I think there was a NYS Trooper sub-station in Margaretville.

[youngdem]

2. Don't put it past them to burn the house with him in it, Waco style

He is a guy suspected of MULTIPLE engagements with troopers. Those guys lose their minds when one of their own is killed and they really put in the effort to find and punish the perp.


Remember @ Waco, they warned (to the camera) that the Branch Davidians "Somebody had better buy fire insurance".

Links to Waco, the Rules of Engagement - Best documentary of Waco, including transcripts, FLIR footage, negotiation recordings between the FBI and Koresh admitting using helicopters to shoot through the roofs, running over graves, etc. Shameful display of your government in action.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4298137966377572665
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1755692679103175934

[shadowknows69]

5. He lit the fire. It's not his place.

it's the weekend home of a former state trooper coincidently enough.

[Deb]

7. Trim blew an Officer's brains out

All three of his cop killing attempts were unprovoked. My son is down there helping to protect the locals and your description of our NY law enforcement officers in this horrible situation is really offensive.

[H2O Man]

9. Last year the police

demonstrated some restraint in not killing Bucky Phillips. It's been a harsh year for police in this state. An officer was killed in Utica recently.

[Deb]

10. No one knows yet if this was another "suicide by cop"

So far there doesn't seem to be any motive on the part of the killer. The house was a vacation home of a retired NYSP Officer, the whole thing is sad.

This case reminded me of Bucky Phillips too.

[H2O Man]

4. I know the area

from when I worked in Delaware County.

[SoCalDem]

6. It's the 70's all over again..n/t

[Eugene]

11. CNN: Body found in burned house after hunt for trooper's killer

Source: CNN

Body found in burned house after hunt for trooper's killer
POSTED: 10:43 p.m. EDT, April 25, 2007

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• NEW: Body recovered from farmhouse where suspect believed to be
• NEW: Farmhouse engulfed by flames after police had surrounded it in manhunt
• One New York state trooper was shot and killed, another wounded in search
• Police pursued a man suspected of wounding a state trooper a day earlier

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Authorities recovered a body from an upstate New York
farmhouse that burned down after police surrounded it in search of a man
suspected of killing a state trooper and wounding two others, a state police
spokesman said Wednesday.

"At this time, we have recovered a charred body from the house, but we can't
confirm who it is yet," said Lt. Galletto, who did not give his first name.

Officials had a "reasonable degree of certainty" that Travis Trim, 23, was
inside the building during the fire, New York State Police Acting
Superintendent Preston Felton said earlier.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/25/troopers.shot/index.html