To respond to some comments in this thread today: a dog was specifically mentioned; either in the press conference or other media reports.
A gun would not have been his first choice perhaps. While the houses are spread out a little, a gun shot in the middle of the night would be noticed. I think he used a rope, his body hung from a tree for awhile, and perhaps some of his remains are still entangled it in up in a tree. That might help resolve this some.
i live in the area, and have for about 20 years. I am telling you that no dogs are "allowed" to run loose and the other neighbors would be right on top of the offenders. Many people have invisible fences, which trap their own dogs if another dog came into their yard and attacked them. I doubt any one dog was allowed to roam around much, and to go into the woods/thicket and get a bone (jaw bone I think) and bring it back is pushing it. But I can't say for sure.
i have a map-- all marked up for you. I have no idea how to upload it here. I just tried again, let's see if it worked.