I live about 15 minutes away from Churchill Heights. On Tuesday night, we drove over and looked around for about an hour. At the entrance there was a Crime Scene Unit truck parked at house and it did not appear to be involved in the investigation. The neighborhood was crawling with law enforcement: at the start of Londonderry, at Faye's home, at many of the intersections, and driving the streets and knocking on doors. We saw several unmarked cars with LE standing outside looking at what appeared to be maps.
The neighborhood is a little run down. The houses are smaller and older. Some of the homes don't appear to be occupied. Some of the yards are overgrown, but others are well-maintained. I would describe it as a low-income area.
The area LE is searching slopes down towards a small creek and is heavily wooded. In the floodplain of the little creek it is grassy with some trees, but from the interstate you can see the homes in Churchill Heights so it's not too dense. The search area is surprisingly small. I imagine that it would not take long to thoroughly search the land. The creek is another story. Normally, the creek would not pose much trouble to search. It is narrow and rather shallow. But with all of the rain we have had recently, the water level is up and the clarity is poor. But, I have not seen or heard of any divers in the creek.
Of note, there are several cheap motels in the area that are known for drugs and prostitution. And, since it is adjacent to the interstate, there are several gas stations and fast-food restaurants nearby. Airport Boulevard is a busy street, but, once you enter Churchill Heights, it quiets down and there is not much traffic. Once you enter Churchill Heights, there is no way to get out other than going back to Airport Boulevard.
I drove by again this morning on my way to work. I stopped for gas at a large station across the street and there were SCDNR (game wardens) searching along a small access road that runs parallel to the interstate. I went inside and talked to the owner of the station, he said that LE had spoken with him "many times." And that he had provided his CCTV footage.
A family friend lives in Churchill Heights and he was interviewed on Tuesday night and his home was searched (he consented to the search). LE thoroughly searched his home - they opened every cabinet and drawer.
If anyone has questions, please ask.
