snipped part I wrote... respectfully
do you think maybe if the scent dogs were where he body was do you think they could track scent to where killer is?
Not sure I entirely understand the question. But I'll give it a try:
There is a story of a scent dog and handler team that was good enough to scent an abducted girl who was taken
and driven by car on the freeway. The dog and handler would get out at each exit ramp and see if the dog picked up the scent again. It did this numerous times until the dog "hit" on an exit ramp that was quite isolated. LE focused the search off this exit ramp and found the missing girl, (sadly she was already deceased). Going from memory I probably have many facts wrong, but I believe that was the just of it.
In this situation, with so many avenues of escape and the likelihood, (in my mind), of the suspects having a 3 day head start from the CB location, it just isn't possibly even with the best of dog and handler teams. Even if the suspect had dropped the body there hours before it was found, the location would have had to have been wrapped up tight
immediately, with only maybe one or two people getting close enough to view the body before the dog and handler arrived. Now if that happens and the dog can pick up a good scent, who knows? A good tracking dog can keep that exact scent for days and even differentiate it from all others it comes across. It's just the number of locations, cross-roads and intersection that would have to be attempted in and around the Wenatchee area make this impossible. Now, if the suspect drove towards Quincy, now that would be another story and maybe the dog I talked about in the above story could have done. But that was also an EXCEPTIONAL tracking dog, (and handler).
Also, if, IF, the dog got a good scent and there was a line up of murder suspects I believe the dog could easily pick out the suspect, (if he was even in the line up). But this procedure would be just asking for police manipulation to make sure they "got their man" at any cost, (even if he was truly innocent).
Police have a good procedure when they get a car prowl or someone chasing a burglary suspect off, (do a few night ride alongs and you might get to see what I mean). Depending on the perceived danger level, only one officer might contact the victim and insure their safety, therefore scene isn't contaminated with scents. Other officers might park blocks away setting up a perimeter at intersections and alleys and such, (how large depends on how fast they get set up, the first arriving officer is the one who generally tells arriving officers where to go to set up). All those leaving the perimeter are questioned and documented, (remember this is usually happening between 2 and 4 in the morning). The next officer allowed inside the perimeter is the dog and handler. The track begins. And they often do catch the bad guys using this method.
As a sidenote: There is also a scoundrel handler who claims to pick up scent months old and even in trees. He advertises his services to grieving families grasping at straws.
