Chief of the New Hampshire Criminal Justice Bureau Charles Putnam denied rumors yesterday that an arrest in connection with the Zantop murders had been made in Arizona.
Yet WMUR-TV reported last night that New Hampshire authorities said they have been following leads in Arizona related to the Zantop investigation, citing unidentified sources.
Efforts may be focusing on Arizona State University in Tempe. The school's Chief of Police John Pickens yesterday would not deny that he had been contacted by New Hampshire authorities in connection with the Zantop homicides. However, The Dartmouth could not confirm that such contact had been made.
Meanwhile, Sharon Kha, the associate vice president for university communications at the University of Arizona, said the campus Chief of Police Tony Daykin confirmed yesterday morning that no one connected with that university was under investigation in connection with the Zantop case.
Daykin told Kha that he had spoken earlier in the day with officials in New Hampshire who were in charge of the ongoing Zantop investigation, and they had informed him of the situation, Kha said.
Over the weekend, Senior Assistant Attorney General Kelly Ayotte said a white car that was impounded after allegedly being returned to Thrifty Car Rental at the Manchester Airport by a middle-aged man. Sources told WNDS-TV in Derry, N.H. that the man was connected somehow to a university in Arizona.
In news conferences earlier this week, Ayotte would not comment on the renter of the vehicle, but she did confirm that the car was one of several vehicles being examined by investigators in connection with this case.
Yesterday afternoon, Putnam told The Dartmouth, "I can't predict when there will be an arrest," echoing what the Attorney General's office has stated consistently for the past week.
Over the weekend, state Attorney General Phillip McLaughlin said media scrutiny surrounding this case had been high from the start and indicated that investigators were being forced to watch their backs to guard the integrity of the investigation.
And during Thursday's news conference, Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone cautioned the numerous camera crews and reporters present, "The community is concerned with the sensationalism that you've created here."
A news conference is scheduled for today at noon at the Hanover Police station.
