Manhunt for gunman who killed Wake County deputy drags on with no update

As hours have dragged on, the manhunt has continued, but no leads or suspects have been announced by the sheriff's office.

"Right now, the Wake County Sheriff's Office and its partners are working around the clock to bring the shooter to justice," said Wake County Board of Commissioners Chair Sig Hutchinson.

Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said they are looking for a man who might be driving a white pickup truck.

Shooter on the loose: Manhunt for suspect who shot, killed Wake Co. deputy enters day 2

Deputy Ned Byrd, 48, was found dead around 1 a.m. in a rural area of Battle Bridge Road. He had been shot multiple times, and officials believe he was killed around two hours before he was found.

A series of calls on Thursday night brought Byrd and his K-9 partner to the scene, according to Baker.

Lee Turner, a former police officer turned attorney, said there are many challenges with the case, including the location and weather.

"It's such a rural location and in such a secluded area. It certainly makes it more difficult because there's no witnesses, there's no residences here," said Turner.

"One concern I had that morning was the storms that rolled through here after that could have damaged or deteriorated the crime scene as well."

Byrd's K-9, named Sasha, was still inside the vehicle, which Baker said indicates Byrd may not have considered whatever he initially encountered to be a major threat, since he hadn't needed his partner. Baker says Byrd also didn't call for backup.

"So again, that kind of lets us know he didn't feel a need for support," he said.

Byrd didn't radio to let anyone know he was getting out of his vehicle to investigate, according to investigators. He also didn't radio for help after he was shot.

Deputies came to the scene after not hearing from Byrd for several hours.

Baker said he believes Byrd may have been caught off guard by whomever shot him.

A massive search continued into Saturday morning for the shooter, with dozens of law enforcement officers seen stationed along Battle Bridge Road near Auburn Knightdale Road and the River Ridge Golf Club.

Investigators were combing through fields on Friday night, using ATVs and a helicopter, looking for clues that could help them piece together the final moments of Byrd's life.

He was not wearing a body camera, but there is dashcam footage from the vehicle, as well as a nearby gas station surveillance camera, that authorities are using to help in the investigation.

"We will find who’s responsible for this loss, even in the midst of the hurt and the pain," Baker said.

Byrd is the seventh law enforcement officer shot in the line of duty in North Carolina in the last three weeks.

"I don't know if it's just a lack of human value, of human life. They see them as a uniform, they don't see them as a human being, and that's something that's got to change," said Turner.