Three Bodies Found Inside El Dorado County Cabin Of Missing Benicia Family
GARDEN VALLEY (CBS13) — El Dorado County homicide investigators are looking into a fire that burned a missing Benicia family's cabin.
Three sets of remains were found in the family cabin of Adam Buchanan, his wife Molly and their son Gavin. They haven't been seen since Sept. 11
Red retardant is still splattered near the entrance of the Garden Valley home that mysteriously burned to the ground on Sept. 13. Investigators say it was originally reported as a grass fire.
Inside the burned out home were the remains of three people, and investigators are now calling it a case of homicide and arson.
"The remains are in such gentle condition, or such a sensitive condition that its taking an extended period of time to get the DNA results back," said Sgt. Todd Hammitt.
Investigators have not identified the remains, but a business attorney for the cabin's owner says it belongs to Adam Buchanan. The cabin owner, his 7-year-old son and the boy's mother have been reported missing.
Buchanan is the president and chief operating officer of a Benicia construction company. His neighbors at the Garden Valley cabin believe he and his family were there the day the fire started.
"I talked to them a few times, and they seemed like pretty nice people," said Josepha Parra.
She noticed Buchanan's truck later that night.
"It was like at 1:30 a.m., because I just got home and I saw a light—a car going in and out," she said. "It was a white truck; it looked to me like his truck.
Days later, police were seen searching Buchanan's Benicia home, taking away computers and documents. Neighbors there reported seeing investigators towing away a white pickup truck.
"It's very difficult," Hammitt said. "Obviously we have people who we don't know who they are yet for sure, we have a lot of attention being drawn to this case as far as people want answers, and so do we."
Buchanan has another son, a 16-year-old, who has been staying with grandparents since the family disappeared.
Buchanan's attorney says the family has been cooperating with authorities in their investigation.