The Kansas City Police Department says it still has “high hopes” Jessica Runions is alive.
Related coverage: Timeline of Jessica Runions' disappearance
We don’t know,” said police spokesman Officer Darin Snapp. “We’re getting tips that she still might be alive but then tips also in the other direction.”
In the seven days since Runions vanished, information given to police eventually led to 28-year-old Kylr Yust’s arrest for burning the 21-year-old's vehicle, as well as raids at both the home where police found Yust, and his grandfather’s house.
Previous story: Kansas City police collect evidence at Kylr Yust's grandfather's house
41 Action News obtained the search warrant executed in Edwards, Missouri where Yust was found.
Here are the search warrant returns from the home where Kyle Yust was arrested pic.twitter.com/McTOynvLLn
— Brian Abel (@BrianAbelTV) September 15, 2016
Documents show that detectives collected these items and more:
- Two 9mm bullets from the home
- Clothes
- Forensic evidence collected from Yust himself.
41 Action News also obtained the deed for the Edwards home and discovered the listed owner with Benton County is murder victim Derek Kahclamat.
Kahclamat was killed following an argument in a Benton County bar in 2014.
The home’s current owner says no one lives there right now but someone recently kept popping the doorknob off the back door.
At Yust’s grandfathers home, police took into evidence:
- A Q-tip and alcohol pad with blood
- A blue plaid shirt
KCPD continues to investigate both in Benton County and closer to the metro area.
In Benton County, Snapp says “We’re seeing who all he had conversations with there. That’s where he went to hide out.”
But the key to breaking the case could be with Yust’s friends.
“Because that’s usually who somebody who would commit a crime would go to to spill their guts if you will,” said Snapp.
He says detectives are working 24 hours a day on the case to bring Runions home.
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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com.