The latest: 9:30 p.m.
Longwood Gardens closed early Thursday evening and released the following statement:
"In cooperation with authorities, we have closed the gardens and cleared the property of guests. Police are currently searching an area of interest on the property. Tenants on the property are sheltering in place. The Gardens will remain closed until further notice."
Kennett Consolidated School District issued a statement, saying Greenwood Elementary School will open on Friday, because the school is no longer in the search perimeter, and will operate with limited movement inside the building, increased adult supervision, and no outside activities. In addition, five other schools in the district will operate as usual, with police presence.
The original story follows
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Escaped convicted killer Danilo Cavalcante continues to elude capture, even as hundreds of state, local and federal law enforcement officers continue an intense search. On Day 8, a flurry of activity near Longwood Gardens followed another reported sighting.
Someone matching Cavalcante's description was reportedly seen in the area, and searchers were sent to that location, including helicopters and personnel on foot and on horseback, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Thursday.
Despite the intense heat and humidity, and the challenges of the search, morale among the search teams remains high, Bivens said.
“They're wearing, you know, uniforms with bullet-resistant vests, carrying a lot of equipment. It certainly adds to the challenge. So with that said, I have not heard a single complaint, and I believe our people are up to the task.”
Authorities say they have no reason to believe that Cavalcante is outside of the search perimeter, which surrounds an area of about 8 to 10 square miles — nearly the same size as the day before.
Longwood Gardens has been excluded from the search area and re-opened to the public, as well as two schools, Bivens said.
“We've done this in an effort to minimize the impact on students and their families while we continue with our search efforts.”
Asked why law enforcement can’t shrink that perimeter and capture Cavalcante, Bivens said it's not that simple.
“It's not just a perfect open piece of land that you can just march through. You've got businesses, residences, highways, hills, valleys, wooded areas that can't be pushed through,” he said.
“The number of people that it would take to contain that area, and be able to walk shoulder-to-shoulder through that area, and squeeze — and the amount of time that it would take — it's just simply not realistic to do that.”
Cavalcante may have eluded capture for eight days, but he is not "winning," Bivens said. The escaped prisoner will be found, he emphasized, and he will go back to prison.
"It is very important we keep the pressure on him as we continue this hunt," Bivens said, noting Cavalcante has already acquired some clothing and other supplies. "We want to minimize any opportunity that he might have to get anything more."
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Asked if he’s concerned Cavalcante may become more dangerous as he gets more desperate, Bivens said, “I believe he has always been very dangerous.”
Cavalcante has been convicted of killing one person in the United States, and he is wanted for another murder in Brazil.
The reward for information leading to Cavalcante’s capture remains at $20,000. Bivens again asked residents to familiarize themselves with photos of Cavalcante, to check security cameras, and make sure their homes, vehicles, and out buildings are locked and secured.
Anyone with information to aid in the search is encouraged to call a tip line at 717-562-2987.