JUNEAU COUNTY, Wis. (WKOW) — Tips from Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota are flowing into the Juneau County Sheriff's Office as the search continues for 47-year-old Virgil Thew.
Thew is charged in the deaths of a woman and two girls. Their bodies were found in a home on the 300 block of West Bridge Street in New Lisbon. Police tape has been removed and all roads are open in that area. Now, people can find a memorial for the victims.
Authorities in Juneau County are still investigating when the deaths happened.
"I'll be perfectly honest, we haven't gotten the time," Juneau County Sheriff Andy Zobal said. "Until the autopsy comes back, we don't know."
They're also still trying to learn why. 27 News asked if there any signs of a disagreement, or premeditation.
"That's a question that all law enforcement wants to know at this time, and as we continue to work through the investigation, those answers will be provided to us," New Lisbon Police Chief Kyle Walker said.
Virgil Thew is wanted on three counts of first-degree intentional homicide. Walker said authorities are looking into a photo of Thew at a Dollar General. Though he isn't sharing what Thew purchased that day, he said the items are "items of interest."
"Nothing safety-wise that the public has to be concerned about, however, items that would be, or potentially are in his possession at this time that we are looking for to help find his whereabouts," Walker said.
Authorities said to look out for anything that seems suspicious.
"Like a pile of garbage or, you know, tarps or a tent or anything like that, even if it would be a ransacked deer blind from deer season," Zobal said. "We'd rather check it out than not."
They said if someone were to see Thew, they need to contact their local law enforcement as soon as possible.
"Because if they contact us, we're just losing time," Zobal said.
The Juneau County Sheriff's Office has received a total of 172 tips regarding the whereabouts of Thew. They said each tip is being followed up on by the appropriate agency.
Police have recovered the car that was Thew's last-known vehicle. They said it's a 2002 Ford Taurus. However, as of January 8, they have no information that Thew is in a different vehicle or state. They said without him in custody, they're exploring every lead.
More at WKOW 27 News