Susan Murphy-Milano...

On the 73rd day since Parker was last seen, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said he was still unable to go into specifics on the investigation due to a gag order from Floyd County District Attorney Leigh Patterson.

Patterson was on site Saturday, overseeing what many in the community fear will be a criminal case for murder.

Wilson did say, “Over the course of the last 9 to 10 weeks we have developed this as an area of interest.” The sheriff’s and the Federal and Georgia Bureau of Investigation search teams have been looking in the area over that time period.

Saturday’

Volunteers grab their gear and prepare to depart for the search. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger)

For a similar search on March 31, which was 10 days after Parker’s disappearance, more than 200 people turned out.

Camp said the search would concentrate on roads accessible by vehicle and within 100-200 feet of those roads. “We’re looking for anything that might be personal effects that belong to Theresa Parker. It could be a handbag, a driver’s license, a cell phone.”

At a pre-search briefing,

Walker County Fire Department Assistant Chief Doug Stephenson shows Sheriff Steve Wilson the search area. (Messenger photo/Matt Ledger)

Walker County Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief James Lively is experienced in search techniques, going back to his days in the army when he was in a unit that searched aviation crash sites. “After two months, we’re going to have to look a lot closer,” he said while standing on the rutted road that led into the heart of the property. “The fuller foliage is obviously a major reason for that.”

The meticulous search process consisted of teams of 8-10 people slowly picking their way along at just beyond arm’s length.

The searchers were instructed to turn around after each step and comb the ground they had just looked over from another perspective. “Statistics say that if you don’t turn around you can miss 40 percent of the things you’re looking for,” Camp said. “We are looking for a needle in a haystack, so time is not crucial today. We’re not in a race.”

Assisting with the search were 18 members of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Tim Burkhalter said he saw the need to have some “fresh legs” in the effort. “I know Steve Wilson would do the same for me.”

John and Sandy Lee, who live nearby on Broomtown Road, were among the civilian volunteers out Saturday. “I’m not worried about the heat,” said John of the predicted weather forecast of temperatures in the mid-80s.

Sandy, decked in leather gaiters due to the thick briars expected on the land, was a schoolmate of Theresa’s sister Hilda. She and John had been out on horseback helping look for clues in the early days of Theresa’s disappearance. “I know if it was my kin I’d be doing all I could,” she said.