The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department SWAT team served a search warrant in Turlock early Wednesday morning, believed to be related to a Turlocker who went missing and was later found dead in the Stanislaus National Forest.
Authorities served the search warrant around 7:15 a.m. in the 1100 block of East Avenue. The road was blocked off while the warrant was served.
The search warrant was related to an ongoing homicide investigation, said Sgt. Keith Rakoncza of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department. No further details have been released at this time.
Neighbors said they were told the search was related to the death of Korey Kauffman, a Turlocker whose body was found in Aug. 2013 in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department deemed Kauffman’s death as “suspicious” at the time.
Kauffman went missing in March 2012, shortly after he left his home in the 1300 block of Lander Avenue to visit a friend. Kauffman’s life had allegedly been threatened the day before his disappearance; following an argument about money, a man allegedly chased Kauffman in a car and tried to run him over, before saying “when I catch you I'll cut you ear to ear.” Authorities said at the time that they had interviewed the man “extensively,” and that he was not a suspect.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department has not been confirmed the search is related to Kauffman.
