Pacific Northwest deputies find body in bunker

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NORTH BEND, Wash., April 28 (UPI) -- Police in the Pacific Northwest said they discovered what they believe to be the body of murder suspect Peter Keller in an elaborate bunker Saturday morning.

King County sheriff's deputies and SWAT team members surrounded the hideout Friday and stayed through the night. Four officers were taken to the hospital to be treated for exhaustion and dehydration. Hostage negotiators made several attempts to contact whoever was inside Saturday morning.

After trying to use tear gas to flush them out, to no avail, officers used explosives to blow off the roof of the bunker. When enough was removed for them to see inside, they found a body in a pool of blood, believed to be Keller.

The camouflaged earthen fort is located in a thick forest not far from North Bend, Wash., where Peter Keller allegedly shot his wife and teenage daughter to death and then set their house on fire before disappearing.

The Seattle Times said Keller was believed to be armed with high-powered rifles and has had a number of years to dig and possibly carve out hidden escape tunnels.