Alec Devon Kreider - Murders, Police Response, and Investigation

Murders, Police Response, and Investigation

On the morning of May 12, 2007, Kreider allegedly entered the Haines' residence without force. All three victims died from stab wounds. The daughter, Maggie, escaped physical harm. She ran from the home and across the street to a neighbor who called 911 for help. Communication between the neighbor, the call taker at 911, and the dispatcher caused extreme unnecessary delay in police response to the "unknown disturbance". The official timeline notes that it took the first responding officer nearly twelve minutes to arrive from a distance of four miles, in the middle of the night with no traffic barriers. Police say this delay had no bearing on the survival of the victims.

The parents were found in their bedroom and Kevin was found at the opposite end of the upstairs hallway on the floor outside his bedroom. According to police reports, bloody shoeprints go away from Kevin's body and enter the parents' bedroom, and then to the common upstairs bathroom where a supposed shoeprint was found on the linoleum in front of the sink. Police presume the murderer attempted to clean up at the sink as blood was also found therein. Bloody shoeprints appeared on lower carpeted steps as the perpetrator exited the house. Blood transfer was also found on the rear sliding glass door.

The law enforcement investigation began around 2:40 a.m. on May 12, 2007. The victims were declared dead shortly after 5 a.m. by deputy county coroners, and autopsies were performed two days later. The day after the murders, bloodhounds tracked "a strong scent of fear" along a path that led down the hill to PA Route 501 and north to an ice cream/fast food restaurant, where the trail vanished. Police presumed the perpetrator had a vehicle waiting and used it to escape. Upon Kreider's arrest, all information associated with the bloodhounds was dismissed, as it did not match law enforcement's new theory. The police explanation was simple: "the dogs made a mistake".