Tennessee police are on their fourth day of a manhunt for Craig Berry, an “armed and dangerous” military special forces veteran who allegedly shot his wife Friday and fled into a wooded area.
“He is an excellent swimmer and diver, and is in good physical shape,” the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook Monday, adding that it had secured a second-degree attempted murder warrant against Berry. “He is armed with at least one handgun and is believed to have taken extra ammunition.”
Berry is accusing of shooting his wife during an argument early Friday morning then fleeing into the woods. Berry’s wife, who has not been named publicly, was taken to a medical facility. Her condition is unknown.
Police believe Berry doesn’t possess a phone or any other means of communication and they have not ruled out the possibility he received outside help after the shooting. Officials do not have any information suggesting he has left the immediate area.
The Tennessee man was last seen near River Trace Road in Dover, near the Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, with a police K-9 unit helping establish he had passed through the area.
A blurry trail camera photograph from Friday morning captured Berry wearing some kind of camouflage clothing, according to police.
Officials are searching the area between River Trace Road, Highway 79, and Highway 232 for the fugitive.
Agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security are assisting in the manhunt, police said.
The Independent has contacted these agencies for comment.
Local officials have confirmed Berry’s wife is a school teacher, but have withheld further details out of privacy.
The Independent has contacted Stewart County Schools for comment.
A Facebook page that appears to belong to Berry suggests a lengthy military career.
On it, the page’s owner described retiring in 2016 in response to a comment from a military comrade, who posted an image from 1992 appearing to show Berry in front of a military memorial in uniform.
The Independent has contacted U.S. Special Operations command for comment. Anyone who sees Berry should contact 911.
Last year, officials spent nearly four months hunting for Travis Decker, a U.S. Army veteran with similar wilderness training who allegedly murdered his three young daughters at a campsite and fled into the Washington state mountains.
In September, parts of his body were discovered on Grindstone Mountain. His scattered and incomplete remains mean it may be impossible to determine his final cause of death, police said at the time.
Decker, according to a past squad mate, attempted to join the Army’s elite Ranger special forces regiment but did not succeed.
