Bunker where North Bend slaying suspect believed to be hiding found

NORTH BEND, Wash. — The King County Sheriff’s Office has located the bunker where the suspect in the slayings of two women is believed to be hiding.

The subterranean bunker is built into a hillside near the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail outside North Bend.   The Sheriff's Office said a tactical team smelled wood smoke before they found the hidden structure.

Police believe 41-year-old Peter Keller is inside the bunker, where officers "heard and saw movement" after deploying gas into the structure.  They said they know someone is inside, but cannot confirm if it is Keller.

Police have been looking for Keller since his wife, Lynnette Keller, and their daughter, 18-year-old Kaylene Keller, were found dead in their burned-out home in North Bend on Sunday.  They had been shot to death, the medical examiner said.

Sheriff's detectives found clues to the whereabouts of the bunker after processing the crime scene at the house where the women were slain.  Detectives also received tips from citizens who had seen Keller's truck at the Rattlesnake Ridge Trailhead over the past year.

King County and Seattle police SWAT teams began a search of the area on Friday morning.   The bunker was located in the southwest area above the trailhead. King County Sheriff Steve Strachan said the bunker is believed to go back at least 20 feet.

Strachan said based on the photos detectives discovered of the bunker at the crime scene, Keller had been building for it for at least eight years.  It is believed to have multiple levels.

The bunker appears to be fortified by logs and dirt and was very well hidden.

Police said Keller is a survivalist who has a collection of guns, scopes, silencers, ammunition and a bullet-proof vest.   Strachan said entering the bunker will be "extremely difficult."

Keller  was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson on Wednesday.

KIRO