JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — The Jamestown Police Department is looking for a man believed to be armed and dangerous.
According to police, they are looking to speak with Michael Burham in connection with a homicide that happened early Thursday morning. He is described as a 34-year-old white male who weighs about 160 pounds.
Burham is believed to be in Jamestown or in the Warren, Pa., area. He was driving a red Dodge Ram pickup truck with New York plate 88944NC. As of 6 p.m. on Thursday, that red Dodge Ram was found as a result of an anonymous tip.
Investigators described the series of events that took place as something they had never seen before.
“I can tell you in my 30 years of doing this, this is very rare,” said Bob Samuelson, captain of the Jamestown Police Department.
During a Thursday evening news conference, city officials said police responded to an intrusion alarm at Danielson Oil Company on Crescent Street. First responders found the building on fire, with a large amount of smoke coming from the building. The fire chief says this incident appears to be accidental.
The fire was placed under control within 45 minutes.
About 25 minutes later, Jamestown Police officers were sent to 125 William Street following a report of a woman who was unresponsive. The woman was reported dead when officers got to the scene. Investigators consider her death to be a homicide.
On Friday, Jamestown Police identified Kala M. Hodgkin, 34, of Jamestown as the homicide victim and that Burham is a suspect.
Then at around 4:33 a.m. Thursday, a vehicle fire brought Jamestown Police officers to a northside address. No injuries were reported in either fire.
Investigators say several different agencies are working on the case.
“There's been a number of avenues that we've pursued on our side,” Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said. “We've also reached out to our law enforcement partners outside the state, and we've gotten some contributions from a number of different agencies here in Chautauqua County outside the county.”
Officials were tight-lipped on Burham’s specific connection to the events, leaving the community in Jamestown in fear and shock.
“It makes you wonder what we can do to be more proactive than reactive,” said Merry Williams Diers, a Jamestown resident and founder of WNY Missing and Unidentified Persons on Facebook.
“What can we do to save lives rather than apprehending or looking for somebody after a loss of life has already happened.”
Jamestown Police are still asking anyone with information about Burham's whereabouts or if anyone sees Burham contact the Jamestown Police Department immediately at (716) 483-7537 or the anonymous tip line at (716) 483-8477.