Man accused of stabbing girlfriend still on loose 5 days after killing

(NewsNation) — A New York man accused of killing his girlfriend has been on the run for five days, and local officials fear he could elude police for weeks.

Police are searching for Anthony “Tony” Bechand, 53, after Amanda Rodriguez, 41, was found dead with multiple stab wounds inside her home in Cohoes, New York, last Sunday.

Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler told "Banfield" on Friday that Rodriguez's mom asked a friend to check on Rodriguez. The friend immediately called police after finding her body.

She'd been stabbed in the chest and died of a ruptured aorta and massive hemorrhage, her autopsy revealed. Her death was ruled a homicide.

"The PD estimated the death likely occurred the day prior, and we knew that she resided with the boyfriend, who was gone, so he immediately became a person of interest," Keeler said.

The mayor previously said there's evidence that puts Bechand, a landscape contractor, at the scene at the time of Rodriguez's killing.

Anthony 'Tony' Bechand's truck found abandoned

On the same day Rodriguez was found dead, Bechand's truck, a white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado, was found abandoned 150 miles away in the Adirondacks, a densely wooded area in northeastern New York. The Adirondacks are located about 50 miles from the Canadian border.

"It had apparently run out of gas, so that tells us he probably didn't have a plan or it went awry," Keeler said. "So we don't know if he was going to Canada, or what was going on there."

Keeler said Bechand may have called someone to pick him up, and he fears the search could last as long as a month because of the remote location.

"It looks like this guy had a 24-hour head start on us, so we don't know exactly where he is," he said. "We're talking about the Adirondack Mountains, a very rural area where the truck was abandoned.

"So he could be in the woods; there's a lot of seasonal camps out there."

Multiagency manhunt for suspect

Multiple police agencies are looking for Bechand with officers on the ground and in helicopters. Drones and K-9 units are aiding in the search.

Investigators are focusing their efforts in Cohoes and near where Bechand's truck was found, but they're hoping someone sees Bechand and calls in the sighting so they can narrow the search.

“Every hour that goes by is a potential time frame that he has gone further and further away,” Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin told reporters.

Waldin informed NewsNation's "Banfield" that investigators have "looked into" door camera footage from the victim's home and mentioned that additional video evidence would be obtained "soon."

A motive in the killing has yet to be revealed, and Keeler said police hadn't been called to Rodriguez's home in the past. She had lived at the home for 10 years.

Bechand is described as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair, according to a New York State Police press release.

Anyone with information regarding Bechand's whereabouts is urged to contact the New York State Police at 518-897-2000. Police advise not to approach the suspect, as he may be armed.