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Search for missing Darien man scaled back, but ongoing

By Howard B. Owens

The intense search for Jeffrey Fredericks is over, but the search goes on, according to Chief Deputy Gordon Dibble.

After three days of a multi-agency search of the woods and fields around Fredericks' Sumner Road home, efforts to find him -- or what happened to him -- have been scaled back.

Authorities are taking a more targeted approach, going after specific areas as leads indicate.

Bloodhounds were used Saturday and another "hot spot" -- as Dibble calls them -- was going to be searched today.

The 66-year-old Darien resident has been missing since Wednesday when he didn't show up for a 1 p.m. shift at his work, and his family came home and found all of his cars still parked at the house.

"We've had some calls come in that say maybe you should look here, or maybe you should look at that," Dibble said. "We've been talking to his fellow employees and trying to run down anybody who might have had recent contact with him to see if there's anything we're missing."

The presumption has been that Frederick left on foot, but Dibble said that especially at this point, all possibilities are being considered and examined.

While officials initially said Frederick may have been suicidal, Dibble said that certainly isn't the only scenario under investigation.

"Anything is possible," he said.

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