Letters from Hannah Anderson were among items seized by authorities in a search of kidnap and murder suspect James DiMaggio’s San Diego County property, warrants revealed, along with duct tape, handcuff boxes and other materials.

Also taken from DiMaggio’s property were empty boxes of camping gear and ammunition, a Yosemite camping printout, incendiary devices, “arson wire,” model rocket containers, cut electrical cords and two used condoms, the documents said.

The search warrants did not detail what the letters -- or another handwritten note -- said.

The documents released this week provided a glimpse into the nearly weeklong search for the 16-year-old Anderson and the slaying of her mother and brother, who were found dead Aug. 4 at DiMaggio’s burning property.


Authorities allege DiMaggio -- so close a friend to the Anderson family that the children called him “Uncle Jim” -- “tortured and killed” Hannah’s mother and brother before kidnapping the teen, eventually taking her to a remote stretch of Idaho back country.

Horseback riders spotted DiMaggio and Hannah at a lake about 75 miles north of Boise on Aug. 7, shifting the multistate search to Idaho. Two FBI hostage teams raided the pair’s campsite three days later and safely rescued Hannah.

DiMaggio was shot and killed; authorities said he fired a rifle at least once at the agents.

At a news conference Monday, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore stressed that the girl played no part in the slayings and was “a victim in every sense of the word.” Hannah did not even learn the fate of her mother and brother until her rescue, authorities said.


The bodies of Christina and Ethan Anderson were discovered after officials responded to DiMaggio’s burning home in Boulevard, about 65 miles east of San Diego. DiMaggio set up a trap by asking the family to come to his home so he could say goodbye before he moved to Texas, investigators said.

Christina Anderson’s body was found in a standalone garage, with blood near her head a and crowbar nearby, the search warrants said. Ethan’s body was later found burned in the home.

The warrants stated Anderson and her son were “tortured and killed,” but did not elaborate. The family’s “medium brown dog” was found shot to death under a sleeping bag.

Investigators believe the fires were set separately, possibly with timing devices and accelerant, arson specialists said in seeking one of the documents. The one fire could not have migrated to the other location, they said.


Other warrants showed an unknown person picked Hannah up from cheerleading practice the afternoon of Aug. 4. Phone records showed that prior to her phone and DiMaggio’s phones being shut off, the pair called each other about 13 times, but authorities did not specify over what time period those calls took place.



Computers, papers, photos and a journal were among the items seized from the Andersons’ Lakeside apartment, additional documents showed.

Hannah, who was reunited with her father after her rescue, attended a fundraiser held on her behalf Thursday at a Lakeside restaurant. She did not speak to reporters as she walked inside, but her father said she “sends her love” and was “doing good day by day.”

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kate.mather@latimes.com


tony.perry@latimes.com