'Put Hole In Her Head,' Note On Aaron Pennington's Phone Said: Docs

GARDNER, MA — A murder warrant issued Wednesday for the Gardner man accused of killing his wife reveals new details in the case, including a disturbing note investigators said they found on his phone.

Aaron Pennington, 33, has been the subject of a statewide manhunt since Sunday, when his wife, Breanne, 30, was found shot to death inside their Gardner home. Pennington's BMW was found on Monday, but he wasn't inside.

The search did not resume Thursday. Massachusetts state police said unit commanders will "continue to assess intelligence and investigative developments" to determine when and how to resume the search.

"At this point, barring the development of new information, no widespread ground search is planned for tomorrow. We will update when appropriate," State police said. They asked the public to report any potential sightings by calling 911.

Gardner police received a 911 call shortly before 9:15 a.m. Sunday from the Penningtons' neighbor after the couple's four children — ages 2, 5, 7 and 9 — came to her house, saying they could not find their father and that their mother was crying in her bedroom, the warrant states. According to that neighbor, the children also said their father's vehicle was no longer in their driveway.

First responders arrived at the Cherry Street home shortly before 9:20 a.m. and found Breanne Pennington lying in bed in an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. She was pronounced dead by a paramedic 10 minutes later.

The warrant states that while reviewing just a small portion of the phone's content, authorities found a note dated 7:04 p.m. Saturday that reads: "Don't say anything. Be quite [sic] If she wakes up just say you're getting nasal spray. Get on side of bed — very close proximity to head. Put hole in her head."

Gardner police performed a protective sweep of the house and were unable to find anyone else inside or any visible weapons, but investigators found three shell casings in the bedroom where Breanne Pennington was found dead. She was known to have a firearm at the home for her protection, the warrant said. Surveillance footage shows Aaron Pennington leaving the home less than a half hour before the 911 call came in, authorities said.

Breanne Pennington had reportedly been planning to move with the children to Texas amid marital problems.