Reporters have been given a first glimpse into the abandoned cabin where abduction suspect Randall Hopley was discovered this week, and found the hideout littered with trash and cigarette butts.
Hopley, 46, was arrested Tuesday morning just outside the small house in the Crowsnest Pass area of Alberta on suspicion of kidnapping three-year-old Kienan Hebert from his Sparwood, B.C. home.
Reporters were given a tour of the small yellow cabin Thursday, and saw piles of dirty dishes and a plate full of cigarette butts in the kitchen sink. The stove did not appear to be working, but the lights were on.
A small amount of food was scattered throughout the cabin, including a carton of apple juice, a bottle of teriyaki sauce and a tub of sour cream.
In the bedroom, small items like socks and videotapes were strewn across the floor, while the closet appeared to be filled with women's clothing. There was no bed, nor any other furniture in the other rooms.
The quarry's manager told reporters that the cabins used to house workers, but the buildings were abandoned during a round of layoffs several years ago.
First images of dramatic takedown
The cabin stands just next to the spot where Hopley was arrested. Police say they received a tip Monday night that the suspected kidnapper might be near Crowsnest Pass Bible Camp and cordoned off the area.
A dog team tracked Hopley to the cabin, and when he tried to flee, officers chased him down and apprehended him on the road nearby.
The first images of that takedown emerged Thursday, and show police officers holding down a suspect sitting on the gravel road. The photographs, taken by a civilian, show police cars and pickup trucks blocking an access road into the woods.
His dusty 1987 Toyota Camry was found nearby.
Police had been searching for Hopley since Hebert disappeared from his family home after being put to bed on Sept. 6. An Amber Alert was issued the next afternoon, indicating that Hopley, a convicted sex offender, may have abducted the little boy.
Volunteers and police scoured the area for clues for the next three days, but turned up few credible leads.
In a surprise twist, Hebert was returned unharmed to his family's living room early in the morning on Sunday. Police received a 911 call soon afterwards, and discovered the toddler asleep on the couch.
Hopley was finally arrested after a massive manhunt along the Alberta-B.C. border and has now been charged with kidnapping, abduction of a child under 14 and break and enter.
He will now undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial, and is scheduled to make his next court appearance by video on Nov. 9.
