Today’s search for missing mom Gayle McCaffrey concludes; no new evidence found

A seach crew has completed its sweep of a wooded area near Drayton Hall today without finding any new evidence in the case of missing mother Gayle McCaffrey.

Maj. Jim Brady, spokesman for the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, said about a dozen deputies and dog handlers started the effort about 8 a.m. and combed the area until shortly before noon, “At this point no additional evidence was obtained,” he said.

After a large search Thursday involved 12 agencies and about 150 people, today’s effort involved only the sheriff’s office and S.C. Search Dogs. Brady said Sheriff Al Cannon joined the search Thursday and today.

All searches within a few miles of the longtime Baptist’s Limestone Boulevard home have proved fruitless in the six weeks since McCaffrey was reported missing March 18. The investigation continues and more searches are possible, Brady said.

This week’s endeavors were started because investigators said they tracked signals from McCaffrey’s and her husband’s cellphones to the area off S.C. Highway 61.

Her husband has been named the suspect in what Sheriff Al Cannon deemed a homicide this week.

Cannon said Bob McCaffrey had been pursuing a love interest and traveled Upstate to see the woman on the night his wife went missing. He returned the next morning and reported 12 hours later that his wife was gone and that she had left behind her wedding ring, Jeep and cellphone.

Bob McCaffrey’s attorney has said his client remains hopeful that Gayle McCaffrey will return home alive.

Reach Andrew Knapp at 937-5414 or twitter.com/offlede.