A fugitive task force yesterday joined the search for an Owings Mills man who Howard County police believe has left the state to avoid prosecution in the slaying of his estranged wife.
A federal judge in Baltimore issued a fugitive warrant yesterday for Daniel Scott Harney, 40.
The Westinghouse Corp. employee disappeared after picking up his sons, ages 8 and 10, from their Ellicott City home Monday afternoon.
The boys' mother, Shirley Scott Harney, 41, was found shot in the head at the end of her driveway Monday night.
Ms. Harney's male guest was also shot once in the arm and is in fair condition at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
Mr. Harney was charged with murder Wednesday.
Howard authorities requested the help of the Maryland Joint Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force yesterday based on new information that Mr. Harney may have left the state, said Andy Manning, a spokesman for the FBI.
The task force is made up of officers from the state police, Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and the FBI.
"They looked everywhere, and he's not there. He's nowhere to be seen," Mr. Manning said.
"He has a lot of relatives out of town. All circumstances put together, it looks like he left."
Jack Harney, Mr. Harney's father in McLean, Va., said yesterday that he had not heard from his son since before the slaying. He refused to comment further.
Sgt. Steve Keller, a police spokesman, would not say whether Howard investigators thought Mr. Harney was still with his sons, Paul and Ryan.
Mr. Manning said, "We hope when we find him we find the kids."
Mr. Harney moved to an apartment in the 4300 block of Flint Hill Drive several months ago, after the couple separated.
Ms. Harney stayed with their two sons at the Brampton Hills community, where the family had lived for about three years. Neighbors said they occasionally heard them arguing.
Authorities say Mr. Harney picked up the two boys from his estranged wife's home in the 5000 block of Brampton Parkway between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday.
Just before 9:30 p.m. Monday, someone broke through a rear basement window, went to a second-floor bedroom and shot Ms. Harney and her guest with a .38-caliber handgun after a brief struggle, police said.Police said they are unsure how Ms. Harney wound up outside. Mr. Harney was last seen driving a grayish Toyota Camry with Maryland tags VEJ169. Anyone with information should call Howard County police at 313-2220 or the FBI at 265-8080.