A New York State Police vehicle is seen at the Brighton Memorial Park. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

BRIGHTON — A manhunt for a homicide suspect in the Brighton-Paul Smiths area has lasted for more than a week, with the Cohoes man suspected in the death of his girlfriend still on the run.

State Police announced on Tuesday afternoon that they will hold a press conference on the search at their Ray Brook barracks at 10 a.m. Thursday. State Police spokeswoman Brandi Ashley said as the manhunt has come up empty so far, police want to get more eyes on it.

Multiple local, state and federal agencies are still “actively searching” daily in the woods around where 53-year-old Anthony G. Bechand’s truck was found at the intersection of county Route 60 and state Route 86 in Brighton. The victim, his girlfriend Amanda Margaret “Mandee” Rodriguez, 41, has family ties to Franklin County, according to State Police.

Rodriguez’s friend found her deceased in her Cohoes home on Sept. 14.

Law enforcement vehicles have filled the Brighton town park lot next to where Bechand’s truck was found on many days since the search began.

“We’re unsure if he’s here, if he’s there, if he’s traveling,” Ashley said on Tuesday. “Either narrow down if he is still in the area, or if someone did pick him up and maybe they’re too afraid to come forward because they think they’re in trouble. … Anyone who has seen Bechand, or who may have unknowingly provided him a ride, will not face legal trouble.”

Anyone with information about his whereabouts are urged to contact State Police at 518-897-2000. Even if it is information the police already know, Ashley said people should call them, because it might still help.

Bechand is described as a white man, 5’11”, 180 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. Police say he may be armed and dangerous. His clothing is unknown. The public is told not to attempt to approach or contact him.

Bechand’s white truck, which has a dent in the top left side of the tailgate, was towed from where it was found by Sept. 15.

Police are trying to get the manhunt story out to a larger audience.

“We’re also trying to get this out into Canada, in case he isn’t in our area anymore,” Ashley said.

If Bechand attempts to cross the border into Canada in an unmanned area, Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler, a retired state trooper, said there are sensors on the border to detect movement and notify law enforcement.

The manhunt has drawn minor national attention, with People magazine and the NewsNation television channel covering it. Keeler told NewsNation that the truck “had apparently run out of gas.”

“So that tells us he probably didn’t have a plan or it went awry,” Keeler told NewsNation.

Ashley said she could not verify if the truck did run out of gas, though. She said the rural wooded area around where the truck was found is being combed through by officers.

“Law enforcement agencies have conducted searches from where the vehicle was located to several miles throughout the Gabriels area and the town of Brighton,” Ashley said in a statement. “They are employing various methods, including structural and grid searches, to navigate the heavily wooded terrain.”

They have also been using helicopters, bloodhounds and thermal imaging drones. But so far, their search has come up empty. Ashley said the police are pulling in more units soon.

Police have put out an appeal to the public for more information on his possible location or sightings. Last week, the U.S. Marshals began offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to determining Bechand’s location. Police are also asking people to review any footage from their trail cameras and report any suspicious activity caught on film to them.

As hunting season ramps up, police are asking hunters to be mindful of what they are shooting at.

“We want to remind everyone to exercise caution,” Ashley said in a statement. “Multiple law enforcement personnel will be present in the wooded areas.”

The U.S. Marshals Task Force; state Forest Rangers; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh police departments; the Clinton County Sheriff’s office; the northern regional response team and several other agencies are assisting State Police and the Cohoes Police Department in this ongoing investigation.

According to Rodriguez’s obituary, she was born in Malone in 1983, grew up there and graduated from Franklin Academy High School in 2002. She worked for a brief time as a security guard at Paul Smith’s College. In 2011, she was working as a lease agent in Clifton Park.

Her death has been ruled a homicide with the cause of death being hemorrhagic shock, lacerated aorta and multiple pulmonary lacerations from multiple sharp force trauma. Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin said she was stabbed in the heart, but the weapon used is unclear.

Police believe the murder happened on the morning of Sept. 13. Waldin said Bechand’s truck was seen leaving the house that day. Police tracked the truck via license plate readers to the North Country. New York State Police said Bechand’s white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado was located a day later, 150 miles away in Brighton.

Rodriguez was born in Malone to Robert Bell and Crystal McNamara Rodriguez, according to her obituary. She had a brother, a step-father “who she admired very much and referred to as dad” and four “fur babies” whom she loved as children.

Keeler said Rodriguez’s mother had not heard from her, so she asked Rodriguez’s friend to check on her. The friend found her body and called police, Keeler said.

A celebration of her life will be held in Altona on Sept. 27, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Gold Room at the Rainbow Banquet Hall, 47 Woods Falls Road, Altona.

To read the full obituary, go to tinyurl.com/3r6f4c6f.