Authorities have recovered the gun believed to be the one used to kill a popular California tantra yoga teacher when they arrested three young people travelling in the victim's car, a sheriff's spokesman said Thursday.
Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman said the three suspects will be extradited to California after investigators tracked them from the homicide scene at a scenic hiking trail 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of San Francisco to a community dining hall 600 miles (1,000 kilometres) away in Portland, Oregon.
Pittman declined to discuss the type of gun recovered and any more details, including a possible motive for the killing of Steve Carter on Monday evening.
Authorities identified the suspects as Sean Michael Angold, 24, Morrison Haze Lampley, 23, and Lila Scott Allgood, 18. The sheriff's office said none of the suspects has a known permanent address.
No charges have been filed.
A hiker found Carter's body about 6 p.m. Monday. Carter was still holding the leash of his dog, which was also shot. Carter's Doberman pinscher was turned over to the Marin County Humane Society and is expected to recover.
Carter drove to the trail, and his 2003 Volkswagen station wagon was gone when police showed up. Using GPS technology, Marin County sheriff's investigators tracked the car to Portland, where the three were arrested without incident.
Pittman said investigators were also aided by surveillance footage from a gas station that showed the suspects with the stolen car about a half-hour after the slaying.
Followers credited Carter with improving their romantic relationships by teaching tantra, a philosophy of meditation, yoga and sexuality famously embraced by rock star Sting.
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Associated Press writer Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this story from San Rafael, California.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.