LEWISTON, MAINE: Rick Goddard, a 44-year-old resident living in close proximity to alleged Maine mass shooter Robert Card's parents' home in Bowdoin, has come forward with valuable information about the suspect.

Card, 40, is at the center of a massive manhunt after 18 people were shot dead and 13 left injured at multiple sites in Lewiston, marking the deadliest mass shooting in the US in 2023.

Rick Goddard's insight into Robert Card

Goddard, who has known the Card family for decades, describes Card as a deer hunter “capable of hiding for a long time if he doesn’t want to be caught,” especially in the dense woods of the area.

“It’s his stomping ground. I mean, he grew up here. He knows the area really well. He’s capable of hiding for a long time if he doesn’t want to be caught. There’s a lot of places you can be in the woods and never be seen,” Goddard claimed.

The shooter unleashed a horrifying attack at Lewiston's Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, followed by a similarly devastating assault at Schemengees Bar and Grille, according to the Maine State Police.

Robert Card's family background

Goddard's insight into Card's background and familiarity with the area highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking down the fugitive, who has successfully evaded capture for more than 24 hours.

He also revealed that he had attended the same school as Card, albeit being a few grades above him at Mt Ararat High.

However, Card is not just any fugitive, he is a skilled outdoorsman and a trained US Army Reserve marksman, known for being among the top shooters in his unit. His military background includes service as a petroleum supply specialist after enlisting in the Army in 2002.

Describing the Card family, Goddard portrayed them as quiet farmers with deep roots in the small Bowdoin community, located approximately 16 miles from Lewiston.

"They're really quiet people. His whole family owns hundreds of acres around my house. They're a farming family. They stay to themselves but they're good, hardworking people," he said.

Goddard further recounted the shock of seeing SWAT teams converge on Card's parents' home around 7:30 am on a fateful Thursday, expressing disbelief when he saw his neighbor's name in the news.

He remarked, "I didn't believe it. I didn't think it could be anything possible of the truth. It doesn't make any sense."

The last time Goddard saw the suspect was about two weeks ago, during a fieldwork activity with his father. However, he admitted that he hadn't spoken to Card for a couple of years.

In a curious incident, Goddard recalled a conversation he had with Card's brother, who also lived on the same street as their parents and had military experience.

Card's brother was helping him search for a deer that had been shot in the fields near their father's house. A the time, Card was using a new $2,000 thermal scope. “The person they’re looking for bought the scope,” Goddard said.

As multiple counties remain under a "shelter-in-place" order, the search for Card, a US Army Reservist and certified firearms instructor, continues with determined intensity.

Authorities discovered Card's abandoned vehicle along the Kennebec River, raising suspicions that he may have utilized his missing 15-foot boat as an escape route, as reported by The Messenger.

Recent developments in the search have expanded the area of potential danger, prompting officials to issue warnings to residents across the Northeast, urging them to remain vigilant and promptly seek safety should they spot Card.

Warnings and challenges in the hunt for skilled fugitive Robert Card

Bobby Chacon, an experienced FBI Special Agent specializing in manhunts, cautioned Maine homeowners about the possibility of Card seeking refuge in remote, unoccupied cabins as winter approaches.

Chacon noted that Card could potentially subsist for weeks on prepped supplies of canned food and beverages. The river where Card docked his boat is relatively narrow, blocked off on both ends. However, on the opposite bank lies a densely forested area that could pose challenges for search efforts.

"That's even more problematic because once he's in that wooded area, those very forested areas are much harder to search. You have to get teams on the ground... it's very manpower intensive. You pretty much have to be shoulder to shoulder with people," Chacon said.

Goddard also claimed, “It’s really dense, thick woods. If you know the area, there’s a lot of places you can hide… you could never see something like that from an airplane or helicopter. The trees are so close together you can barely walk through them. It’s so thick you can barely see ten feet into the woods. If I was going to hide, that’s what I would do. I would hide in some place like that,” New York Post reports.

Given Card's access to firearms and his expertise, search parties have been advised to exercise utmost caution when navigating areas with restricted visibility. Federal, state, county, and local authorities are urgently working together to locate Card.