Police have surrounded the home of a Connecticut lab technician, identified as a "person of interest" in the murder of the Yale grad student, according to several media reports.
News that investigators had closed in on a prime suspect came as prosecutors delayed releasing results of an autopsy expected to shed light on the mysterious slaying of bride-to-be Annie Le.
Speculation about an imminent arrest was rampant throughout the day. The Associated Press reported that a Connecticut official confirmed that the New Haven police had identified a "person of interest". The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation in Le's killing is ongoing.
New Haven police spokesman Joe Avery told reporters there was "hope" of an arrest by 1 p.m., but later in the afternoon said, "As of right, now we have nobody in custody and there is no anticipated arrest as of today," according to news reports.
The body of Le, a 24-year-old pharmacology student, was found behind a wall in the Yale lab where she worked on Sunday, the day she was supposed to marry Morningside Heights resident Jonathan Widawsky.
The Daily News reported that "a swarm of cops" had decended on an apartment in Middletown, Conn., roughly 20 miles from Yale, believed to be the residence of a lab technician who reportedly worked with Le. Several news reports have identified the lab technician as the prime suspect.
An AP reporter knocked on the door, but was told by the man who answered that the technician, who reportedly failed a lie detector test and had unexplained scratches on his chest, was not home.
During questioning by police the alleged suspect asked to speak to a lawyer, according to news reports. Police said no suspect was in custody and that they were interviewing many people in connection to the case. According to the Associated Press, that number has reached 150.
The Medical Examiner said he'd been asked by Connecticut prosecutors to delay the release of Le's autopsy.
Dr. Wayne Carver says prosecutors asked that the results be withheld "in order to facilitate the investigation," the Associated Press reported.
It wasn't clear when the results were to be released. They were expected at 3 p.m. on Tuesday and would have cast new light on the case that has gripped much of the nation since news of her disasppearance surfaced last week.
Earlier in the day, the New York Post reported the technician is believed to have had an unrequited love for Le.
Spokesman Avery denied cops had a suspect, but added, "There are no [Yale] students involved," according to the Post.
He told reporters, however, that the killer specifically targeted Le.
The search for suspects has focused on people who had access to the lab where Le's body was found, which is accessible only by swiping a Yale ID. Widawsky, the fiance, is not a suspect, police have said.
Bloody clothes believed to have belonged to the killer were found in the building, according to news reports. Officials said there was "a large amount" of physical evidence, the AP reported.
Police with dogs had been searching the building for days, following Le's disappearance last Tuesday, but the building materials in the wall hampered the dogs' ability to locate the body, the Yale Daily News reported. Only once the smell grew stronger was the body found, the paper said.
"I was in the lab on Saturday while her body was still in the wall," Sarah Walters, 25, who had a class with Le, told the Daily News. "It makes me feel sick to my stomach when I think about it."
Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered Monday night for a candlelight vigil at Yale to remember Le. Students left flowers and candles amid the yellow crime scene tape, according to the New York Times.
Friends were also posting messages on Le's Facebook page, which was still up on Tuesday.
"Thank you for leaving such a positive mark on this world," one friend wrote. "Know you will be deeply missed, and constantly loved!"
