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Dave McCann who 'slit the throats of his estranged wife and her mother' is found

A British property developer accused of slitting the throats of his estranged wife and her 68-year-old mother has been discovered living in a homeless camp four days after the brutal killings.

Dave Thomas McCann, who is originally from the UK but was living in California, was found sleeping in a camp near the town of Seaside on Wednesday after police were tipped off by a homeless man.

Police believe 49-year-old McCann murdered his wife Tierney Cooper-McCann, 36, and her mother, Judith Cooper, 68, at their home in Clovis on Saturday.

Dave Thomas McCann, 49, was arrested on Wednesday, four days after he allegedly killed his estranged wife Tierney Cooper-McCann, 36, and her 68-year-old mother Judith Cooper

Dave Thomas McCann, 49, was arrested on Wednesday, four days after he allegedly killed his estranged wife Tierney Cooper-McCann, 36, and her 68-year-old mother Judith Cooper

McCann is accused of carrying out the murders on Saturday before fleeing Police say McCann was found living in a homeless camp

Police say McCann was found sleeping in a homeless camp in Seaside, around 160 miles away from where the murders took place on Saturday morning in the town of Clovis 

McCann ran a property development business in the UK before moving to California. His social media pages suggest he had only lived in the city of Clovis for around a year.

His sister-in-law Cortney Rider believes that his failing marriage and folding business may have caused him to snap and attack his family.

Ms Rider was at the house where the attacks took place and said she feared she also would be killed.

She told ABC News that she was awoken by the sound of McCann kicking the front door down in the early hours of the morning.

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She told the Channel: 'I went in and grabbed the phone and was getting ready to call 911 and by the time I walked out he was slitting [Ms Cooper-McCann's] throat.

'He looked at me and said "you're next," and I immediately ran out the front door and ran to the next door neighbors'.'

She says McCann then went back into the house and returned to the back bedroom where her mother had locked herself in.

McCann is then said to have kicked the door down before also slitting Mrs Cooper's throat, then fleeing the home before police arrived.

Tierney Cooper-McCann, 36, had her throat cut Judith Cooper, 68, was also killed with a slash to the throat

McCann is accused of slitting the throat of Cooper-McCann (left) and her mother (right) after kicking his way into their home in the early hours of Saturday

Cortney Rider, Cooper-McCann's sister, said she was in the house when McCann broke in and watched him cut her sister's throat, claiming he told her 'you're next' before she escaped next door

Cortney Rider, Cooper-McCann's sister, said she was in the house when McCann broke in and watched him cut her sister's throat, claiming he told her 'you're next' before she escaped next door

The day before the killings, McCann contacted Clovis police and asked for an escort in order to go to his wife's home and collect some things, which was carried out without incident, records show.

McCann's LinkedIn profile shows he founded SOS Energy and Property Solutions, a company providing renewable energy and water to homes, back in 1999.

Before moving to the US, he worked in Sheffield in the late 1980s, Dronfield in Derbyshire in the 1990s and London since 1999.

The company's website now displays a picture of a dog with the message: 'Due to circumstances beyond our control, this company is closing. Our prayers are dedicated to the Cooper Family.'

Police believe McCann fled the scene of the killings in a Penske removal truck before abandoning it two hours away in the city of Paso Robles.

From there officers think he may have used a bicycle and hitched rides to the city of Seaside, where he was eventually found living among the homeless.

McCann was spotted several times but avoided using his credit card or cell phone to throw police off his trail. He was eventually found after a tip-off from a homeless man

McCann was spotted several times but avoided using his credit card or cell phone to throw police off his trail. He was eventually found after a tip-off from a homeless man

The killings took place in Clovis, not far from San Jose. McCann was found in the coastal town of Seaside

The killings took place in Clovis, not far from San Jose. McCann was found in the coastal town of Seaside

McCann did not use a cellphone and did not withdraw money from an ATM, which could have pinpointed his location, Clovis Police Chief Matt Basgall said.

He added: 'This is a case where Mr McCann went off the grid.'

A break in the search came when a homeless person tipped off investigators to McCann's whereabouts. Officers found McCann asleep at the homeless camp, Basgall said.

McCann was pictured being taken into custody in handcuffs wearing a t-shirt with 'run in the name of love' inscribed on the front. 

Officers previously thought McCann may have been trying to travel home to the UK, though they did not identify which part of the country he came from.

Those who know McCann told ABC that he spokes with a thick Irish accent and walks with a limp because of a work injury. 

Police said McCann is a British citizen living in the United States on a green card.  

TV pictures show the scene of the attack where McCann's estranged wife and mother were killed

TV pictures show the scene of the attack where McCann's estranged wife and mother were killed

Police have marked out the crime scene and continue to investigate the double killing

Police have marked out the crime scene and continue to investigate the double killing

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