ST. FRANCISVILLE - The West Feliciana Sheriff's Office said that 30 officers are searching the scene of a home where they believe the remains of two missing women will be found.

The home is connected to Thomas Morris, who was initially arrested for kidnapping in July and later named a person of interest in two other local disappearances.

Morris, 43, was initially booked in July on charges of second-degree kidnapping and false imprisonment after deputies received a call on July 19 saying that Morris was allegedly holding a woman against her will. After Morris' arrest, Sheriff Brian Spillman said he was also a person of interest in the disappearance of both Stephanie Hevia and Madison Allen.

Spillman said that, in the months since Morris was named a person of interest, enough evidence was procured to obtain a warrant to search the Morris Road home where they believe they will find evidence, including human remains, that would connect Morris to Allen and Hevia's deaths. 

Spillman said that their search on Friday began at 6 a.m., where they are using "using specialized equipment to completely map the property, which will help us manage the property using a grid system."

"We are also running LIDAR and ground penetrating equipment to identify spots to be searched by the specially trained K9s that will be onsite tomorrow and Sunday," Spillman said.

The sheriff said on Thursday that the "slow, methodical and thorough search" of the property will encompass about 15 acres and require 10 federal, state and local agencies working together to conduct. He said the search could take up to a week to complete.