Rape suspect and family are in B.C., U.S. cops say
Police on both sides of border search for accused child rapist who fled Washington home into East Kootenay
David Carrigg, The Province
Published: Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A cross-border manhunt is under way for an accused child rapist believed to be armed and hiding with his family in East Kootenay bushland.
"Consider him armed and dangerous," said Sgt. Tim Beiber, of the Clark County Sheriff's Office in Washington state.
"He has a history of possessing weapons, he always has weapons with him, he is a survivalist and on the run from serious felony charges. If you see him don't make any contact."
Jeff Spady, 40, was charged on Sept. 7 with rape of a child in the first degree, rape of a child in the second degree and rape of a child in the third degree.
The accuser contacted the sheriff's office in March, when she was 17, and said Spady raped and molested her from age 10 to 16.
The degrees in the charges refer to the girl's age at the time of the alleged offences. A charge of first-degree rape is laid when the victim is younger than 12, second-degree when the victim is younger than 14, third- degree when she's under 16.
When the investigation began Spady's four children -- boys aged six, eight and 14, and a 12-year-old girl -- were placed in government care but permitted to live with their mother, Kim Spady, on condition Jeff Spady have no contact with them.
"Unfortunately [Kim Spady] is a supporter of his and believes the charges are based on false allegations," Beiber said.
The day the charges were laid Spady and his family fled their home in Amboy, Wash.
On Sept. 8, they entered Canada at the Kingsgate border crossing in the East Kootenay in a 2001 Ford Expedition with Washington plates 146-RKK.
A few minutes earlier, a pickup pulling the family's older-model, six-metre travel trailer entered Canada. The crossing was recorded and the tape given to U.S. authorities.
A warrant was issued in the U.S. for Spady's arrest on Sept. 13 when police realized he had vanished and an alert was sent to Canada Border Services and the RCMP.
Beiber said that the following day his office was contacted by Canadian authorities advising him of Spady's crossing. He said there is nothing to suggest Spady has re-entered the U.S.
"There's a manhunt under way now involving U.S. and Canadian authorities," he said. "Spady is an avid outdoorsman. Family have described him as a survivalist and he might be headed for the mountains to camp out in a remote area."
Beiber said he is concerned for the children because Spady's travel trailer is "a piece of junk" and it will be tough to live in as winter approaches.
Creston RCMP Const. Kristian Thomsen said police are waiting on an immigration warrant that would allow them to arrest Spady on immigration charges.
Thomsen said police do not know where Spady and his family are. He said RCMP in Alberta are also looking for him.
Beiber said police Tuesday interviewed a person in Washington they believe may have driven the family travel trailer into Canada.
"We could have a big break in the case [Wednesday]," he said.
dcarrigg@png.canwest.com