Conover police are following leads in Wisconsin and Kentucky that suggest murder suspect Fong Kong Yang stole a car and may be headed south.

Police Chief Gary Lafone said Yang’s female companion, who is alleged to be Yang’s girlfriend, drove him to Wisconsin.  She told police officers in Wisconsin she dropped him off there.

“She didn’t do anything to hide or protect him,” Lafone said.

Soon after the drop off, a car was reported stolen in the area where Yang was known to have been.  Lafone said the car was found abandoned in a hotel parking lot in Lexington, Ky. last week.

He said that based on information the car was stolen from and information provided by Yang’s female friend, police have determined that Yang is the most likely suspect in the car theft.  Hotel employees said the car had been there about two weeks when police located it.

“We’ve got concerns he’s going south,” Lafone said.

Yang is the main suspect in the murder of his common law wife, Lao Vang, of Conover.  She and her boyfriend, Keng Chang were stabbed multiple times at V.I.P. Coin Laundry in Conover about 2:30 a.m. on April 6.

Lafone said Chang has recovered from his injuries.  He has been able to provide some information to the Conover Police Department, though Lafone would not comment on the details.

Yang and Vang’s two small children and other family members are still in Conover.

The majority of the search is concentrated in areas where there are large Hmong populations, including Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Lafone said these are areas where it would naturally be easier for Yang to blend into the community.

Police do not believe there is a high risk of Yang trying to flee the country. If he did, they suspect it would likely be into Canada, since there is a known Hmong population already there.

Yang’s photo, criminal history and warrant information have been entered into the National Crime Information Center, accessible to all law enforcement officers.  Police hope it will help officers locate and identify Yang quickly.

In 1996, Lafone said there was another man, Jesus Fernandez, who was arrested for murder after being on the run for two years.

The FBI has helped the Conover Police obtain court orders for Yang’s records, which will be used in tracing his location.  Lafone said there is no activity on his phone, suggesting he may have ditched it somewhere along the way.