PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A tree stand discovered near Palm Beach International Airport, and with direct line of sight to Air Force One, has been removed, according to my investigation.
The stand was positioned in trees behind the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office forensic lab and the U.S. Army Reserve Center, both located on Gun Club Road.
WATCH: Forensic arborist tells WPTV ways to determine when stand installed
These agencies, along with the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, did not release any updated information about the discovery of the tree stand. Its discovery shut down a section of Southern Boulevard for most of the weekend.
However, one piece of the puzzle could be solved soon through forensic analysis of the tree that held the stand.
"Damaged bark, broken bark, broken branches, bent twigs," said Joe Samnik, a forensic arborist who explained the types of clues that could help determine when the tree stand was installed.
Samnik said determining the timeline would be straightforward.
Palm Beach County
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"Pretty easy to say recent and not recent, correct?" asked WPTV's Dave Bohman.
"Yes," Samnik said.
When asked how investigators could make that determination, he explained it comes down to examining the damage and how the tree responds to it.
"That's easy peasy. That's not a problem. That timeline is not a problem," Samnik said.
I am continuing to investigate to find out who put the stand there, when it was installed, and why.
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