Sanford was a “fun-loving family guy,” longtime friend Kara Pattison told CNN affiliate WDIV Local 4. That included openly declaring his hatred for the LDS church. Kris Johns, a city council candidate in Burton, met Sanford on the campaign trail about a week before the attack, he told CNN. “I feel so bad about the families that were affected by this, aside from ours,” Sanford’s father, Tom, told CNN affiliate WXYZ. Investigators are searching his home as authorities try to get search warrants for digital media, a law enforcement source told CNN.