Loutsenhizer erupted with anger, but General Adams exerted his authority, and called for a conference among the five men and the agency officers to determine the next course of action. It was decided that a search party would be assembled at once to find the men's remains. The five Utah men claimed that they did not believe one part of Packer's story, and that Bell was the sort of man that would lay down his life for another if needed. General Adams asked of the two Ute men if they knew of an area next to a lake that Packer had described. They said that such a place existed roughly 50 miles away, across the hills. The search party was headed by agency clerk Herman Lauter and consisted of the five miners from Utah, a few agency officers, and Packer acting as guide. After two weeks, as the party was reaching the area of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, Packer claimed he was lost and that the area did not look right. Loutsenhizer called Packer a liar and a murderer, and insisted that he be hanged then and there. Nothing was found, and the party headed back to the agency. Along their route back, Packer attempted to murder Herman Lauter with a large knife he had concealed in his clothing. He was caught in the act, restrained, and arrested. General Adams had been willing to believe Packer up to this point, but the unprovoked attempt made on his officer's life convinced him that Packer was dangerous. He was transported to Saguache and jailed by the sheriff outside the town itself for his own protection.