FORMER Yambuk man John Whitehead spent the longest 90 minutes of his life waiting for police to arrive at his Hay motel on Tuesday night and arrest a suspected Cowra axe murderer.Mr Whitehead, 61, grew up in Yambuk before becoming a police officer and still has brothers living in Terang and Portland.About 21 months ago he took over Hay's Highway Inn Motel in south-western NSW. On Tuesday about 6.45pm he welcomed a new guest, an older man.``I booked him in, an oldish gentlemen with grey hair and a limp...he was ordinary,'' he said.Meanwhile, a nationwide search was launched for a Cowra man, 69, after the bodies of the man's 52-year-old wife and two grandchildren - a seven-year-old boy and a girl aged five - were found on NSW's central west on Tuesday afternoon. The man's daughter, a serving police officer, also received an axe gash to the head.Mr Whitehead said he had earlier watched news reports which included the man's name and a description of his car, but Hay was 400km from Cowra.``The car was the only reason I twigged. The description was 100 per cent accurate and when I checked the number plates and the name he was from Cowra,'' he said.``I was a bit surprised he booked under his own name. He just parked the car out the front and wandered in. The car was a bit battered on one side,'' he said.``My son had heard the name, and he said it was the same person. I just got straight on to triple zero.''Mr Whitehead said the man booked a single room and ordered bacon and eggs with orange juice for breakfast.``I took him to his room and turned on the heater and the TV. He walked in behind me,'' he said.``I asked him if he wanted to go out for dinner but he said he had bikkies or something. I left and went back inside and watched a news report. ``I saw the description of the car and thought that it could be the same car that had just booked in.''Mr Whitehead said when he was on line to triple-zero the man came over to the office and asked for milk.``I had locked the door and told him I was busy and would bring the milk over. I thought he would pick up on what was going on then,'' he said.Mr Whitehead said he stayed on the triple-zero line for 90 minutes until two armed police officers arrived.``I got the milk the man wanted and took it over to the room. The two officers got him on the floor nice and quick and it was all over,'' he said.``A lady pulled up while we were waiting and I pulled her into the private quarters and locked the door again. It was a long 90 minutes. It was an anxious time. I didn't sleep last night.''Mr Whitehead retired from the police force 11 years ago after achieving the rank of detective senior sergeant at the Fitzroy Crime Investigation Unit. He grew up in Yambuk and joined the police force aged 18. The 69-year-old man did not apply for bail when he appeared in Deniliquin Local Court yesterday charged with three counts of murder.His case was adjourned to Wagga Wagga Local Court on Monday.