Police investigators have turned Mark and Lori Hacking's apartment back over to their families.

Tuesday, friends and family of the Hackings removed tables, chairs, a dresser, a headboard and other items that were not seized as potential evidence by Salt Lake City police. Scott Hacking, Mark's brother, said cleaning out the apartment was a difficult and somber process.

"It's where she lived. It's sacred to us. He's my brother. She's my sister-in-law," he said. "It's very hard."

Scott Hacking and others drove off with more than two trailers full of items. The family also took the Hackings' pet cat, Herbie, a red and white calico. Scott Dunaway, spokesman for both Mark's and Lori's families, said the cat hides in the apartment whenever people are around and refuses to come out.

Mark Hacking's sister has left a dish of food for Herbie each morning and found it empty at the end of the day. Herbie was a gift from Mark to Lori, according to Scott Hacking.

On the same day the Hackings' apartment was cleared out, the family entered what they called a "new phase" in the search effort to find Lori. Volunteers were asked not to show up at the LDS stake center near 100 West and 200 North that has served as the command center almost since the search began.

Instead, volunteers are being asked to conduct searches in their own communities and report any findings on the Web site, www.findlori.com.

"We're concerned about the places we're going to be focusing on. We think it's going to be risky," Dunaway said.

By risky, Dunaway said he meant some searches may be in steep terrain that require people who have climbing experience or other searches may be in dangerous parts of the city.

"Communities know their own areas a lot better," said Chris Smart, uncle of Elizabeth Smart who has helped organize many of the search efforts.

Search and rescue groups, including Park City Search and Rescue, ATV groups and flying clubs are among some of the organizations conducting specialized searches, he said. Smart stressed Tuesday's announcement does not mean the search is over and encouraged the public to continue looking.

Dunaway also stressed Tuesday that the change in search strategies had nothing to do with a 7 1/2-hour search of the Salt Lake County Landfill Monday night through Tuesday morning by police. The decision was one made jointly by both Mark's and Lori's families, Dunaway said.

"We knew at some point the nature of the search would change," he said.