U.S. Marshals Offer up to $50,000
for Information on Former Marine Wanted for Murder
First
time in agency history fugitive debuts on list with $50K reward
Washington,
DC
– The U.S. Marshals are intensifying the manhunt for
a former Marine turned murder suspect.
Raymond Samuel “RJ” McLeod,
Jr., is now a 15 Most Wanted fugitive, and the first fugitive to
make his debut on the list with a reward of up to
$50,000 for information directly
leading to his arrest.
McLeod, 37, is wanted by the San Diego Police
Department for the 2016 murder of 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell, and
authorities believe he fled the country and is hiding out in Central
America or Mexico.
“Raymond McLeod will be the first fugitive in history
on our 15 Most Wanted list with an initial reward of up to $50,000,”
said U.S. Marshal Service Director Donald Washington. “We want
McLeod’s new status as a 15 Most Wanted fugitive and the $50,000
reward amount to be broadcasted far and wide. McLeod poses a
significant threat to the public and must be brought to justice.”
On June 10, 2016, San Diego police officers responded
to a 911 call of a woman not breathing in an apartment in the 7600
block of Mission Gorge Road in San Diego, California. The woman,
later identified as 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell from Phoenix,
Arizona, was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. Detectives from
the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded to the
scene where there were signs of a struggle. They determined Mitchell
was last seen alive with her boyfriend McLeod. Mitchell and McLeod,
also from Phoenix, had been in San Diego visiting friends. The San
Diego District Attorney’s Office charged McLeod with murder, and a
warrant was issued for his arrest. In Dec. 2016, local authorities
asked the U.S. Marshals to join the manhunt and lead the fugitive
investigation for McLeod.
The U.S. Marshals and the San Diego police believe
McLeod fled through Mexico to Central America after Mitchell’s
death. His last reported locations were in Belize in 2018 and
Guatemala in 2017. He may be going by the name Matt or Mateo and is
believed to have grown a beard as a disguise. He has several
distinguishing tattoos that may help identify him.
“The passage of time will never deter the Marshals’
fugitive investigation for McLeod,” said U.S. Marshal Steve Stafford
of the Southern District of California. “If anything, it fuels our
determination. We will leave no stone unturned until he is brought
to justice.”
McLeod is a 5-foot-11 white male with brown hair and
hazel eyes. At the time he fled, McLeod weighed 245 pounds and had a
tattooed muscular physique.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the
nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service
Communications Center at 1-877-WANTED-2,
or online via the web or an app at
www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
The McLeod case will be featured on
“America’s Most Wanted,” slated to air at 9 p.m. (Eastern/Pacific)
tonight on Fox.
Additional information
about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at
http://www.usmarshals.gov.
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America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency