Springfield, MO – Acting U.S. Marshal Scott Seeling, Western
District of Missouri announces the arrest of three fugitives who escaped
from the Barry County (MO) Jail on June 3, 2022, in Cassville, MO.
Christopher Blevins, Lance Stephens, and Matthew
Crawford were all housed in the Barry County Jail on charges ranging
from drug possession, drug distribution, weapons possession and theft.
On June 3, 2022, all three fugitives escaped from the Barry County Jail
and quickly separated. The Barry County Sheriff’s Office requested the
assistance of the U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force
(MVFT) in Springfield, MO, to assist with locating and apprehending the
three escapees. An intensive, 11-day, interstate man hunt ensued to
bring the three fugitives to justice.
On June 8, 2022, a Marshals Service Task Force
Officer developed information that Blevins was in Casper, WY. Marshals
Service investigators coordinated with local officers with the Casper
Police Department and the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office. Based upon
that information and interagency cooperation, local authorities in
Wyoming quickly apprehended Blevins following a short vehicle pursuit.
Simultaneously, U.S. Marshals continued to
conduct interviews and develop information regarding the location of
Matthew Crawford. On June 13, 2022, MVFT Task Force Officers from the
Greene County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) tracked
Matthew Crawford to an abandoned home in Springfield, MO. They quickly
took him into custody without incident.
The investigation continued to find the final
escapee, Lance Stephens. On June 14, 2022, Marshals Service
investigators developed further information that Stephens had traveled
to San Antonio, TX. This information was passed to the U.S. Marshals
Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) in San Antonio. Moving quickly,
LSFTF investigators took Stephens into custody within a matter of hours.
Upon arrest, Stephens was in possession of methamphetamine, marijuana,
and over $5,000. The investigation revealed Stephens was attempting to
flee to Mexico.
The arrest of these three fugitives represents
the culmination of an extensive, multi-state, cooperative investigative
effort between the Barry County Sheriff’s Office (MO), Greene County
Sheriff’s Office (MO), Springfield Police Department (MO), the U.S.
Marshals Service-Lonestar Fugitive Task Force (TX), Casper Police
Department (WY), Natrona County Sheriff’s Department (WY) and the U.S.
Marshals Service-Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force.
The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task
Force—Springfield Division, operates in conjunction with members of the
Greene County Sheriff’s Office and the Springfield Police Department.
Marshal Seeling stated, “Complex fugitive investigations of this sort
would not be possible without our task force partners, the Greene County
Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield Police Department. Our Task
Force Officer’s ability to collaborate and cooperate quickly with
federal, state, and local law enforcement across the nation was key to
our success in locating and apprehending these dangerous fugitives.”
The task force objectives are to seek out and
arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug offenses, sex
offenders and other serious felonies. Nationally the United States
Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law
enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7
regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign
countries.
Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found
at http://www.usmarshals.gov.
####America’s
First Federal Law Enforcement Agency