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Marine sergeant RJ McLeod, who spent more than six years on the run and was one of the US Marshals' most-wanted fugitives, was apprehended this week, on August 29, 2022, in El Salvador.
McLeod was the first fugitive to be placed on the Marshals Service's "15 Most Wanted" list with a $50,000 reward after the search was intensified last year, according to sources.
McLeod's new girlfriend, Krystal Mitchell, 30, was found dead in June 2016 while the two were visiting friends in San Diego, California. McLeod is believed to have fled the country as soon as he learned of her death.
RJ McLeod, 36, was reportedly seen in Sonsonate, a town of around 71,000 people located about 20 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, in August 2022.
"Most Wanted" RJ McLeod was allegedly suspected of killing his girlfriend
According to officials, Deputy Marshals Francisco Barajas and Luis Ramirez flew to El Salvador to help local and national police in apprehending him on Monday afternoon. According to sources, the two are taking him back to the US.
Wentzel, Mitchell's mother, posted on Facebook on Monday, August 29, 2022, applauding the Marshals for their great effort. She wrote:
“WHAT A GREAT DAY!!!!” “I have had faith and trust in them, and ever since meeting Francisco Barajas, I had full confidence that this day would come, and he would be the one to catch him."
Daniel Washington, former Director of the Marshals said:
“McLeod poses a significant threat to the public and must be brought to justice."
According to police reports, Krystal Mitchell, 30, whom RJ McLeod was dating at the time of her death, was murdered in 2016. The body of Ms. Mitchell was discovered strangled by the US Marshals Service.
Mitchell and Mcleod were in San Diego visiting friends when the alleged murder took place at the condo they were staying in. They'd gone to a bar earlier, where McLeod got into a fight with another ex-Marine, forcing the three of them to leave.
It was also reported that Mr. McLeod has had a history of violence. According to officials, he fled across Mexico and Central America, eventually turning up in Belize in 2018 and Guatemala in 2017.
US Marshals Service described him as:
"Armed and dangerous! An avid bodybuilder and a heavy drinker with a history of domestic violence”
In a statement released last year, US Marshal Steve Stafford of the Southern District of California stated:
"The passage of time will never deter the Marshals’ fugitive investigation for McLeod. If anything, it fuels our determination. We will leave no stone unturned until he is brought to justice."
Reportedly, RJ McLeod was arrested around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 29, 2022.
