Ex-Marine Raymond Samuel “RJ” McLeod, Jr. who was wanted on murder charges, has been captured after staying under the radar for six years.
McLeod, who has been on the U.S. Marshal’s “15 Most Wanted” fugitive list since 2016, was captured after spending years on the run in Central America, Fox News reports. He was reportedly found around 40 miles west of San Salvador and was working as a teacher.
CrimeOnline‘s Nancy Grace previously spoke exclusively with Josephine Wentzel, a former police detective who wants justice for her daughter, 30-year-old Krystal Mitchell. Krystal was found beaten and strangled to death in a San Diego condominium in June 2016.
Krystal was vacationing with McLeod when police found her body inside an apartment in the 7600 block of Mission Gorge Road. By the time police arrived, McLeod had fled the scene in Krystal’s car, which was found at the San Diego airport. Police said McLeod then rented a car at the airport and drove into Mexico.
“I knew something was wrong,” Wentzel told Grace, recalling how she felt before she got the call about her daughter’s death. “It was a gut feeling….it was just a gut feeling. I got very sick, I started shaking. I was just trembling.”
The pair had only been dating for three weeks when she was killed.
“It’s a feeling like no other,” Wentzel continued. “I’ve had a lot of losses in my life…There’s just something about losing a child but there’s even something else, you get put in a different category when it’s murder.”
McLeod came across as a “doting dad” on the surface, but court records indicate he had a pending case in Riverside County, California, where he was accused of strangling his wife, who survived the incident and reported him to authorities.
“Finally, justice!” Grace told Fox News Digital after McLeod’s capture. “After a worldwide search, the brute who murdered an innocent young woman has been captured, and his victim, Krystal Mitchell, and her grieving family will have their day in court.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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[Featured image via U.S. Marshals]
