Fugitive arrested in Louisiana after body found in Missouri barn
06/08/2023 11:46 am PDT
SAINT BERNARD, La. (TCD) -- Deputies arrested a 42-year-old fugitive in Louisiana this week in connection with the death of a man whose body was found in Missouri.
On Monday, June 5, an individual called Polk County Dispatch and said he found his brother, Philip Thompson, deceased, KOLR-TV reports. Officials responded to the scene and located Thompson’s body inside a barn.
Thompson, his sibling, and suspect Shane Ellzey all reportedly lived on the property.
During a search of the premises, authorities reportedly recovered two empty gun cases in Thompson’s room, as well as Thompson’s wallet and cellphone under Ellzey’s bed.
The caller allegedly told authorities his brother went to the doctor on June 5, arrived back at the house at around 4:30 p.m., and worked outside near Ellzey.
Thompson’s sibling was reportedly cooking dinner in the late afternoon when Ellzey came in and asked for Thomson’s Ford F-150 keys so he could drive it into the barn. However, Ellzey allegedly drove the truck off the property, and the caller then found his brother’s body inside the barn before calling authorities.
According to a news release, on Tuesday, June 6, shortly after midnight, Missouri State Highway Patrol officers contacted the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana and informed them that Ellzey was wanted for second-degree murder out of Polk County and was likely traveling to the area in Thompson’s stolen F-150. Officials believed he was armed and dangerous.
At around 7 p.m., St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann said deputies located the victim’s stolen truck in Arabi, Louisiana, and performed a traffic stop in the 6500 block of St. Claude Avenue. Ellzey was subsequently taken into custody without incident.
During a criminal history check, the Sheriff’s Office learned Ellzey had two outstanding warrants for business burglary and a traffic violation. He was booked into the St. Bernard Parish Prison on those charges and is being held on a $50,000 bond. Ellzey "has a detainer from Missouri and is awaiting extradition."
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