SALT LAKE CITY — Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Utah and mainly Arizona worked nonstop for more than two weeks to find a couple wanted for murder, who escaped while traveling through southern Utah.
And while the couple was considered armed and dangerous, when Blane Barksdale was finally taken into custody Wednesday night, his words to police were surprising.
“Be careful, it’s dangerous out there,” Barksdale told the arresting officers in a sincere tone, according to federal authorities at a press conference in Phoenix Thursday.
Blane Barksdale, 56, and Susan Barksdale, 59 — listed as two of the top 15 fugitives in the nation — had escaped from custody near Blanding more than two weeks ago. They were recaptured in a remote area of northeast Arizona late Wednesday in a trailer in Gila County, Arizona, in the Tonto National Forest.
Investigators have received hundreds of leads over the past 2 1⁄2 weeks. After receiving a credible tip on Wednesday, more than 50 officers surrounded the home, flooded it with lights and called the Barksdales out, Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Van Bayless said.
Susan Barksdale surrendered peacefully. Blain Barksdale also initially exited the house without incident. But as he walked toward waiting officers, he started acting aggressively when he was about 15 feet away from agent, Bayless said. Officers deployed a Taser and a beanbag gun to bring Barksdale under compliance. After that, he said Barksdale did not cause any more problems.
“He admitted to me in the jail he brought it on himself, and that it was his fault and we were all doing our job and he has nothing but respect for law enforcement,” Bayless said. That was followed by a message from Barksdale to the officers to be safe.
The husband and wife couple were being extradited from Henrietta, New York, to Pima County, Arizona, to face charges of killing a 72-year-old man in Tucson, when they “overpowered” two security officers in Blanding on Aug. 26, according to the Tucson Police Department.
Federal officials in Arizona later said that Susan Barksdale faked a medical emergency, and Blane Barksdale overpowered two security guards — a man and woman — after they pulled over to attend to his wife. The guards were tied up with shoelaces and left in the van the Barksdales were being transported in, authorities said.
U.S. Marshal David Gonzales said Thursday the investigation into who was harboring the Barksdales and helping them avoid capture was continuing and additional arrests are anticipated.
The Barksdales were scheduled to appear in federal court in Tucson Thursday on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Gonzales said that charge would be dropped in lieu of state charges, and the Barksdales would be transported to the Pima County Jail to await court proceedings on the murder charge.