U.S. Marshals: Fugitives Blane and Susan Barksdale arrested

PHOENIX - The U.S. Marshals Service announced late Wednesday night the arrest of two fugitives who have been on the run since August.

Officials say Blane and Susan Barksdale have been captured, as of Wednesday night. On its Facebook page, officials with the Navajo County Sheriff's Office said they assisted the U.S. Marshals in capturing the two, and that the two were captured without incident.

In August, Tucson Police officials said Blane, 56, and Susan, 59, overpowered two security officers in Blanding, Utah and escaped while traveling to Pima County from Henrietta, New York. The two were wanted in connection to the murder of a 72-year-old man in Tucson.

In earlier statements, officials with the U.S. Marshals Service say the couple faked a medical emergency while riding in a prison transport van. The couple then overpowered the two guards, tied them up and put them in the back of the van with a third uninvolved prisoner. The overpowered guards were hired by a private security company, which officials say is a common, cost-cutting decision.

Once the group arrived outside of St. Johns, Arizona, the Barksdales switched to a friend's red GMC Sierra pickup. Highway signs with the truck information were posted around the state but were taken down after it was believed it wasn't likely they were still using that truck.

"Instead of using sworn police officers, a lot of agencies will use private security companies to pick up prisoners and bring them back," said David Gonzales with the U.S. Marshal District of Arizona.

The U.S. Marshals had been offering rewards of up to $10,000 for each suspect, but the agency announced Monday the reward for information leading directly to Blane's arrest was increased to $25,000.

Details about how and where the Barksdales were spotted and captured have not yet been released. They were added to the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted List this week.