Private First Class Kavian Elder, a Memphis Marine reported missing since early May, has been located and taken into custody, as confirmed by multiple sources. Elder was last seen at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and his absence prompted an extensive search. Details from an Action News 5 report indicate that the Marine Corps Training Command expressed gratitude for Elder’s safe return and plans to carry out "all required administrative processes" after his custody transfer is finalized, a statement from Major Joshua J. Pena of the U.S. Marine Corps Director of Communication Strategy and Operations, Training and Education Command suggested.

Upon being found, Elder was booked into Crawford County Jail at 1:20 p.m. Tuesday, facing a federal violation accusation, ABC 17 News reports. He is being held for the U.S. Marshals Service out of Saint Louis, and currently, no bond is set, as per jail records. Elder had been at Fort Leonard Wood for a specialty school before his disappearance.

Earlier, Elder's disappearance had led to an appeal from his father, Fred Elder, for his son's return. "Kavian, we all miss you. We love you. Your mom loves you. I'm your dad, I love you...You have to face up for what you have done. But, I will be there with you, hand in hand, step for step to deal with this situation," Elder's father stated in a moving plea, as per FOX13 Memphis.

The chain of events raises questions regarding the circumstances that led to Elder’s departure and subsequent arrest. Details remain sparse as the case is ongoing, and it is yet unknown what specific federal violation Elder has been accused of. The base from where Elder disappeared is situated in a heavily wooded area and is about an hour and twenty minutes northeast of Crawford County, where the Marine was subsequently located and detained over a month after he first went missing.