After more than two years on the run, a DeKalb County man who vanished in the middle of his kidnapping trial in January 2024 is back in custody. Deputies say Brian Tripp, long featured on DeKalb’s most-wanted list, was arrested Monday in Pritchard, Alabama, with help from investigators in Mobile County. The capture closes a manhunt that began when Tripp disappeared after being released on bond while his trial was still underway.
Fled trial, convicted in absentia
Tripp bolted during his January 2024 trial after being released on bond, according to authorities, but the case kept moving without him. As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, a jury later found him guilty of kidnapping, street-gang charges, and other counts, and a judge sentenced him in absentia to life plus 65 years in prison. While he was on the run, deputies publicly warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Indictment tied to alleged concealment
Even as he remained a fugitive, Tripp’s legal troubles deepened. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted him on accusations that he helped conceal the death of Anthony Woodland, including allegedly placing Woodland’s body in a suitcase and setting it on fire in a wooded area, according to CBS News Atlanta. Deputies continued to seek information about Woodland’s death while Tripp remained at large.
Sheriff: 'We don't give up'
“Working closely with our law enforcement partners, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, we were able to locate and arrest someone who went to great lengths to avoid accountability,” DeKalb County Sheriff Melody M. Maddox said. “This case shows we don't give up. No matter how long it takes or where someone goes, we will keep working to bring them back to face justice,” she added, according to CBS News Atlanta. The sheriff’s office had previously listed Tripp among its most-wanted suspects.
How investigators tracked him
While Tripp was on the run, investigators chased leads around DeKalb County and beyond. Authorities tracked him to several addresses in the county, including an apartment complex off East Ponce de Leon Avenue where deputies mounted an attempted arrest last year, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. Neighbors described a heavy law enforcement presence during those operations, and the sheriff’s office repeatedly warned the public not to approach him. Officials say the eventual arrest in Pritchard was carried out alongside Mobile County investigators, though they have not released specific details about how they located him.
Legal next steps
Tripp now faces the DeKalb indictment accusing him of concealing Woodland’s death, on top of the kidnapping and gang-related convictions that resulted in his life-plus-65-year sentence. Prosecutors in DeKalb County are expected to review the indictment and decide next steps, including whether to seek his transfer from Alabama for additional proceedings. At the time of the arrest, authorities had not yet announced court dates or details about when he might be brought back to Georgia.
The arrest closes a long-running chapter in a case that stretched across state lines and highlighted close coordination between investigators in Georgia and Alabama. Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
