U.S. Marshals tracked down and arrested 25-year-old Brayden Richardson at a Memphis home Monday night, ending a multi-day search for a suspect wanted in a child-molestation investigation out of Tupelo, Mississippi. Richardson was booked into the Shelby County Jail and is expected to be extradited to Mississippi to face the Lee County case.
According to Action News 5, deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service took Richardson into custody at a Memphis residence, and he remained in the Shelby County Jail following an arraignment in Memphis. The station reports investigators with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office had been searching for Richardson since the previous week and declined to release additional details when contacted. During his arraignment, Richardson was assigned a public defender and charged in Shelby County with being a fugitive from justice while he awaits extradition to Mississippi.
How the marshals track fugitives
The U.S. Marshals Service frequently partners with local and state agencies to find fugitives, often through multi-agency operations in the Memphis area. The agency’s Memphis district pages highlight a series of recent cases in which marshals helped arrest suspects wanted in other jurisdictions, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Officials say those efforts are part of a continuing push to clear outstanding warrants and return out-of-state suspects so local prosecutors can pursue their cases.
Lee County's search and tips
Lee County investigators had been looking for Richardson and issued an alert last week asking the public for tips, Action News 5 reported. The Lee County Sheriff's Office website lists its dispatch number and urges anyone with information to call (662) 432-2622. Local officials told the station they would not release further information about the case while investigators in Mississippi continue their work.
Legal next steps
For now, Richardson will stay in Shelby County custody while extradition paperwork moves through the courts. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office notes that its downtown and east-side jail facilities house inmates who are awaiting court action or transfer. The criminal division of Shelby County General Sessions maintains public resources and a public-defender contact line for initial court appearances. Mississippi prosecutors are expected to make charging and transfer decisions once Lee County files formal charges and submits an extradition request.
Investigators say they are not releasing additional details at this time. Anyone with tips for Lee County investigators is asked to call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (662) 432-2622 or submit an anonymous lead through the department’s tip system.
