A Snohomish County fugitive accused of child sex crimes is now in custody in Yuma, Arizona. Clay Weldon Myers was arrested Thursday by a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force, according to investigators, who say he was wanted in Washington on allegations that include rape of a child and possession of child pornography. Investigators report the case began in July 2024, after deputies responded to reports of inappropriate contact between Myers and a 13-year-old girl he met while working at a horse farm. Officials say he was located at a residence in Yuma and is now awaiting extradition to Washington to face the charges.
The arrest was handled by members of a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force, which routinely teams up with local law enforcement to track down suspects and serve outstanding warrants. The agency maintains an online news page that lays out similar operations and results from around the country. U.S. Marshals Service task forces are often credited with finding fugitives who have crossed state lines.
According to a statement from the U.S. Marshals Service, as relayed by FOX 10 Phoenix, Myers was wanted out of Snohomish County on charges that include rape of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography. FOX 10 reports investigators opened the probe in July 2024 after deputies received reports about inappropriate contact at the horse farm where Myers worked, and that he later failed to appear for court proceedings after being released on bond. The Snohomish County Superior Court issued a warrant for his arrest on April 16, and the Marshals statement cited by FOX 10 says Myers was ultimately found at a home in Yuma, where he was taken into custody while paperwork is completed to transfer him back to Washington.
Legal next steps and extradition
If Washington prosecutors formally request Myers' return, his transfer would move into the routine interstate extradition process outlined in federal law, specifically 18 U.S.C. § 3182, and carried out through state authorities and court filings. The statute, as summarized by Cornell Law School, describes how one state can secure the return of a fugitive from another state once a governor's demand or equivalent paperwork is presented.
How marshals and local partners operate in Arizona
Arizona reporting shows that U.S. Marshals task forces frequently work with county sheriff’s offices and local police departments in multiagency sweeps and compliance checks across Yuma County, helping verify registrations and locate fugitives. Coverage from KOLD News 13 on earlier Yuma operations highlights how federal and local teams coordinate on sex offender compliance efforts and fugitive apprehensions.
Investigators have released limited public detail about the evidence in the Myers case or specific upcoming court dates. FOX 10's reporting attributes the timeline of events and list of charges to a written statement from the U.S. Marshals Service. Members of the public with information or questions about the case are directed to official Snohomish County channels, including the sheriff’s media and records pages, for contact details and updates. Snohomish County News & Media Relations
