A Detroit man wanted in connection with a West Virginia homicide was taken into custody last Friday morning in Eastpointe on a first-degree murder warrant, authorities said. The arrest follows last Tuesday's shooting in Huntington that left one person dead. The suspect, 44-year-old Kendall Deion Crutcher of Detroit, was arrested by U.S. marshals and is being held in Michigan while he awaits extradition. Local and federal partners, including the Cabell County prosecuting attorney’s office, assisted in the case.
How officials described the search
According to CBS News Detroit, the Huntington (W.Va.) Police Department said it had been looking for Crutcher since last Tuesday's shooting. West Virginia authorities issued a criminal complaint that charged him with first-degree murder in the case, the outlet reported.
Victim and local reporting
Local television coverage identified the victim as 33-year-old Jackie Harper of South Charleston and reported that she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to WOWK‑TV. Authorities have not released information about a possible motive or what led up to the shooting.
Capture and what comes next
U.S. Marshals arrested Crutcher in Eastpointe on the West Virginia warrant Friday morning, and the Huntington Police Department said he is awaiting extradition to that state, per CBS News Detroit. The department said the U.S. Marshals Service's Eastern District of Michigan and Southern District of West Virginia, together with the Cabell County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, assisted in the arrest.
Legal implications
West Virginia authorities charged the suspect with first-degree murder, a crime that carries a potential life sentence under state law. West Virginia Code §61-2-2 provides for confinement in the state penitentiary for life, and the state eliminated capital punishment decades ago, as reflected in §61-11-2.
Authorities have not immediately released additional details, citing the ongoing investigation. Huntington police and the Cabell County Prosecutor's Office are expected to oversee extradition proceedings and any subsequent court filings.
