A Minnesota man who vanished from a courthouse before a jury could deliver its verdict against him has been caught more than a thousand miles away, near the Oklahoma-Arkansas border. Eric Francis Sunder, 48, was arrested in southern Le Flore County, Oklahoma, after weeks on the run from a sexual misconduct case involving a minor in Douglas County, Minnesota.
According to a release from Oklahoma Highway Patrol's Southeast Region cited by 5NEWS, troopers from OHP Troop D and Troop E arrested Sunder on Oct. 10 in southern Le Flore County. He had reportedly been found guilty of three counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, with the charges carrying an enhancement because of the victim's age, as well as failure to appear in Minnesota, per the same release.
He Disappeared During Deliberations
Sunder's case had already taken a strange turn weeks earlier. A jury convicted him of three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, according to echopress.com, but Sunder fled the Douglas County Courthouse during jury deliberations and never returned to hear the verdict read aloud.
The outlet's reporting places that disappearance on Sept. 29, the day Sunder allegedly fled the courthouse while jurors were still weighing his fate. After he failed to show up for the end of his trial, he was charged with felony failure to appear, on top of the sexual misconduct counts already against him.
Authorities Warned He Could Be Armed
In the days after Sunder went missing, authorities said his whereabouts remained unknown and warned that he was believed to be armed and dangerous, according to the same Minnesota outlet's reporting. A person at a residence in Osakis reportedly told investigators that Sunder had packed a duffel bag and left on foot, though that detail carries lower certainty than the rest of the account.
Interstate Operation Closed In Near the Border
The arrest itself unfolded as a coordinated, multi-agency operation along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office and troopers from Arkansas State Police Troop K assisted in the effort on Oct. 9, the day before Sunder was taken into custody in Le Flore County.
OHP's Southeast Region framed the capture as a model of cross-state law enforcement cooperation, saying the coordinated effort across state lines highlights the importance of interagency cooperation in locating and apprehending wanted fugitives, while keeping communities safe.
