An 18-year-old facing an attempted-murder charge has been on the run for nearly three weeks after escaping a detention facility in Wheeling, West Virginia, and authorities now believe he could be in the Morgantown or Clarksburg area. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of Xander Scott Finley-Ball, who has not been taken into custody since he escaped on Oct. 10.
Finley-Ball was being held on an attempted homicide charge connected to a shooting that critically injured a person in Star City in July, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, as reported by CBS Pittsburgh. Investigators have pinpointed the shooting to July 2 at 5101 University Commons Drive in Star City, according to WBOY.
Multiple Agencies Join the Search
The hunt for Finley-Ball has drawn in a wide net of law enforcement. The search includes the Wheeling Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, per WTOV9. Some reports have referred to the site he escaped from as a detention facility, a detention center, or a juvenile detention facility, according to WTAP.
Officials believe Finley-Ball remains at large in the Morgantown and Clarksburg areas, according to CBS Pittsburgh, WBOY and other reports. WTAP reported that Finley-Ball had connections in the Williamstown and Marietta area. The U.S. Marshals Service separately told WTRF that it believes Finley-Ball remains in the Morgantown or Clarksburg area, a finding echoed across coverage of the case.
Conflicting Descriptions of His Clothing
Finley-Ball is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 135 pounds, with brown hair and gray eyes, according to the same WBOY account. Descriptions of what he was wearing when last seen have varied between reports: WBOY and WTRF both describe a black hoodie and black pants, while the Dominion Post and WTOV9 reported a green hoodie and tan pants.
The attempted homicide charge against Finley-Ball stems directly from the July shooting, according to The Intermountain. No additional details about the condition of the person injured in that shooting have been released beyond the initial description that the victim was critically hurt.
Reward Offered, Tip Lines Open
The U.S. Marshals Service is now offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to Finley-Ball's arrest, according to WV MetroNews. Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Marshals Service at 304-350-6700, contact the Wheeling Police Department at 304-234-3664, email [email protected], call the U.S. Marshals Service 24-hour tip line at 1-877-926-8332, or dial 911.
