The U.S. Marshals Service has doubled its reward to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of Joquan Antonio Porter, the Newport News man wanted in the fatal shooting of his wife earlier this year. Porter, 39, has been on the run since officers found 37-year-old Keshia Pearley shot inside a home on the 300 block of Deputy Lane, and authorities say he should still be considered armed and dangerous.
According to 13News Now, the Marshals raised the bounty on Porter to $10,000 as the search for him continues. The increase comes months after a July release from the agency had set the reward at $5,000 in connection with the same case.
What Happened on Deputy Lane
Newport News police officers responded shortly before 1 p.m. on April 1 to the 300 block of Deputy Lane for a shooting, according to the Daily Press. Inside the home, officers found Pearley with a gunshot wound; she died at the scene, the paper reported. Police identified Porter, her husband, as the suspect two days later and said he was wanted on warrants for first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm in an occupied dwelling.
The Daily Press reported that police considered Porter armed and dangerous at the time the warrants were issued, a warning that has remained in place throughout the months-long manhunt. A U.S. Marshals release dated July 27 stated that Porter, 39, of Newport News, had been charged with first-degree murder and related firearm offenses in connection with the shooting, matching the charges local police had already announced.
Reward Climbs as Search Continues
The jump from $5,000 to $10,000 signals that federal and local investigators are still working to track Porter down nearly eight months after Pearley's death. The U.S. Marshals Service maintains a fugitive listing for Porter and is urging anyone with information to come forward, warning that he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Tips can be submitted to the U.S. Marshals Service by phone at 1-877-WANTED2 (926-8332) or by email at [email protected]. The Hampton Roads Crime Line also accepts tips by phone at (888) LOCK-U-UP, and P3 Tips takes submissions through its website and mobile app. It remains unclear whether Porter has been located or taken into custody since the reward increase was announced.
