Kansas City, MO - United States Marshal Mark S. James announced today the arrest of 19-year-old homicide suspect Charles Gresham of Omaha on the evening of August 27th, 2019 in Independence. He was wanted for First Degree Murder and Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony following an investigation into the homicide of Audrea Craig in Lincoln, Nebraska.
On July 24th, 2019, at approximately 3:46 a.m., Lincoln police officers responded to Craig’s residence in the 2000 block of South 26th Street on a report of a person who had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Craig deceased inside the residence from two apparent gunshot wounds to her chest. A handgun was located near Craig’s hand. Moments later, Lincoln police officers responded to Bryan West Hospital on a report of a man with a gunshot wound. Hospital staff reported several individuals assisted the victim, later identified as 26-year-old Martae Green, into the emergency room and left prior to police officers’ arrival. Green was unresponsive and pronounced dead at 4:37 a.m.
Video surveillance showed that Green was one of the individuals who forced entry into Craig’s residence while armed with a handgun. Further investigation and interviews revealed that during the robbery, Craig armed herself and shot Green. Investigators interviewed witnesses and believe the distribution of marijuana played a role in this targeted act of violence.
On August 27th, deputy marshals, detectives, troopers and agents from the Kansas City Missouri Police Career Criminal Unit and the Independence Missouri Police Department tracked Gresham down to an apartment complex in Independence near 23rd street and Hwy 291. Task force members surrounded the apartment and took Gresham into custody when he attempted to escape by jumping out of a second story window. Gresham was uninjured and was lodged at a local detention facility to await extradition back to Nebraska.
The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force-Kansas City division, operates in conjunction with members of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department, Independence Missouri Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri State Highway Patrol and other federal law enforcement partners. The task force objectives are to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, drug offenses, sex offenders and other serious felonies. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 67 local fugitive task forces, 8 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.
Tips can be submitted anonymously to the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers via the TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477, on the internet at KCcrimestoppers.com or on the free mobile app available at P3Tips.com. Tips can also be submitted to the U.S. Marshals service directly and anonymously by downloading the USMS Tips app to your Apple or Android device. It can also be accessed online at https://www.usmarshals.gov/tips/index.html. Follow the latest news and updates about the U.S. Marshals Service on Twitter: @USMarshalsHQ
