Springfield, MO - On Sept. 25, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Springfield Police Officers arrested Tulsa homicide suspect Nicholas Joseph Gibson following a traffic stop in east Springfield.
Gibson and associate Ruth Blair were the subject of an extended standoff and manhunt by U.S. Marshals and the Springfield Police Department Special Response Team on September 24. Blair was arrested by officers on Tuesday evening, while Gibson remained at large.
On Sept. 25, investigators from the U.S. Marshals Service - Midwest Fugitive Task Force and the Springfield Police Department learned Gibson had been sighted in Springfield. This tip led officers to east Battlefield Road where Gibson was stopped in a vehicle. Deputy U.S. Marshals and Springfield Police Officers arrested Gibson without further incident.
On Aug. 21, Nicholas Gibson was charged with Felony Murder-First Degree in Oklahoma, in a case investigated by the Tulsa Police Department. Also charged were his two associates, Leanna Roacher and Ruth Blair. The charges stemmed from a July 27 shooting in Tulsa. Roacher was previously arrested in this case.
“These two fugitives were interstate outlaws who tried to hide from their violent crimes by fleeing across state lines", said U.S. Marshal Mark James of the Western District of Missouri. “These arrests represent an outstanding collaborative effort between the U.S. Marshals and our law enforcement partners in Southwest Missouri", said James.
The arrest of Gibson and Blair were the result of an extended fugitive investigation by U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task forces in Tulsa and Springfield, along with the Tulsa Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Marshals Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force-Springfield Division, operates in conjunction with members of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, the Springfield Police Department, and the Joplin Police Department. 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 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. You can also follow the latest news and updates about the U.S. Marshals Service on Twitter: @USMarshalsHQ.
